Work and Pay - Matthew 20:1-19

Introduction: Notice that the title of today’s message is Work and Pay and not Work and Play. Most people work so that they can enjoy the play – they live for weekend adventures.

   However, are you aware that there are a lot of people who work for a paycheck? Consider the following data:

· According to a LendingClub report, 61% of U.S. adults live paycheck to paycheck. That includes 40% of high-income earners (100K/year).[1]

· MagnifyMoney and other outlets estimate that about 50–53% of Americans fall into this category

Many Americans Are One Paycheck Away

· A 2023 PayrollOrg survey found 77% to 78% of American workers would struggle if their paycheck were delayed by even one week.[2]

· A 2019 NORC/University of Chicago study revealed 51% couldn’t cover essentials if they missed more than one paycheck; 15% would struggle after missing two.[3]

   Additional insight:

· 56% of Americans can’t cover a $ 1,000 emergency without borrowing.

· And 37% can't cover a $400 emergency.

   Now, who likes to work? Have you ever seen the sign that reads:

A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work

   Last week Debbie and I stayed at a hotel in Rocker, Montana. When I arrived at the front desk to check in, the desk manager said, “I’m sorry, I am having a hard time finding you a room. I had three housekeepers who didn’t show up today.”

   Sad to say that we are now living in a day and age when people just don’t show up for work. And business owners know that they can’t fire them because they have no replacements. This scenario is happening in just about every field of industry.

   Now, who likes payday? Yes, most of us look forward to payday. We have food to purchase, mortgages to pay, toys to be bought, and fun to be had. And did I mention, fun to be had?

   Work and Pay go together. It's as good as peanut and Jelly!

  Our study today is going to take us into the vineyard where we find various laborers working for a landowner, and at the end of the day, being paid for the hours they worked. Not much has changed through the centuries – you work, and you get paid.

   So, what do we have here in our text?

1. Hiring laborers – 20:1-7

A. The landowner goes out and hires laborers for his vineyard – 20:1

   For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

   Most Bible teachers believe that the landowner in this story is God and that the vineyard in the story is the world. The laborers are those called by God to work in His vineyard.

B. The laborers agreed to a denarius a day – 20:2a

   Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day,

    What is a denarius? It is a day’s wage. So, all those hired by the landowner agreed to work for a day’s wage.

   Most people who work a job have agreed with the manager on the compensation that they would receive before being hired.

C. He sent them into his vineyard – 20:2b

   he sent them into his vineyard.

   The laborers were sent out into the landowner’s vineyard to work.

  What does it mean to work? There are two possible definitions for work. The first I’ll call a secular worldview, and it states, “Work is the purposeful use of physical or mental effort to achieve a goal, create value, provide goods or services, or earn a living.”   The second is a biblical worldview, and it states, “Work is the purposeful, productive activity assigned by God whereby we reflect His image, provide for ourselves and others, care for creation, and glorify Him.”

D.He called others to work throughout the day – 20:3-7

   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.’

   Throughout the day, the landowner called other laborers to come and work in his vineyard.

· Third hour – 9:00 A.M.

· Sixth hour – Noon.

· Ninth hour – 3:00 P.M.

· Eleventh hour – 5:00 P.M.

  May I remind us that every one of the laborers agreed to what the landowner agreed to pay them.

   A principle I find here in the text is that: Payday follows workday!

  What else do we have in our text?

2. Paying laborers – 20:8-10

A. You can only work so long – 20:8

  So when evening had come

   Scripture tells us that we are to work in the day, because the night is coming when no man can work (see John 9:4).

   Most of us have jobs that work us 8 hours a day, five days a week. A few of us have jobs that work us 10 hours a day, but only 4 days a week, and there are a few of us who work three days a week, but for 12-hour days. 

   But all of us reach a time when our shift is done. We are through with our workday. And we walk away thinking – another day, another dollar!

B. The laborers are paid – 20:8

   give them their wages beginning with the last to the first

   In this parable, who hands out the wages? In verse 8, we read, “his steward”. Most Bible teachers believe it is Jesus Christ.

   Notice, too, in the text that the wages are distributed from the last to the first. This keeps in line with what Jesus taught back in Matthew 19:30,

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

C. Everyone received the same pay – 20:9

   And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.

   Is that fair? From our human perspective, most of us would say, No. However, with God, all things are fair. Every person in this parable agreed to the terms of the landowner before going out into the vineyard.

   What is this parable teaching us? It teaches us that God is gracious and everyone who comes to Jesus Christ receives eternal life – there are no exceptions! All are rewarded with the same wage. Spiritually, we are talking about salvation.  

D. Those hired first were expecting to be paid more – 20:10a

   But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more;

  Every one of us has the idea that the more we do, the more we deserve. I mentioned this a few weeks ago when I spoke about the rich young ruler. We have a performance-based mindset – we believe we deserve more if we do more than others. And this is how much of the world functions today.

E. They all received a denarius – 20:10b

   and they likewise received each a denarius.

