Are You Offended by Grace? The Vineyard Parable Explained

Matthew chapter 20, and we'll be in verses 1 through 16.

Matthew 20 · chapter mention

Okay, Matthew 20, 1 through 16 says, For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner

who went out early in the morning to hire workers for the vineyard.

After agreeing with the workers on one denarius for the day,

he sent them into his vineyard.

Then he went out about nine in the morning. He saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.

To those men he said, You also go to my vineyard, and I'll give you whatever

is right. So off they went.

About noon, and at three, he went out again and did the same thing.

Then about five, he went and found others standing around and said to them,

Why are you been standing here all day doing nothing?

Because no one heard us, they said to him.

Let you also go to my vineyard, he told them.

Then the 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.

And those who were hired about five came.

They each received one denarius. So when the first ones come,

they assumed they would get more.

But they also received a denarius each.

Then they received it. They begin to complain to the landowner.

These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us.

Who bore the burden of the day and the burning heat.

He replied to one of them, Friend, I'm doing you no wrong.

Didn't you agree with me on a denarius? Take what's yours and go.

I want to give this last man the same as I give you.

Don't I have the right to do what I want with my business? Are you jealous because I'm generous?

So the last will be first and the first will be last. May God bless his word.

I got to ask a question tonight.

Are you offended by grace?

Let me say it again. Are you offended by grace?

Have you ever worked hard on something, watched somebody else contribute far

less, and then discovered that they received the same recognition you did.

Perhaps maybe you arrived early, stayed late, carried most of the responsibility,

and then someone who showed up near the end received the same reward.

Something inside of us immediately says these words.

That's not fair, right? I mean, Jesus tells this parable in Matthew 20 that

actually confronts that very reaction.

It's a story about workers, wages, fairness, generosity, and most importantly, the grace of God.

Jesus actually begins, we'll break it down a little bit. He says,

for the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning

to hire laborers for his vineyard.

The landowner, get the picture here in the passage, goes to the marketplace

early in the morning and hires workers for his vineyard.

And he agrees to pay them a denarius, which was the normal wage for a full day of labor.

And later it says in the passage about nine o'clock he returns to the marketplace

and he actually finds more people standing there he hires them as well he goes back again at noon,

at three o'clock and even at five o'clock,

when the work day is almost over and at the end of the day the landowner tells

his manager to pay the workers,

beginning with those who were hired last So the men who had worked only about

one hour received a full day's wage.

And when the workers who had been hired early in the morning,

they saw this happening.

At first, they probably became excited. Maybe, you know, they thought,

hey, if those men received a full day's wage for working only one hour,

surely we're going to receive much more.

I mean, they're thinking about we're getting a bonus, right? Right.

And but when their turn came, according to this passage, what did they receive?

The same one denarius, the exact amount they had agreed to work for.

But immediately they began to complain. The landowner actually answered one of them.

If you remember in verse 13, he said, friend, I'm doing you no wrong.

Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

And he then asked a penetrating question in verse 15.

Literal sense, he said, is your eye evil because I'm good?

Is your eye evil because I'm good?

In other words, are you resentful because I am generous?

Your eyes looking over here, watching what they're getting paid,

and you become resentful because I'm generous.

And this parable, I think, teaches us several important truths about God's grace.

And there were six that jumped out at me. Is it okay if I share them quickly with y'all tonight?

The first one is God is the one who calls us into his vineyard.

Do you see that in the text?

The workers they didn't hire themselves they were actually standing in the marketplace

just waiting for someone to give them an opportunity

to be able to feed their families right to be able to earn this this opportunity

right as far as earn a wage right they were trying to to make,

themselves better their families better and the landowner actually went looking for them,

They were standing in the marketplace, remember?

I think that's totally a picture of God's work in salvation.

We sometimes speak as though we found God, but the Bible actually teaches that God came looking for us.

Jesus said these words in Luke 19, 10. He said, the Son of Man has come to what?

To seek and save that which was lost.

Apart from God's grace we are not spiritually employed and productive,

we're spiritually lost right we're dead in our sin we're standing idle because

no amount of human effort can bring us into the kingdom of God,

God actually calls sinners to himself aren't you grateful for that you know

some people respond to that call early in life they're saved as children and

serve the Lord for many years.

Others come to Christ in adulthood. Some are saved in their later years of life,

like the thief on the cross. Remember we talked about a few Sundays ago?

Some actually turn to Christ when very little time remains.

But whenever a person truly repents and believes in Jesus Christ,

that person is welcomed into God's kingdom by grace.

No one can say, I deserve to be here. The lifelong church member can't say that.

The pastor cannot say that. The missionary cannot say that.

The person that's saved at the age of 80 cannot say that.

