"That's Not Fair" - Matthew 20:1-16

Matthew 20:1-16

Gary Smalley and John Trent wrote a book called the Language of Love. It is a book that talks about how best to communicate with the important people in your life. The authors suggest the most effective way to convey how you feel about something is to tap into a situation familiar to your spouse. You then make up a story about something that happens that might evoke a similar feeling in the listener and then you would add, “that is how I felt when such and such happened.”

For example, one little girl did this with her Father who walked out on the family to be with another woman. She wrote a story about a horrible car accident and she was pinned in the car. Her dad got out of the car, looked at her and then just walked away. She ended up with very painful burns all over her body. The dad said, “I would never do that to you. I would never leave you there to suffer.” Then she said “that is the way I felt when you left our home”. Point made. Her dad realized the ripple effect of his indulgent behavior and broke off his other relationship and came home.

What the authors have done in their book is apply the methods of Jesus to communicating in the home. The parables of Jesus are among the most popular things our Lord every taught. They are stories that often have a surprise ending that are designed to illustrate eternal truth. Jesus taps into our emotions and leads us to deeper understanding.

This morning we look at a parable that does this. Before we look at the text we need to see something important. The passage before this, when the disciples said, “they had given up much for the kingdom” (and were hoping to be commended) ended with “the last will be first and the first will be last.” He ends the parable we look at today in the same way. So, already we have a feeling these accounts may somehow go together. Matthew put them together because he saw Jesus illustrating the principle He just declared.

“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.

3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.

6 “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’

7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’

“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’

8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’

13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’

16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

William Barclay says Jesus is describing the kind of thing that frequently happened in Palestine. At the end of September, the grape harvest would ripen just ahead of the rainy season. If the grapes did not get in before the rain, it would be ruined. So, the owner of the vineyard would go down and find day-laborers looking for work. He would get as many as he could muster if only for an hour.

Generally, these men were living from day to day. They needed to work to eat. They went to a location every day hoping to get picked for a job. Some of you may have worked for a while out of a labor Hall.

My nephew is an apprentice working to get his journeyman’s card as someone who lays floors. It was a struggle at first. He would go to the labor hall hoping for a job and none would be available. He is currently working in California accumulating hours toward his journeyman’s card. The usual five-year period will be done in less time because he is working so many hours. It isn’t fun being away from his family but . . . he is working and doesn’t have to go to the hall every day hoping to get picked for a job.

These men were in that condition. I don’t know why the owner in the story does not select all the men at first. Were some late? Did some work for a little while somewhere else? Or is it only for the purpose of the story? The illustration doesn’t work if they were all hired at once.

So come worked nine hours, some worked six, some worked three and some worked only one hour. The men hired at the beginning of the day agreed to work for a denarius which is the typical day’s wage. Everyone else was promised “what was right.”

At the end of the day the men lined up to be paid. That was the deal. You paid them each day because most of the men needed the money to live and eat. This group was unusual. Those hired last were paid first. They received a denarius, a full days pay. The people who had worked three hours also received a denarius as did those who worked six hour. The men who worked all day believe they were going to get a bonus. If those who worked less time than they did received a denarius then they should get more than that! . . . But they didn’t.

We identify with the guys who were paid last. It doesn’t seem fair. Let’s say the average day’s pay is $100.00. The people who worked one hour made $100.00 an hour. Those who worked for nine hours made a little more than $11.00 an hour.

Are you hooked? Do you find yourself upset like the men who were hired first? Now we must listen to the conclusion of the story

13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’

16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

The man who employed the men pointed out that there was nothing unjust about what took place. At the beginning of the day the men who were hired agreed to work for a Denarius. That is what they were paid. In essence, it really doesn’t matter what the other people were paid. It is irrelevant to the discussion. The man in charge has every right to be kind and generous to the other workers.

Hmmm. You can’t argue with the logic of what the man was saying. However, it still doesn’t seem right. What is the point that Jesus is trying to make?

The Length of Time You Serve Christ Does Not Entitle You to Greater Blessings

I believe it is clear that Jesus was sending a message that whether you had been a follower for a long time or had only started following that day . . . everyone was just as valuable to the Lord. He loves us all the same regardless of how long we have followed Him.

Do you ever feel like it isn’t fair that you have served the Lord all your life and then someone “gets in” by coming to faith just before they die? We would never say this, but the implication seems to be: They got to have fun right up to the time they were ready to die and they still got in. That’s not fair! We have been sacrificing and working hard and they got to play. Is it possible that you feel you have been “cheated?”

I hope not! The idea a person living apart from Christ is somehow getting a benefit of which you were deprived is ridiculous! What is better than knowing the love of Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit? What is better than his peace which the world can’t even understand?

Every one of us is made new by the mercy of God. He doesn’t have to save anyone. He certainly doesn’t owe us anything. We have no right to question who God has mercy on and when He shows that mercy.

In the book of Romans God says, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.” The point is that God does not have to explain Himself to anyone. We must never confuse the issues of justice and mercy. Justice is getting what you deserve. Injustice is when you are robbed of what you deserve. Mercy is being spared the bad that you deserved.

I will never forget the story R.C. Sproul related about his teaching experience. It is a lengthy quote but I suspect you will never forget either.

I had the assignment of teaching a freshman Old Testament course to 250 students at a Christian college. On the first day of class I went over the course assignments carefully. My experience taught me that the assignment of term papers required a special degree of explanation. This course required three short papers. I explained to the students that the first paper was due on my desk by noon the last day of September. No extensions were to be given except for students who were physically confined to the infirmary or who had deaths in the immediate family. If the paper was not turned in on time, the student would receive an F for the assignment. The students acknowledged that they understood the requirements.

