Matthew 20:1–16 (CSB)
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the workers on one denarius, he sent them into his vineyard for the day. 3 When he went out at about nine in the
morning, he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He said to them, ‘You also go into my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went. 5 About noon and about three, he went out again and did the same thing. 6 Then about five he went and found others standing around and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’
7 “ ‘Because no one hired us,’ they said to him. “ ‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he told them. 8 When evening came, the owner of
the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay, starting with the last and ending with the first.’
9 “When those who were hired about five came, they each received one denarius. 10 So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. 11 When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner: 12 ‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day’s work and the burning heat.’ 13 “He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius? 14 Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’, 16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”, Dear fellow redeemed, redeemed equally without any regard to who you are: What a blow it is to find out that everything we are and have is something that we have not earned, but is given to us as a free gift. What a shock it is to find out that, so far as the giver of these gifts is concerned, the love He has for us comes only from His mercy, and not because we earn or deserve it. It might be like realizing that our family knows all of our foibles and have made up for them to leave them free to love us.
This is the thrust of Jesus’ parable.
EVERY GOOD THING IS AN UNDESERVED GIFT
I. The Pay Is Any Good Thing
In this parable, the landowner is God, the full day’s pay is all that God gives, especially the full righteousness that we have in Christ. The favor of the landlord toward those who gratefully receive his gifts is eternal life, his rejection of those who insist on what they think they deserve more is eternal damnation. The workers come to get their pay. First come those who spent only an hour at the end of the day. Certainly, they couldn’t expect much pay. But they get a full day’s wages! So did those who worked half the day. Now if these undeserving ones get a full day’s wages, the expectation of those who put in a full day’s work rises accordingly. But what do they get? The same as those who scarcely turned a hand at the work! UNFAIR!
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the workers on one denarius, he sent them into his vineyard for the day. 3 When he went out at about nine in the
morning, he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He said to them, ‘You also go into my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went. 5 About noon and about three, he went out again and did the same thing. 6 Then about five he went and found others standing around and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’
7 “ ‘Because no one hired us,’ they said to him. “ ‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he told them. 8 When evening came, the owner of
the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay, starting with the last and ending with the first.’
9 “When those who were hired about five came, they each received one denarius. 10 So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. 11 When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner: 12 ‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day’s work and the burning heat.’ 13 “He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius? 14 Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’, 16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”, Dear fellow redeemed, redeemed equally without any regard to who you are: What a blow it is to find out that everything we are and have is something that we have not earned, but is given to us as a free gift. What a shock it is to find out that, so far as the giver of these gifts is concerned, the love He has for us comes only from His mercy, and not because we earn or deserve it. It might be like realizing that our family knows all of our foibles and have made up for them to leave them free to love us.
This is the thrust of Jesus’ parable.
EVERY GOOD THING IS AN UNDESERVED GIFT
I. The Pay Is Any Good Thing
In this parable, the landowner is God, the full day’s pay is all that God gives, especially the full righteousness that we have in Christ. The favor of the landlord toward those who gratefully receive his gifts is eternal life, his rejection of those who insist on what they think they deserve more is eternal damnation. The workers come to get their pay. First come those who spent only an hour at the end of the day. Certainly, they couldn’t expect much pay. But they get a full day’s wages! So did those who worked half the day. Now if these undeserving ones get a full day’s wages, the expectation of those who put in a full day’s work rises accordingly. But what do they get? The same as those who scarcely turned a hand at the work! UNFAIR!
Or was it? The owner of the vineyard pointed out the real situation: It is his money to do with as he pleased. The pay of all and any of these people is not as they earn, but as he pleases. Now what is this pay in our lives? What is it that God gives us? As Luther interpreted the parable, the denarius the “day’s wages” refers to every blessing that we have in this life. The
favor of the landlord is eternal life and salvation. Whether we follow Luther here or not, we can see that the denarius (a day’s wage) stands for what God gives. Though we don’t often think about it, in all of life we ultimately get what God gives, not
what we earn. Who, after all determined that we be born in such a country as this? Who determined our country should prosper while so many parts of the world do not, and that we should be here? Who determines that the trees and the crops grow, and that the bounties of our land are even for those who despise them?