Every believer, Eastwood, enters the kingdom in exactly the same way,

through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Ephesians 2, 8, and 9, some of you can probably quote it tonight. It says.

We are not in God's vineyard because we were better than other people.

We are there because the gracious landowner came and called us.

Number two, God is always fair, but he is better than fair. Amen.

The workers who had labored all day in this passage accused the landowner of

treating them unfairly.

But what did he do? Again, he reminded them that he had paid them exactly what he had promised.

He hadn't cheated them in any way. He had not reduced their wages.

He had not broken his agreement with them.

The problem was not that the landowner had been unjust to the early workers.

The problem was that he had been generous to the later workers.

We often, I think, become confused at this point when we look at a passage like this.

We think grace means that God owes everyone the same experience,

the same opportunities, the same blessings, and the same earthly circumstances.

But grace, don't miss this, grace is not something God owes us.

The moment something is owed, it's no longer grace.

Romans 4.4 says, Now to the one who works, pay is not credited as a gift, but as something owed.

If God gave every human being only what justice demanded, none of us could stand before him. None of us.

Romans 3.23, I know y'all know this one, tells us that all have sinned and what?

Fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6.23 tells us what?

The wages of sin is death. That's what our sin has earned.

Salvation, however, is not a wage we earn.

It's a gift we receive. The second half of Romans 6, 23 says this.

It says, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God is completely just. He never does wrong.

But through Jesus Christ, God also shows us mercy that we could never earn.

At the cross, think about it. God did not ignore justice.

Jesus actually satisfied divine justice by bearing the punishment for my sin, for your sin.

Christ died, as we've talked about many times, in the place of sinners and rose again from the dead.

Because of Christ, God can both be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ.

You know what that means, right? I think I've shared this with y'all before.

Justified when you're justified. The old country preacher used to explain it this way.

God sees you just if I'd never sinned.

See, he sees Jesus' record on your behalf. And we should be eternally grateful,

that God has not merely given us what we deserved.

He's not merely given us that. He's offered us grace.

Grace. I think of that great hymn, grace, grace, God's grace,

right? That marvelous grace.

Number three, comparison can turn blessing into bitterness.

The early workers in this passage were satisfied with their wage when they were

hired, weren't they? Right?

The denarius sounded fair in the morning. It became unacceptable only after

they compared themselves with others.

Nothing had been taken away from them. Don't miss this in the passage.

Their agreement had not changed.

The only thing that changed was where they were looking.

Instead of looking at the generosity of the landowner, they began looking at

other workers, didn't they?

Comparison, by the way, has the power to make a person bitter, grateful or bitter.

In fact, it can make a grateful person bitter.

We can do the same thing in the church. One person says, I've served for years,

but no one seems to recognize me.

Another says, I've been faithful through many difficulties, but someone else

received the opportunity I wanted.

We may look at another person's ministry, even a family, health,

finances, spiritual gifts, influence, or circumstances, and just quietly ask,

why did God give to them and not to me?

Comparison, church, causes us to forget what God has already given to us.

It also causes us to act as though another person's blessing somehow diminishes our own.

But God's goodness, y'all, to someone else does not mean that he's been unfaithful to us.

You know, if you remember when Jesus restored Peter in John 21,

he told Peter something about the kind of death that he would die to glorify God. You remember that?

And Peter, you know what he did? He looked at John and he asked,

Lord, what about this man?

He heard about the bad news about his death, right? And Jesus essentially,

you know how he responded to him?

Pretty much. He said, what is that to you? You follow me.

Man, that's a word many of us need, I think, tonight.

Stop measuring your life by somebody else's assignment.

Stop measuring your ministry by somebody else's visibility.

Stop measuring God's love by somebody else's circumstances.

God has not called us to keep score, has he? He's called us to what?

To follow Christ faithfully.

Number four, long service should produce gratitude, not entitlement.

The workers who arrived early had the privilege of spending the entire day in the vineyard, right?

They viewed the day only as a burden, but working in the vineyard was also an opportunity.

There's a lesson here, I think, for those who've known the Lord for many years,

because a person who was saved as a child might look at someone saved later

in life and think, I gave the Lord my entire life.

While that person lived for the world and then came to Christ near the end.

But what did the life-long believer lose by walking with Christ?

Did we miss something valuable because we didn't spend more years in sin?

Sin's not freedom, by the way. You do remember sin is slavery.

Sin leaves wounds, it leaves scars, it leaves regret, it leaves broken relationships

and painful consequences, right?

Those who've walked with Christ for many years have received the privilege of

knowing his presence, his word, his people, his correction, his comfort,

and his direction in their life.

Serving Christ, in other words, is not wasted time.

Paul could actually say near the end of his life, he said these words in 2 Timothy 4, 7.

He said, I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.

