#1295 Matthew 20 Part 1 What Belongs To You

 

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he 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 belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.” Matthew 20: 1-16 ESV

Matthew 20: 1-16 Fair Imploded

For the Kingdom of Heaven - In the last chapter the disciples watched Jesus turn away a man by asking him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor. After that the Lord's disciples bring up that they had done this very thing; they had left all they had to follow Him. He did not discourage the question, and He even told them the reward of their discipleship. Judas is still one of the twelve at this time, and what Christ is promising is future, after a cost of discipleship which He has already described as persecution, so this probably only inflames Judas's distaste for discomfort. It will require faith to look past the coming turmoil, the death of Christ, the attack on His followers, and this has them all worried. Who has ever by way of anything other than hope, from the material world, this present age, seen into eternity? Even the prophets who were granted glimpses of heavenly things, only saw visions, and yet that was so much as to traumatize the viewers, leaving them forever changed. Jesus's gospel is one of self denial as well, and this is in direct opposition to our thinking. So He continues with the Kingdom.

23But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 24Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.… Matthew 16: 23-25

…25So Jesus declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors. 26But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. 27For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.… Luke 22: 25-27

Who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for His fields - The disciples would be considered some of the earliest laborers, and it is Christ Who builds His own church, Who selects what is analogized as His bride. Christ uses a similar analogy of a landowner sending out His servants to collect what is due Him from His vineyard, and the renters, those living on and off of the land kill the servants and finally the Land Owner's own Son. Here He speaks of those who are called early in the ministry, early in their life, to serve the Lord. This also clarifies views of the last passage. The rich young ruler was wealthy in goods and money, but all under the sovereignty of God, Who created and therefore ultimately owns not only the goods, but also the talent which He has given us to acquire it. Every breath is of His air, every calorie is from His plants, growing in His ground, every morsel belonging to Him. So it is more a privilege to work, a reward to serve Him, because like everything else He has made, we should bow to His design, obey His command, else chaos and disorder ensue. 

1A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein. 2For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. 3Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place?… Psalm 24: 1-3

Agreeing for a denarius a day - So He found laborers in the morning, came to a price, a denarius, which was a fair wage for a days work, and the laborers agreed, for this amount of money we will do this. I higher people all the time, and this is the arrangement, for this much per hour, or for this much in salary, you will do what my lead (foreman) ask you to do within moral reason, according to company policy, not violating your safety. We describe the job most thoroughly, they agree and are hired or disagree and go somewhere else. So now you have a contract, and both sides are responsible, the one to pay as promised for the work, and the other to keep his word and accomplish the work. No one is being forced here, both parties understand and are good with the arrangement. 

And about the eleventh hour - Now this is the last hour of the day to work, and the landowner has gone out also prior to this at 6 and 9 and so on. If you look at those who come later there is really no discussion of pay other than that it will be to the landowner's discretion, 'whatever is right I will give you.' 

…36When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.”… Matthew 9: 36-38

Call the laborers and pay them their wages - He starts with those he hired last, has the foreman pay them a denarius, which was the price he agreed to with those he first hired, so this was going to people who only worked the last hour of the day. 

They thought they would receive more - The people he first hired are getting paid last and so they have seen everyone else receive a denarius. They worked longer and through the heat of the day, so naturally they think, well, we will get a bonus. He pays them the same as the other workers, and so they complain, and oddly, because they were the only ones who had agreed to an exact wage, and others were hired in between them and those of the 11th hour. The group that is getting paid what they agreed to is the only one that is upset. 

Take what belongs to you and go - Before he came along and offered the opportunity to work, all that belonged to them was their empty pockets and bellies. When God comes to us, all that belongs to us is our sin, and so all that he owes us is not a job, but the wages of sin, which is death, and eternal separation from His grace. It is like someone who made a long career of what they considered "serving the Lord", and yet being angry at the story of the thief on the cross. I know and love many a thief, and so that story is my great hope, not dismay. I beg God to work for Him here, to allow me the opportunity, to make me fit for such, it is an honor underserved, and yet He feeds and clothes me aside from my weak efforts. He only owes these men what He agreed to give them because He will keep His word, and listen, this is even more frightening, listen to what others will say about "working for the Lord".

…21Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’… Matthew 7: 21-23

Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to Me - The world belongs to God, Who made it, and we were made by Him, in His image, to glorify Him, not to tell Him what to do. If you come to be employed by God, it has nothing to do with what you bring to the table that comes of your own, for you didn't create anything. 

…15No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit— fruit that will remain— so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. 17This is My command to you: Love one another.… John 15: 15-17

…20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use? 22What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?… Romans 9: 20-22

So the last will be first - Before any of the disciples came to be with Christ in glory, there was a thief.

39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23: 39-43