Everyone who was hired that day and at whatever time they were hired all received the same wage – they all received a denarius – a day’s wage.

3. Complaining laborers – 20:11-16

A. They complained against the landowner – 20:11

   And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,

   How many times do we hear people complain about the company not being fair in the way people are being paid? You have various people doing the same job, and some working harder, but there is a huge discrepancy when it comes to salaries.

   We live in the land of mumbling and complainers

B. They didn’t like the equality of pay – 20:12

    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.’

   Question: Why should anyone have a problem if they agree to the terms before working in the vineyard?

C. They agreed to work for a denarius – 20:13-14

   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.

   Again, I remind you that most people, when they are hired, agree to a certain wage before they ever punch the time clock.

   When you go through the interview process, the manager, the boss who hires you, tells you about your wages and your benefit package.

  At a lot of places of employment, you sign what is called an Employment Agreement and Compensation package. It covers a wide variety of things, such as:

Base salary or wage

Health and retirement benefits

Paid time off and holidays

Job title and duties

Start date

Employment status (full-time/part-time, exempt/non-exempt)

Terms of termination

   The bottom line is that at the end of the day, you agreed to work for a denarius a day!   

D. The landowner can do as he wishes – 20:15

   Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’

   Some read this and think, well, if I were hired at the eleventh hour and received the same wage as someone who worked all day, I would be ecstatic. However, if you worked all day and you received the same wage as someone who worked only one hour, you would be disgruntled. It would seem very unfair to you.

   Think through this scenario – If you agreed beforehand on what your wages would be, and you received the wages you agreed to, do you have any reason to complain? What is the answer? No!

   I hope that you and I are not missing the spiritual implication of all that is being presented here in our text.

4. Steward’s future – 20:17-19

   I find it interesting that this section of Scripture follows the parable of the landowner. I think there are a lot of people who would like to do to their steward, the one who hands out the paychecks, what the Gentiles will do to Jesus in these verses – they would like to crucify those who seem unjust when it comes to wages.

   Here is what we find in these verses…

A. Going up to Jerusalem – 20:17

   Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem,

   Jesus kept Jerusalem before Him. He knew that He had a divine appointment awaiting Him there.

B. Jesus speaks to the twelve disciples – 20:17b

   took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them,

   Jesus takes the twelve aside (Judas is even among them), and He speaks to them about the things that are going to take place when they arrive in Jerusalem.

   I want us to notice that Jesus’ disciples are the audience of both the parable and this prophecy. Jesus is preparing them for the shocking nature of the kingdom – the first will be last, and the last will be first, and that the Messiah must suffer.

C. Jesus shares what is going to happen to Him – 20:18-19

   18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify…”  

   This is the third time in our study in Matthew that Jesus shared with His disciples what was going to happen to Him (Matthew 16:31; 17:22-23; 20:17-19). He predicted it before it happened.

   Jesus made it clear that he was going to be arrested, suffer at the hands of his abusers, and be crucified. However, that’s not the end of the story – No, No, No! 

D. Jesus will rise from the dead – 20:19b

  And the third day He will rise again.

   Jesus says that He will conquer death. I want you to underline the words,

   And the third day He will rise again.

   It is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead that separates Christianity from all the other world religions.  Christianity is the only faith that has a LIVING LORD!

   The gracious steward lives!

Conclusion: As we come to the end of this parable, we must see beyond the earthly vineyard and temporary wages to the eternal truths Jesus is revealing. Yes, this story deals with work and pay, but more importantly, it reveals the generosity of God, the equality of grace, and the sovereignty of the Lord in dispensing that grace as He sees fit.

   This parable reminds us that:

· God calls workers at all hours—early in life, or later in life—but each one is valuable and welcomed into His kingdom. Don’t forget the thief on the cross as an example.

· God keeps His promises—He pays exactly what He agreed to, and He never shortchanges anyone.

· God is gracious—He gives eternal life to all who respond to His call, whether early or late, whether we think it’s fair or not.

   In our world, we’re trained to think in terms of fairness based on performance. But in God’s kingdom, grace overrides performance.Salvation isn’t earned—it’s given. And the wage, the denarius in this parable, represents eternal life, not because we worked long or hard, but because the Landowner—our God—is good.

   And just as Jesus ended this section by reminding His disciples of the price He would pay—mocking, scourging, and crucifixion—we are reminded that the ultimate “payday” we receive is only possible because He took our place, and He rose again.

   Let me ask you today:

· Have you responded to the Landowner’s call? Do you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ?

· Are you in the vineyard? Laboring willingly for God?

· Have you stopped comparing and started celebrating the grace that God so freely gives?

   Don’t worry about how late the hour is—the invitation still stands. Enter His vineyard. Do the work He’s assigned. And trust the goodness of the One who rewards not according to merit, but according to mercy.

“And the third day He will rise again.”

   That’s our hope.    That’s our wage.    That’s our Savior.

   Amen.

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