SEEKING / REJECTING GRACE: WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Seeking / Rejecting Grace
a) The parables of the Workers in the Vineyard and the Marriage of the King’s Son illustrate the kindness and mercy of God. Workers waiting for jobs in the vineyard, and a King's invitation rejected, show us that we need to seek God’s grace and say yes to God when he seeks us. The second parable also illustrates the wrath of God (Matthew 22:1-14).
2. Workers In The Vineyard
Matthew 20:1-7
“1 The kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house who went out in the early morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the workers to pay one denarius each for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out around the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. 4 He said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' 5So off they went. The master went out again around the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6And again around the eleventh hour, he went out and found still others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' 7 They answered him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.'”
a) It tells of the owner of a vineyard who goes out early in the morning to hire laborers. He also went out at mid morning, and again at noon. He even went out at 5 pm, an hour before the workday was to end. Each time he hired laborers. This shows one aspect of God’s kindness. He is always willing to accept people into his kingdom, whatever age they might be. He does not reject those whom he finds still outside of his kingdom late in life.
Matthew 20:8-10
“8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' 9 And when those who'd been hired around the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 But when those first hired came, they expected to receive more; however each of them also received a denarius.”
a) It shows a second aspect of God’s kindness. He rewards everyone equally and fully, even those who have not been profitable servants to him. Those who worked only one hour did not earn the denarius (standard wage for a long day’s work), yet the landowner gave it to them, and moreover paid them first. They got the same as those who had worked five, eight, or even eleven hours that day, and those who had worked longer were made to wait at the end of the pay queue! The owner of the vineyard however paid everyone "what is right". Those who had been unemployed most of the day must surely have appreciated the kind and compassionate treatment they received.
Matthew 20:11-12
“11 And on receiving one denarius, the workers who'd been hired first grumbled at the master of the house. 12 'These last hired worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the whole day and the scorching heat.'”
a) It shows how even though God does the right thing, some people will object. The workers who had been employed all day were thinking only of the hard work they had done, not the plight of those who were unable to obtain work and feed their families. This attitude was not much different to that of the second son in the parable of the lost son which we studied in an earlier lesson (Luke 15:25-30).
Matthew 20:13-15
“13 But the master 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 is mine? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'”
a) Here Jesus describes the landowner’s attitude. He had given people work. He had made an agreement with some to pay them a full day’s wage for a full day’s work, and he had kept that contract. What was their problem? Only that they resented the landowner exercising his right to show whatever kindness to others he thought proper. We should never envy God’s love for others. He treats them right, and he treats us right.
Matthew 20:16
“16 So the last will be first, and the first shall be last.”
a) It ends the parable with the same statement that began it, "the last shall be first, and the first last". (Matthew 19:30).
The End ...
1. Seeking / Rejecting Gracea) The parables of the Workers in the Vineyard and the Marriage of the King’s Son illustrate the kindness and mercy of God. Workers waiting for jobs in the vineyard, and a King's invitation rejected, show us that we need to seek God’s grace and say yes to God when he seeks us. The second parable also illustrates the wrath of God (Matthew 22:1-14).
2. Workers In The Vineyard
Matthew 20:1-7
“1 The kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house who went out in the early morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the workers to pay one denarius each for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out around the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. 4 He said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' 5So off they went. The master went out again around the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6And again around the eleventh hour, he went out and found still others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' 7 They answered him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.'”
a) It tells of the owner of a vineyard who goes out early in the morning to hire laborers. He also went out at mid morning, and again at noon. He even went out at 5 pm, an hour before the workday was to end. Each time he hired laborers. This shows one aspect of God’s kindness. He is always willing to accept people into his kingdom, whatever age they might be. He does not reject those whom he finds still outside of his kingdom late in life.
Matthew 20:8-10
“8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' 9 And when those who'd been hired around the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 But when those first hired came, they expected to receive more; however each of them also received a denarius.”
a) It shows a second aspect of God’s kindness. He rewards everyone equally and fully, even those who have not been profitable servants to him. Those who worked only one hour did not earn the denarius (standard wage for a long day’s work), yet the landowner gave it to them, and moreover paid them first. They got the same as those who had worked five, eight, or even eleven hours that day, and those who had worked longer were made to wait at the end of the pay queue! The owner of the vineyard however paid everyone "what is right". Those who had been unemployed most of the day must surely have appreciated the kind and compassionate treatment they received.
Matthew 20:11-12
“11 And on receiving one denarius, the workers who'd been hired first grumbled at the master of the house. 12 'These last hired worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the whole day and the scorching heat.'”
a) It shows how even though God does the right thing, some people will object. The workers who had been employed all day were thinking only of the hard work they had done, not the plight of those who were unable to obtain work and feed their families. This attitude was not much different to that of the second son in the parable of the lost son which we studied in an earlier lesson (Luke 15:25-30).
Matthew 20:13-15
“13 But the master 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 is mine? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'”
a) Here Jesus describes the landowner’s attitude. He had given people work. He had made an agreement with some to pay them a full day’s wage for a full day’s work, and he had kept that contract. What was their problem? Only that they resented the landowner exercising his right to show whatever kindness to others he thought proper. We should never envy God’s love for others. He treats them right, and he treats us right.
Matthew 20:16
“16 So the last will be first, and the first shall be last.”
a) It ends the parable with the same statement that began it, "the last shall be first, and the first last". (Matthew 19:30).
Comments
Post a Comment