God spends extravagantly on all His creatures. As Luther said, God spends more in grain upon his sparrows than the whole income of the King of France. So, every good thing that we enjoy is an undeserved gift as well.
II. I Earned It (or) He Chose to Give It
This leads us to think about our relationship with our heavenly Landlord. Do we all have the same relationship with Him? Or are some closer, more worthy of His interest and care, more deserving of the blessings of this life and of faith and forgiveness? This is the natural expectation. This was Peter’s expectation, and this parable is largely an answer to the conversation Jesus had with his disciples, recorded in the previous chapter. It was Peter who said, “Then Peter responded to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you. So what will there be for us?” (Matthew 19:27, CSB)
Surely, he and the others who gave up everything were more deserving! Right? Surely, are more deserving?
Perhaps you may think that you are on God’s side. You look with distaste upon the mess that the world is in, and say that you sure want no part of this corruption. The evils of this world are a stench in our nostrils. You feel you have given your life over to Christ and have given the proper weight to the Christian life. That would be like the people who worked all day.
Or perhaps you can’t help thinking about your sins and shortcomings. You live and work and keep company with good people, and you have a good understanding of what the virtues of the Godly life are. But by comparison, you have less self-control, less courage, less empathy, less love in your heart. Perhaps you look at yourself as one unworthy even of the name “Christian.” Maybe your memories of your past sins and the awareness of your current doubts or current struggles with the same old corruption makes you hang your head and wonder whether you are worthy of God’s notice. That would be like the people who came in for the last hour.
Whoever you are, whoever we are, the gospel tells us, “The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22–24, CSB)
In Christ, we receive a “day’s wages,” God’s mercy and grace like the people who got a day’s wages without earning them, simply “because.” I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’, Sure, some spent the day intent on their earthly gain, carefully dickering and negotiating to
favor of the landlord is eternal life and salvation. Whether we follow Luther here or not, we can see that the denarius (a day’s wage) stands for what God gives. Though we don’t often think about it, in all of life we ultimately get what God gives, not
what we earn. Who, after all determined that we be born in such a country as this? Who determined our country should prosper while so many parts of the world do not, and that we should be here? Who determines that the trees and the crops grow, and that the bounties of our land are even for those who despise them?
God spends extravagantly on all His creatures. As Luther said, God spends more in grain upon his sparrows than the whole income of the King of France. So, every good thing that we enjoy is an undeserved gift as well.
II. I Earned It (or) He Chose to Give It
This leads us to think about our relationship with our heavenly Landlord. Do we all have the same relationship with Him? Or are some closer, more worthy of His interest and care, more deserving of the blessings of this life and of faith and forgiveness? This is the natural expectation. This was Peter’s expectation, and this parable is largely an answer to the conversation Jesus had with his disciples, recorded in the previous chapter. It was Peter who said, “Then Peter responded to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you. So what will there be for us?” (Matthew 19:27, CSB)
Surely, he and the others who gave up everything were more deserving! Right? Surely, are more deserving?
Perhaps you may think that you are on God’s side. You look with distaste upon the mess that the world is in, and say that you sure want no part of this corruption. The evils of this world are a stench in our nostrils. You feel you have given your life over to Christ and have given the proper weight to the Christian life. That would be like the people who worked all day.
Or perhaps you can’t help thinking about your sins and shortcomings. You live and work and keep company with good people, and you have a good understanding of what the virtues of the Godly life are. But by comparison, you have less self-control, less courage, less empathy, less love in your heart. Perhaps you look at yourself as one unworthy even of the name “Christian.” Maybe your memories of your past sins and the awareness of your current doubts or current struggles with the same old corruption makes you hang your head and wonder whether you are worthy of God’s notice. That would be like the people who came in for the last hour.