On the last day of September, 225 students dutifully handed in their term papers. Twenty-five students stood quaking in terror, full of remorse. They cried out, “Oh, Professor Sproul. We are so sorry. We didn’t budget our time properly. We didn’t make the proper adjustment from high school to college. Please don’t give us an F. Please, oh, please give us an extension.”

I bowed to their pleas for mercy. “All right,” I said. “I’ll give you a break this time. But, remember, the next assignment is due the last day of October.”

The students were profuse in their gratitude and filled the air with solemn promises of being on time for the next assignment. Then came the last day of October. Two hundred students came with their papers. Fifty students came empty-handed. They were nervous, but not in panic. When I asked for their papers, again they were contrite. “Oh, Professor. It was Homecoming Week. Besides it is midterm and all of our assignments are due in other classes. Please give us one more chance. We promise it will never happen again.”

Once more I relented. I said, “OK, but this is the last time. If you are late for the next paper, it will be an F. No excuses, no whining. F. Is that clear?” “Oh, yes, Professor. You are terrific.” Spontaneously the class began to sing, “We love you Prof Sproul. Oh, yes we do.” I was Mr. Popularity.

Can you guess what happened on the last day of November? Right. One hundred and fifty students came with their term papers. The other hundred strolled into the lecture hall utterly unconcerned. “Where are your term papers?” I asked. One student replied, “Oh, don’t worry, Prof, we’re working on them. We’ll have them for you in a couple of days, no sweat.”

I picked up my lethal black grade book and began taking down names. “Johnson! Do you have your paper?” “No sir,” came the reply. “F,” I said as I wrote the grade in the book. “Muldaney! Do you have your paper?” Again, “No, sir,” was the reply. I marked another F in the book. The students reacted with unmitigated fury. They howled in protest, screaming, “That’s not fair!”

I looked at one of the howling students, “Lavery! You think it’s not fair?”

“No,” he growled in response.

“I see. It’s justice you want? I seem to recall that you were late with your paper the last time. If you insist upon justice you will certainly get it. I’ll not only give you an F for this assignment, but I’ll change your last grade to the F you so richly deserved.”

The student was stunned. He had no more arguments to make. He apologized for being so hasty and was suddenly happy to settle for one F instead of two.

The students had quickly taken my mercy for granted. They assumed it. When justice suddenly fell, they were unprepared for it. It came as a shock, and they were outraged. This, after only two doses of mercy in the space of two months.

It is much too easy for us to conclude that if God does not treat every person exactly the same, then it isn’t fair. However, the only way to be truly fair is to send us all to Hell. The Lord NEVER gives us less than we deserve. Every good and perfect gift is an undeserved gift of grace.

Like the men who were hired first, it is easy to be envious of what others have been given. For some reason we feel entitled to mercy and blessing. We begrudge the blessings given to others when we should be stunned by the blessing we ourselves have received. Sadly, we even envy those who have “been able to sin longer and more extensively than we have”. It doesn’t seem fair that they had “so much more fun” and still are forgiven and made new by Christ. How foolish we can be?

For the people Jesus was talking to this issue came to the front in the book of Acts. The message of salvation was received by the Gentiles (people like us) and the Jews resented the fact. They felt these Gentiles should have to adopt all the rituals the Jews had themselves observed. God’s message to them was: “So, you want justice?”

Our job is not to decide who is worthy of salvation and who is not. Our job is to proclaim the gospel message of the wonderful news that God’s grace is available to all. Our hope is that God’s Spirit will capture lives before it is too late. That is true even if the person,

Hhas a criminal record

Has a different sexual preference

Battles with drug abuse

Lives on the Street

Lives in a mansion

Is from a different race or nationality

Attends a different church than we do

Goes to a rival school

Roots for a rival team

Value different things than we do

Has different political opinions

It just doesn’t matter. We all come to Christ through the mercy of God. How long someone has believed, how well they have behaved, and how worthy they seem to be is irrelevant to the issue.

The Redeemed Person Should Be Humbly Grateful

If we understand the message of this story we will be grateful that all of these people were paid no matter how hard they worked. We will be grateful that people will get to spend eternity with Jesus whether they come at the beginning of their life, the end of life, or somewhere in between.

Imagine going to a baseball game. It’s game seven of the World Series. You are surrounded by people. At that moment it doesn’t matter how much someone paid for their ticket. It doesn’t matter whether it was a corporate ticket, a gift, or something you saved weeks to purchase. At that moment none of it matters. All that matters is that you are there together rooting for your team.

We will not simply be grateful. We will also be humble. The person who understands what Jesus is driving at and wants us to see is that the opportunity to be saved and the reality of being saved is because of the mercy of God.

An “arrogant Christian” is one who does not understand the message of the gospel. We have nothing to be arrogant about. We do NOTHING to earn His favor. We are not His because we worked harder, are more intelligent, or did more good things. We are His because Jesus came and gave His life as a payment for sin. He loves us in spite of who are.

Everyone who stands before Jesus on the final day will be singing songs of thanksgiving. It won’t matter what journey you took to get there. The only thing that will matter is that you are there and you know that it is all because of God’s mercy and grace. You compare where you should have been with where you are and you can’t help but fall to your knees in worship and devotion. You won’t come to Jesus and ask why someone got something that you did not. All that will matter is that you are with Him for eternity.