Seeing Others Clearly

Matthew 20:1-16

So, to recap, not only are we prone to have a distorted view of God and ourselves, we are also prone to have a distorted view of others—to see them through the wrong lens

Hopefully you will talk more about this in your small groups, but I want you to notice a pathway we have been discussing:

As we see God more clearly, we see ourselves more clearly—and this leads to Gospel living. As we grow in Gospel living, the lens of how we see others becomes more clearer. Living in the Gospel equals living out the Gospel Gospel living.

(READ MATTHEW 20:1-16)

What are parables?

“Parable” comes from the Greek Word “parabole” and means “throwing alongside;” we would say today as, “coming alongside.”

Jesus method of teaching in parables went beyond some moral lesson, the parable’s purpose was to come alongside a truth about God and how we are to live before God

You could also say it this way “An earthly event pointing to a heavenly truth”

What about the parable in “The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard?”

Jesus tells this parable to help illustrate what He said in Matthew 19:30 “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Matt 19:30 and this parable, teach us a comparison: how we look at others, compared to how Jesus looks at others:

How we tend to look at others:

We tend to look at others through the lens of partiality and pass judgment or extend mercy/grace/love based on

Visible works

Visible morality

Age and seniority

Friendliness

“How many years” a person has been a Christian

Recognition

Ability and skill

Position

In these ways, we are playing the role of judge, where we make determinations on who is or isn’t deserving of God’s love/grace/mercy

When God looks at a person, His lens is much different

He sees past the exterior and sees into the heart

1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.””

His mercy is extended to anyone, no matter who they are, what they look like, what they’ve done, where they come from:

He is the discerner of a person’s heart

Luke 16:15 “And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”

I. What’s happening in this parable?

Remember—parables teach of Kingdom values as opposed to earthly valued

“Kingdom of heaven”-salvation and all those who have professed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—believers comprise the Kingdom of Heaven

Jesus is telling teaching about what the kingdom of heaven is like

(v.1-7) The Same Salvation is offered to ANYONE

The “master of the house” hired people at different times of the day (9am, NOON, and 5 p.m.)

Those hired “first” (early) represent Israel—God’s covenant people

Those hired “last” (late or the end of the day) represent the Gentiles (people no one wanted to hire)

Master of the house”, in paying the workers’ wages

Began with the late/last worker then worked backwards to the early worker

Gave equal wages to the last/late worker as he did the early worker

“Matthew 20:9–10 “And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.”

(WHAT DOES THIS TEACH US)—First vs Last

The “first” would be those who respond to God’s call early in life—

Who’ve been a Christian “the majority of,” or “most of their lives,”

Who’ve been running the Christian race (life) for the majority or most of their lives

Who’ve been forsaking the world and passing pleasure of sin the majority or most of their lives

The “last” are those:

Who’ve spent the majority or most of their lives as non-Christians, who become a Christian later in life

Who’ve only been running the Christian race (life) for a short period time, compared those who were “first.”

Who’ve gone the majority or most of their lives not forsaking the world and passing pleasures of sin—who spent most of their lives rejecting God’s call, only to respond and become Christians as a “latecomer.”

The “reward,” however is the same

2 Peter 3:8–9 “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Note here that God doesn’t qualify the stage of life a person for salvation, rather that they would come to repentance

Romans 10:9–10 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Again, Paul doesn’t qualify, “stage of life,” rather a person’s belief and confession in Jesus Christ

Think of it like this

You’re asked to help a family move—you show up early and work all day until the work is done; but another person comes and works for only an hour and then the work is done. When the work is done, pizza is ordered for everyone and EVERYONE is invited to dive in an eat

II. (v.11-16) What we learn from the response of the workers in this parable is a lesson we all need to learn

Jesus is uncovering a truth about human nature here and a truth about salvation:

A truth about human nature is we tend to show partiality towards others and make our own decisions about who’s deserving of salvation or even if a person is truly saved

“How can this person be saved, if they’ve committed ___________”

“I’ve been a Christian much longer than they have, therefore, I am more deserving than they are.”

“This person doesn’t deserve to be saved b/c they’ve_____________”

“This person does deserve to be saved, b/c they’ve lived a “good, moral life,” and they don’t _________

James 2:2–4 “For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?”

