That's Not Fair!

ILLUSTRATION

“That’s not fair!”

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 20:1–16 NKJV

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’ 8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

INTRODUCTION

Jesus taught this parable about the Kingdom of Heaven (God) in response to Peter’s question in the previous chapter:

Matthew 19:27 NKJV

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

Jesus assured Peter that he and the disciples would receive rewards in Heaven, along with everyone who sacrificed in this life to follow Christ.

However, Jesus said there were going to be some surprises in Heaven:

Matthew 19:30 NKJV

30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

In other words, the people that God chooses to exalt and reward in Heaven may not be the one’s that we would expect.

EXEGESIS

Jesus responds to Peter’s question by teaching a parable about workers in a vineyard.

In the parable, a landowner goes out first thing in the morning to hire workers to harvest the grapes in the vineyard.

The timing of harvesting the grapes was very important. If they were harvested too soon, the sugar levels would be too low. If they were harvested too late, the sugar would begin to ferment and sour. So often, an entire vineyard was harvested in one day. That is the situation that Jesus is describing.

The landowner went out first thing in the morning, at 6AM and hired everyone he could find to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for a day’s work.

But the landowner realized there were not enough people to gather the entire harvest in one day. So he went back out at the 3rd hour (9AM), 6th hour (noon), 9th hour (3PM), and then finally as late as the 11th hour (5PM) when there was only one hour left in the workday. The landowner never agreed to pay them the same denarius as the workers hired at 6AM, but he simply said, “whatever is right, you will receive.”

At the end of the day, the landowner said to his steward, “call all the workers and pay them.” The OT law actually required laborers to be paid daily so that they did not go hungry.

But the landowner said the workers should be called forward from the last to the first. In other words, in reverse order that they came to work. So the workers who were hired first and worked the full day, were at the back of the line and got to watch as the other workers were paid.

Remember that the landowner had agreed to pay the workers hired at 6AM for a denarius a day. But when the workers that came at the 11th hour (5PM) were paid, they were given a denarius. And so were the rest of the workers (9th hour, 6th hour, and 3rd hour).

But when the first group of workers came to receive their wages, they assumed they would receive more than the others. I can just imagine they were whispering to each other, “if these guys got a denarius, then surely we are going to get more. I wonder how much he’s going to give us?”

But to their surprise, the also only received a denarius. And they complained:

These last men only worked one hour and they got paid the same as us!

You have made them equal to us. They are not equal to us. We did more!

We worked the whole day!

We did all the work!

We had to endure the heat of the day!

THAT’S NOT FAIR!!!

But the landowner responded:

Did you not agree to a denarius for a day’s work?

Take what I’ve given you and go your way.

I want to pay these last men the same as you.

Do I not have the right to do whatever I want with my money?

Or is your eye evil (envious/jealous) because I am good?

Then Jesus summarizes the point of the parable in verse 16 with these two statements:

The last will be first and the first last, and

Many are called, but few chosen.

What do those statements mean? What lessons is Jesus trying to teach?

MESSAGE

God’s Grace is for Everyone

Everyone is called (invited) to salvation in Jesus Christ.

God is no respecter of persons.

God calls whosoever...

Everyone who is called (invited) is not chosen (accepts the invitation).

Many are called, but few chosen.

There will be many who refuse to put on the wedding garment.

Everyone who is saved (born again) will receive eternal life.

All believers, no matter how long or how hard they work during this lifetime, will receive the same basis reward: eternal life.

The Thief on the Cross.

However, there will be distinctions of rewards and authority in Heaven based on our good works after we are born again.

The first will be last and the last first.

There are some who were first to follow Christ, yet are not first in the Kingdom.

Judas Iscariot.

Yet, there are some who were last to follow Christ, yet are first in the Kingdom.

Paul.

The Jews felt like they should be first in honor in the Kingdom because they had been God’s chosen people for thousands of years. They were jealous of the grace that God was extending to the new Gentile converts.

Jesus warned the Pharisees that sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes were going to enter the Kingdom of God ahead of them because of the hardness of their hearts.

Does that Mean that God is Unfair?

First, let’s be thankful that God is not fair by our definition of fair.

Our definition of fair is typically, “I should get what I deserve.”

If God were completely fair, we would all be in hell.

We don’t deserve salvation; we deserve eternal punishment for our sins.

It is not fair that Jesus had to suffer and die in our place.

Thank God He does not give us what we deserve, but He gives us His grace!

God is not unfair…God is completely just.

In the parable, the problem was not with the men who worked less than a full day. The problem was with the jealously of the men who worked the full days.

The landowner was not unfair with the men who worked the full day. He paid them exactly what he had agreed to pay them. He just chose to be more generous to the men who only worked part of the day.

Since in the parable, the landowner represents God and the workers represent us, there is a lesson here that we need to be cautious not to become jealous of God’s grace toward others.

The Wrong Attitude

Some people feel entitled (superiority complex).

The rich young ruler in Chapter 19 felt entitled because of his position and possessions.

Even Peter was boastful in his statement in Matthew 19:27.

The Pharisee felt superior to the Publican.

Many people have a spiritual superiority complex that manifests in a holier-than-thou attitude toward others.

They walk around like their sin doesn’t stink in the nostrils of God.

Some people can’t stand it when God blesses or uses someone else (evil eye).

Why should I be jealous if God extends His grace to someone else?

Why should I get mad if God calls someone else?

Why should I treat someone badly because God gives them a special assignment in the Kingdom God?

Why should I walk around like a spiritual toddler screaming “THAT’S NOT FAIR!” just because God chooses to bless someone else?

Let it go, child of God! You don’t realize that those walls of resentment, hatred, envy, jealousy that you have built up around you have become your own prison! Break free from it today! Swallow your pride, give it to Jesus, and tear down those walls!

What is the Right Attitude?

Micah 6:8 NKJV

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

Some Basic Principles

Develop an Attitude of Servitude.

Take the lowest seat.

Understand God distributes His gifts and callings according to His will.

Be Thankful God doesn’t give you what you deserve.

Some Lessons We Can Learn to Help us Avoid Having an Evil Eye

We must avoid feeling superior to others because of our position or assignment.

We must not fail to share God’s concern in offering His grace to all.

We must avoid the spirit of envy toward the spiritual blessings of others.

CLOSING