A day's pay for a day's work
Notes
Transcript
The purpose of the parables
The purpose of the parables
The simple purpose of the parables of Jesus was to use stories with familiar context to explain a concept to His listeners that they didn’t yet understand.
If you wanted to explain how planets and stars interacted with one another, you might illustrate that with magnets or a ball on a string.
For us, it’s not enough for us to understand the story, we need to understand it through the lens of how Jesus listeners would have understood it. We need to understand a little about the culture and the context.
So once we understand what Jesus was explaining to them, we can then see how that applies to us today.
Without understanding the context of a parable, it is possible to read into it and come to the opposite conclusion that Jesus intended.
16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.
17 “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’
21 “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
If we don’t understand the context, we could conclude that we should not prepare for our future here and just live by the seat of our pants.
That isn’t what Jesus was saying. He was speaking against greed and putting all you faith in the work of your own hands.
15 Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
Jesus didn’t just go around giving these parables at random, they were specific to the situation and often times, and answer to a specific question.
The Context
The Context
Today we are going to be in Matthew 20 verses 1-16 talking about the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. But to give you the proper context, we need to back up into Chapter 19.
Jesus is approached by the rich young ruler. What must I do to obtain eternal life?
Jesus gives him the law.
The young man said that he had done all those things.
Jesus tells him that he much go and sell all that he has, give it to the poor and follow him.
He went away sad.
Jesus tells his disciples: It is easier for a came to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Wealth = blessed by God.
Who can be saved?
26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Peter asks a question.
Peter asks a question.
We left everything and followed you, what then will there be for us?
two promises: Them and to us.
28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.
What have you given up to follow Jesus?
30 “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.
The Laborers in the Vineyard (The eccentric owner)
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 “When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Concrete story to explain the intangible Kingdom of heaven.
Landowner - God
Early in the morning: Jewish work day 6 a to 6 p.
Day laborers: no permanent job. I was in El Passo, TX a couple years ago and outside Home Depot, there were day laborers.
Denarius. a fair days wage.
3 “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place;
4 and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went.
Third hour: 9am.
Idle - Argos - not necessarily a negative term.
5 “Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing.
Noon and 3 pm.
6 “And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’
7 “They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’
It is 5 pm. Only one hour left in the Jewish workday and they are still standing around hoping to find work. In one hour they will have to go home to their family, sad and humiliated to tell them, I don’t have anything.
No discussion of wage. They have faith, that they would get something.
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’
9 “When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.
How much joy did they have? They worked one hour and received a whole day’s pay. They know they didn’t earn it, but would have cheered for the grace of the landowner.
10 “When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.
They were watching this and doing the math, thinking WOW how much were they going to get.
11 “When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,
12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’
Work and the condition.
13 “But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?
God is not threatened by your questions.
You may not get the answer you want, but don’t be afraid to ask the questions.
14 ‘Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.
15 ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’
The landowner did right by them.
16 “So the last shall be first, and the first last.”
Life isn’t “fair”
Life isn’t “fair”
There is an objective standard of right and wrong. God is that standard.
Was it right for the landowner to pay the laborers the wage agreed upon for the work done?
Yes.
Was it wrong for the landowner to be generous with what is his?
No.
The idea of “fair” only comes in when we start comparing what we have to what others have.
Yesterday Danny got up early to pull the trailer to Big Bore. Serving God. On the way his truck broke down and he had to call for help and today, spend several hours getting his truck pulled to his house and spend who knows how long identifying what is wrong and fixing it.
I showed up, we unloaded everything, set up, cooked all day, loaded everything up, all for His Glory and to share the love of God through Christ. As Vance and I were hooking up the trailer, Marty called me to tell me that a water pipe in our has had burst and water was flooding inside.
You know, the flesh in me might want to start grumbling against God, saying, we are in your field all day working, through the heat of the day for your Glory, and this is our payment? Broke trucks and water pipes!
But God didn’t promise to take the trouble away from me when he saved me. But He did promise to carry me through it.
16 Rejoice always;
17 pray without ceasing;
18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
What does everything mean?
You mean I am supposed to thank God for even the bad stuff? Yep.
Think of the worst thing going on in you life.
Health
Debt
broken relationships
loss
Father God, I praise and worship you. You are the creator of all things and the only One worthy of praise. Father, I thank you for this situation in my life. I don’t like it, Lord and it is not my will to be dealing with it, but You are God and I am not. I trust You, knowing that this is part of Your will, and if there is something that you are trying to teach me, Lord let me learn it quickly. Lord if this is to discipline me, Lord thanks you for loving me, for your Word tells me you discipline those you love. Lord if this is to show others Your power to carry me in my weakness through what only You could sustain, Lord, let me be found faithful and bring all the Glory and Honor to yourself. Lord, let your will be done. In Christ’s name, AMEN.
All the laborers were seeking work.
All the laborers were seeking work.
The people at 6, 9, 12, 3, and even the ones at 5 were seeking work. The were looking for someone to hire them, that they may receive money so they would live and not die.
Paul on Mars his preaching to the people of Athens said this:
24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;
25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;
26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,
27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
Are you seeking God?
You don’t know what time it is!
You don’t know what time it is!
These laborers knew the time of the work day. You don’t.
42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
When He calls, answer. Today is the day of salvation.
Your soul may be required of you today.
There was a desperation in John the Baptist’s message: Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
That message is no less urgent today.
It is all Grace!
It is all Grace!
You cannot earn your salvation.
God is in-debt to no man. Don’t think that the work that you do for the kingdom, puts God in your debt somehow.
He promises to reward you.
38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
But it is not your business how the God of the Universe chooses to bless others.