Working His Vineyard

I. Vineyard’s Wages,

I. The Parable (20:1–16)

A. The agreement ()

: Here Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to a landowner who hires men to work in his vineyard.

Matthew 20:2 ESV

2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

B. The agreement (20:1b–7)

The work schedule (20:1b, 3–7)

2. The work schedule (20:1b, 3–7)

a. Some work from 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. (20:1b).

b. Some work from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. (20:3–4).

c. Some work from 12 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. (20:5a).

d. Some work from 3:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. (20:5b).

e. Some work from 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. (20:6–7).

B. The argument ()

Matthew 20:8–15 ESV

8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’

Matthew 20:11–12 ESV

11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’

1. The payoff (20:8): In the evening the owner instructs his foreman to pay them their wages, beginning with the last one hired and going on to the first.

2. The pay (20:9–10): Each worker receives identical wages—one denarius!

3. The protest (20:11–12): The workers who began at 6:00 A.M. protest that they should receive more than the late-afternoon workers.

4. The pronouncement (20:13–15): The owner reminds the complainers of two things.

a. He has paid them what he promised (20:13) .

b. He can pay anyone anything he wants (20:14–15).

C. The application ()

Matthew 20:16 ESV

16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

II. Vineyard’s Workers,

Matthew 21:28–32 ESV

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

III. Vineyard’s Worth,

A. Worth seen time & labor developing the vineyard,

Matthew 21:33 ESV

33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.

B. Worth seen in God sending His Son,

Matthew 21:38–39 ESV

38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

C. Worth seen in who are the recipients of the Kingdom,

Matthew 21:43 ESV

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

Compare

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.