There was joy, Eastwood, in knowing that he had spent his life for the glory of Christ.

Faithful service does not place God in our debt.

We did not accumulate years of service and then present God with an invoice, right?

Everything we do for Christ is itself a response to his grace.

Jesus said in Luke 17, 10, he said these words.

He said, when you have done all that you were commanded, say,

we are unworthy servants.

We have only done our duty.

The longer we serve Christ, the more humble and grateful we should become.

Number five, God's grace should make us rejoice when others are blessed.

The early workers here should have rejoiced when the late workers received a full day's wage.

Those men had been standing idle because nobody had hired them.

They may have wondered how they would feed their families that evening.

Then the landowner, what happened? He showed them unexpected generosity.

And instead of celebrating, though, the early workers could complain.

That's all they could do.

And I think that challenges us to examine our own hearts.

Can we rejoice when somebody else is blessed?

Can we rejoice? Can we celebrate when someone else receives recognition?

Can we thank God when another church grows, another ministry succeeds,

Another person is restored.

Another believer is given an opportunity.

Can we rejoice when a person with a sinful past is forgiven and welcomed into the family of God?

The older brother, if you remember in the parable of the prodigal son, struggled with that.

When his younger brother returned home, the father celebrated.

But what happened with the older brother? Angry.

He actually believed his years of service entitled him to something more.

The father reminded him, though, that the celebration was appropriate because

the lost son had been found.

A heart that understands grace rejoices when grace reaches another center.

Heaven rejoices, it says, when one sinner repents.

The church should rejoice as well. Number six, you thought we'd never get here, right?

It's not too late to respond to God.

One of the most encouraging truths, I think, in this parable tonight is that

the landowner continued calling workers even at the 11th hour.

There was still room in the vineyard. Maybe someone feels that too much of life has been wasted.

You may think maybe I should have followed Christ years ago.

I've made too many mistakes. I've sinned too greatly. I've had too little time

remaining to make my life count.

This parable, church, reminds us that it's not too late to come to Jesus.

You can't change yesterday, but you can respond to God today.

The thief crucified beside Jesus, again, had no opportunity to live a long Christian life, did he?

He couldn't join a church. He couldn't teach a class. He couldn't go on a mission

trip or repair all the damage his sin had caused, and he couldn't be baptized.

But he turned to Jesus in faith, and he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

And Jesus answered him, didn't he? We studied this not long ago, Luke 23, 43.

Today, you will be with me in paradise.

That was grace at the eleventh hour.

That doesn't mean we should delay repentance. None of us is promised tomorrow, right?

The Bible says what? Now is the day of salvation. But it does mean that no repentant

sinner who comes to Christ will be rejected.

John actually said in John 6, 37, the one who comes to me, I will never cast out.

So as we wrap up, the central figure in this parable is not the workers.

It's the generous landowner. And the parable is not ultimately about how much

people work. It's about the kind of God we serve.

Our God is righteous. Our God is faithful. Our God always keeps his promises.

Our God seeks the lost. Our God welcomes repentant sinners.

Our God gives grace that no one could ever earn.

The question is not, has God given me everything he's given someone else?

The better question is, has God treated me better than my sins deserve?

For every believer, the answer is what? Yes.

Through Jesus Christ, we've received forgiveness instead of condemnation,

reconciliation instead of separation, eternal life instead of judgment,

and a place in God's kingdom

instead of punishment our sins deserved.

So, here's the challenge, let's stop comparing, let's stop keeping score,

let's stop acting as though God owes us something.

Instead, let's faithfully serve in His vineyard.

Rejoice when grace reaches other people and thank God that He called us to belong to Christ.

Jesus actually concluded this parable by saying these words in verse 16.

He said, so the last will be first and the first last.

In the kingdom of God, there is no room for pride.

There's only room for humble gratitude. That's it.

Let's pray. Father God, I thank you so much for your amazing grace.

I thank you for seeking us when we were lost and calling us into your kingdom.

Forgive us, Lord, for comparing ourselves with others and for becoming jealous

of their blessings and not acting as though.

Our service places you in our debt, Lord.

And I pray that you'd help us to remember that everything that we have is a gift from you.

And Lord, I pray you give us faithful hearts that serve you with joy.

Give us gracious hearts that celebrate when others are blessed.

Give us humble hearts that never forget what Christ has done for us, Lord.

And for anyone here, maybe who hasn't trusted Jesus, Lord, I pray that you draw

that person to repentance and faith tonight.

Remind us that salvation is not earned through our works, but received through

faith in the finished work that you've accomplished on the cross.

Father, I pray that we would serve faithfully in your vineyard until our work

is done and we stand in the presence of our Savior.

We give you all praise and all glory tonight. In Jesus' name, amen.