Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard

The picture of serving and surrendering for not rewards, but for Jesus. Only for Jesus.

Opening Dialogue:

Introduction:

Welcome to Seven Cities Church! I am honored to be here with you all. My name is Caleb Berryman, and I am the Student Minister here.

Throughout this summer, we have gone through a series titled “Stories that Jesus Told.”

We have explored different parables—stories that Jesus taught—throughout the Bible, understanding their meaning and application.

So if this is your first time here, you aren’t missing out on a previous story connection, since each week has focused on a different parable.

Now, we say the term “parable” because Scripture uses this word when Jesus is sharing a story, but not just any story.

It is an earthly story with a Biblical principle.

Jesus was intentional with His stories. He spoke with authority and conviction.

This week is our last week in this series, and let me give you a heads-up: this parable has convicted me personally.

But to understand the story I am about to share with you, we need to understand a conversation that took place right before Jesus told this parable.

Pre-Context Before Matthew 20

As Jesus was doing His ministry and teaching, He had people who would come up and ask questions.

Of course, this makes sense because some of Jesus' teachings and preachings were hard to understand.

Or, they understood it but found it hard to accept. Have you ever been there before?

Where you hear the truth, and your reaction is, “Ahhh… that is hard to swallow. I’m not sure about that one. I get it, Jesus, but OOOOOOWEEE!”

People would come up to Jesus, even His disciples, and admit, “Jesus, this teaching is hard to grasp.” Whether it was hard to understand or Jesus was convicting them and revealing where their heart was.

At this moment, Jesus was just with little children, sharing with them that they are always able to run to Him and that the little children belong to the kingdom of heaven.

As Jesus walks away from that scene, a man approaches Him with a question.

Matthew 19:16: “And behold, someone came up to Him and said, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do so that I will have eternal life?’”

It seems like a valid question, but behind every question, there is an intention.

This man’s intention was not righteous. His heart was not set on Jesus but on what he could GET from Him.

Jesus responds by asking a question in Matthew 19:17: “And He said to him, ‘Why are you asking me about what is good? There is one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments!’”

Why are you asking me about what is good? WHAT A RESPONSE! Jesus could have answered that easily, but He wasn’t focused on the question itself, but on the heart behind it. This is a theme throughout Scripture.

The man goes on to ask which commandments.

Jesus listed out the commandments but in a different order. He didn’t list all ten; He only listed the ones that can be visibly seen.

Do not cheat, steal, murder, be a false witness, and honor your mother and father.

The man, filled with pride, says, “Oh, I have done that! What do I lack then?”

See, pride blinds you from what you lack and need.

Jesus responds with a conviction—a conviction that isn’t focused on actions but on the heart.

He tells him, “If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you have and give it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven; come and follow me.”

Matthew 19:22: “But when the young man heard the statement, he went away sorrowful, because he had many possessions.”

He valued his treasures over Jesus.

Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 19:23–26: “And Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Truly I say to you, it is difficult for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of heaven! And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly amazed, saying, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

God can save anyone! Great, but…

Peter got sparked to speak up about something.

Because, in contrast, the disciples left everything to follow Jesus. Matthew was rich, being a tax collector; Peter was earning money through fishing. They left everything to follow Jesus. So Peter, wondering, asks this:

Matthew 19:27: “Then Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us?’”

Peter is just like the rich man in this context, asking, “What’s in it for me?”

Peter, yes, surrendered everything to follow Jesus, but he is also wondering, “Where and when do I get my reward?”

Isn’t that the tone for America? When and what will be my reward?

I worked this hard and this much, so I deserve this and that. On the surface, it sounds fair and just!

Jesus answered Peter with this in Matthew 19:28–30: “And Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, in the renewal of the world, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields for my name’s sake, will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’”

Everyone who has left and surrendered to Jesus will inherit eternal life.

Peter must have smiled at the thought of being on a throne, but Jesus isn’t trying to puff up Peter. He is trying to set up a bigger picture.

The picture of serving and surrendering not for rewards, but for Jesus. Only for Jesus.

Church, I think we often have this mindset: “Okay, Jesus! I just did this really good thing; where is my reward?”

But that isn’t the point of this life. We do not live to please ourselves. We live for the Lord.

A better way of explaining this truth is through Jesus teaching a parable right after.

Reading of the Passage:

Matthew 20:1–7: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man—the master of the house—who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. After coming to an agreement with the workers for a denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. To those people, he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth and ninth hours, he did the same thing. About the eleventh hour, he went out and found others standing there and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’

So we have this master who hired workers at the very start and promised them a day’s wage.

Throughout the day, though, the master saw people standing around doing nothing, so he hired people throughout the whole day. Some were hired during the long hours, and some were found an HOUR before work closed.

The master said to those who were hired throughout the day, ‘I will give you whatever is right.’

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last up to the first.’ When those hired about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.”

This is interesting—the people who only worked one hour got a whole day’s wage. To us, this seems unfair, and to the workers who worked all day, it seemed the same.

Matthew 20:8–9 “And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last up to the first.’ And when the ones hired about the eleventh hour came, they received a denarius apiece.”

Matthew 20:10–16: “And when the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner, saying, ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

The workers at the start agreed to a day’s wage, but because they saw people get the same thing without doing the same amount of work, they thought they deserved more.

Explaining Brief Context:

These workers who complained represent Peter and others who serve God but look for their rewards.

They do good work, not for the Lord, but for other rewards.

Jesus explains that the kingdom of heaven is not built or focused on earthly rewards. People should follow Jesus not for the benefits, but for Jesus Himself.

The reward is JESUS. Jesus gives us an inheritance when we follow Him—a gift that is received, not earned.

He gives generously!

God in his generosity gives gifts we do not deserve, and he withholds punishments we do deserve

God gave us his son, freely given. WHEN WE DESERVED DEATH! IF you want to talk about fairness with the money that was handed out, look at what God did for us.

If God wanted to be fair, we should have put all of us in HELL!

But God, in his Holy generosity, chose to sacrifice for us, because of his love. And somehow, our focus is still on achieving other rewards, instead of just

Our reward is salvation through Jesus. It is the ability to be saved from our sins, and yet we find ourselves doing things not for Jesus, but for our own benefit.

The other workers who only worked lesser hours didn't deserve the same pay on the surface, But the point isn't to focus on human scale of fairness or how much people get.

It is to dwell in the fact the master was so generous to even HIRE THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE!

In this parable, the day wage, the denarius, is represented as salvation.

The master, who represents God, gives salvation freely.

It is not about the good deeds you do, it is about the one who SAVED YOU! (Not about how many hours you have worked, but about getting the free gift that the master gives."

“God’s grace is not limited by our ideas of fairness; his gifts are far beyond what we can deserve.” Richard T. France “Matthew,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 930.

Bringing it Home:

Jesus shared this story to show us that following Him is the reward

Has your heart been so focused on getting more rewards and things in this life when you serve God?

Have you forgotten the gift that God has given you?

The new creation he has made you? The new identity God has placed on you. You are a child of God. Inherited to enteral life. Yet our hearts become so dis-content, and has deviced us in wanting and getting more rewards and expecting that God just gives us more because we do more work.

Does God bless us for being faithful, Yes! However in his own timing. And our focus shouldn't be about what rewards we get.

It should be about building the Kingdom of God, not building our own kingdom.

Action Step:

Self- reflection: Are you seeking earthly rewards and forgetting the free eternal reward God has given us?

Take Action: If your heart is bitter and dis-content, focused don earthy things:; Pray for the Father to transform your heart to see the bigger picture of his grace and generosity he has shown. Then pray for opportunities to show that grace and generosity to others.