The truth about salvation:

Salvation is the grace gift of God—it is never on based on a person’s age, what they’ve done or not done, it is NEVER based on following rules, good works, or religious activity; salvation has nothing to do with anything WE do, but what Christ has done

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a respecter of persons:

Acts 10:34 “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.”

Romans 2:11 “For there is no partiality with God.”

The Gospel is not about who’s “first or last,” b/c THERE IS NO FIRST IN LINE AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

We are all the same at the foot of the cross

III. So, if this is the heart God has for ANY person, by what lens should we see them?

Luke 5:1 “So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,”

Believers must be around people

Reaching the lost for Christ cannot mean that believers live

In isolation or seclusion from others, cannot mean

Ignoring or neglecting other people, cannot mean

Having hearts of partiality or prejudice

Keeping our heads in the sand

Reaching the lost for Christ must mean

Live being around people, must mean

Live, investing in and fostering relationships with people; must mean

Living out our faith visibly and unfiltered with others, must mean

Living out our faith with eyes wide open to other people and their needs, must mean

Living with our heads “out of the sand” understands that many times ministry is messy:

This means seeing beyond what they’ve done or how they are living and helping realize the grace of God which was given to you

We must moldable

A hearts of “good soil.” Just as it is easier for the farmer to plant seeds in the good soft soil of the ground, so are the seeds of the Spirit more easily planted in hearts are softened to His Word.

Mark 4:20 “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.””

Good soil produces good fruit (Spiritual fruit); and Spiritual fruits provide a testimony of Jesus Christ in your life

Spiritual fruits (good fruit) are also to be visible fruits, that others might partake of them

*CAUTION*—the visible fruits in our lives—that others see and partake of—are directly related to the seeds we allow to be planted in our hearts

Have worldly seeds (fleshly seeds) produced wordly fruit (fruits of the flesh) others see and partake of?

Have spiritual seeds (Spiritual seeds) produced Spiritual fruit (fruits of the Holy Spirit) others see and partake of?

Spiritual fruits are developed thru:

Obedient faith

Self-denial

Allowing the Holy Sprint the opportunity to work in/on your life

A heart like that of moldable clay Jeremiah 18:4–6 “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”

We must be around others and at the same time, recognize what others need, “…to hear the word of God…”

The great hope for the lost is the gospel;

Remember the treasure of being saved and that someone, somewhere along the way, saw you through the lens of the gospel and shared the truth with you

The heart needed to share the gospel, is the heart that Jesus had for others: COMPASSION

Mark 1:41 “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.””

Mark 6:34 “And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.”

Mark 8:2–3 ““I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.””

Luke 7:13 “When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.””

Matthew 20:34 “So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.”

Compassion sees people as sheep needing a shepherd

People wander—they stray—aimlessly seeking after things only the true Shepherd can provide

Compassion goes beyond sympathy. How? Compassion acts

In every place the Bible tells of the compassion of Jesus, we find Jesus acting upon it

Jesus had compassion and then he fed 5000

Jesus had compassion and then he cleansed the leper

Jesus had compassion and then he gave the blind man sight

Jesus’ compassion towards people always directed them to healing only He could provide—and it must be for us; in order for our compassion to be Christ-like, we must be directing others to Jesus—to the cross.

Compassion has the same heart for people as God does

Listen to what Paul tells the church in Philippi:

Philippians 3:18 “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:”

Listen to what God entrusts Ezekiel to declare to the nation of Israel:

Ezekiel 18:23 “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?”

Believer—does your heart break for the lost—does your sould weep for those who are “enemies of the cross?”

Compassion gives not quarter—no room—for partiality & prejudice

James 2:1 “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.”

James 2:8–9 “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”

If we cannot see others thru the lens of Christ-like compassion, then we risk sharing a gospel of legalism. Why? The gospel CANNOT be a gospel of transactional living, where salvation is a list of do’s and don’ts.

The gospel MUST be a gospel of God’s grace & mercy, and love; it’s here the lost find genuine salvation and where believers give up transactional sanctification in favor of grace-driven sanctification***

I.

What is it we must remember? We must remember and live out God’s chief commandment:

1 John 3:23–24 “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”