Whoever you are, whoever we are, the gospel tells us, “The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22–24, CSB)
In Christ, we receive a “day’s wages,” God’s mercy and grace like the people who got a day’s wages without earning them, simply “because.” I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’, Sure, some spent the day intent on their earthly gain, carefully dickering and negotiating to
get what they earned. But that is all they got. They didn’t get the favor of the landlord. “Take what’s yours and go.“ was His only word for them. — And so they got their pay. But since the favor of the Landlord is alone by grace, which they didn’t want, they did without that. So it is with those who want God to accept them on their own terms.
III. Neither Presumptuousness or Doubt (First be Last; Last be First)
Jesus for all time turns us away from both presumptuousness and doubt with His words, 16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”, The last (which will end up first) are those who have nothing to hold up before God. They are the poor in spirit. They have no righteousness, no standing in the world. They look at their lives and see an open sore, a smelly, corrupt cesspool of self–centeredness and lust – or just a mediocre life full of petty sins and selfishness. They realize that they have not earned (as Paul put it), “… rain from heaven and fruitful seasons … filling you with food and your hearts with joy.”” (Acts 14:17, CSB), much less the favor of God and His righteousness. Yet they are the first and the closest to God. In Christ, we see the greatest example of this: Who humbled himself more than Jesus did? “who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.” (Philippians 2:6, CSB)
Who ever let Himself be cast off from God like Jesus did? And now he holds his rightful place as King and Lord of all. So no matter what your iniquity, Christ has paid for it and offers you the full day’s wages, the righteousness and forgiveness you need for heaven to be yours. The first (whom God makes last) are those who may be of great apparent righteousness of life, and who harbor no doubts that they, of all people, are beloved of God, as they are.
It is to be secure as the first, and closest to God, that Satan tempts us. We dwell upon our accomplishments, and the good done to and through us. We listen to all the god–words we use and are impressed with ourselves. Even our crushing, emotional repentance catches our notice (I bet I’m more humble than you are). We look at our long–standing in the church, or
perhaps our recent coming to faith and the church. But the first will be last, and with those words he strips us of all presumption.
But just as He takes away any presumption, with that free gift to those who were least worthy, He tells us, “The last will be first,” so that even if you were Pilate, or Herod, the killer of children, or have taken the life of the innocent, even if you cry out in grief and fear over your sins, you are by Christ and His gospel made an heir of heaven, and are exalted, and beloved of God. AMEN.
III. Neither Presumptuousness or Doubt (First be Last; Last be First)
Jesus for all time turns us away from both presumptuousness and doubt with His words, 16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”, The last (which will end up first) are those who have nothing to hold up before God. They are the poor in spirit. They have no righteousness, no standing in the world. They look at their lives and see an open sore, a smelly, corrupt cesspool of self–centeredness and lust – or just a mediocre life full of petty sins and selfishness. They realize that they have not earned (as Paul put it), “… rain from heaven and fruitful seasons … filling you with food and your hearts with joy.”” (Acts 14:17, CSB), much less the favor of God and His righteousness. Yet they are the first and the closest to God. In Christ, we see the greatest example of this: Who humbled himself more than Jesus did? “who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.” (Philippians 2:6, CSB)
Who ever let Himself be cast off from God like Jesus did? And now he holds his rightful place as King and Lord of all. So no matter what your iniquity, Christ has paid for it and offers you the full day’s wages, the righteousness and forgiveness you need for heaven to be yours. The first (whom God makes last) are those who may be of great apparent righteousness of life, and who harbor no doubts that they, of all people, are beloved of God, as they are.
It is to be secure as the first, and closest to God, that Satan tempts us. We dwell upon our accomplishments, and the good done to and through us. We listen to all the god–words we use and are impressed with ourselves. Even our crushing, emotional repentance catches our notice (I bet I’m more humble than you are). We look at our long–standing in the church, or
perhaps our recent coming to faith and the church. But the first will be last, and with those words he strips us of all presumption.
But just as He takes away any presumption, with that free gift to those who were least worthy, He tells us, “The last will be first,” so that even if you were Pilate, or Herod, the killer of children, or have taken the life of the innocent, even if you cry out in grief and fear over your sins, you are by Christ and His gospel made an heir of heaven, and are exalted, and beloved of God. AMEN.