Wednesday, March 27, 2024

The Parables of Jesus Series

Tonight’s Study – Session 12: The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

Introduction: In the Parable of The Workers in the Vineyard, Christ teaches ultimately that salvation is by grace alone. No matter how long a person has been saved, everyone who has been born again inherits eternal life and gets as much heaven as the next person. The rewards in heaven will be different for each person according to their works for Christ after their salvation, but heaven itself and entrance into it are predicated upon God’s free sovereign grace.

The Parable of The Workers in the Vineyard is only found in the Gospel of Matthew.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE PASSAGE

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So, they went. Again, he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did likewise.

And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’ “So, when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.

But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’

But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ So, the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”             

(Matthew 20:1-16)

Note: In this parable, God is pictured as the landowner and the Christian as the worker.

Planting, maintaining, and harvesting vineyards in first-century Israel was strenuous work requiring hard physical labor in the heat of summer. Often, additional laborers were required to get all the work done. This was typical during harvest. Day laborers stood in the marketplace from dawn, hoping to be hired for the day’s work. The workday began at 6:00 a.m. and went to around 6:00p.m. Additional workers were hired throughout the day.

All the workers agreed to the same pay. The ones hired early in the morning and the ones hired in the late day with just one hour to work, got paid the same. In the world’s eyes, this just doesn’t seem fair. But in God’s eyes, this tempers pride and promotes humility.

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

(Luke 14:11)

The first workers hired early in the day thought that working all day long should have earned them more than the workers hired at the end of the day. They did work all day compared to others who only worked one hour. But these workers weren’t paid by the hour, but for that day, with an agreed upon wage. Everyone worked for one denarius.

Denarius – A silver coin worth one day’s wages.

It is very important for us to understand that the kingdom of heaven is given by the grace of the Lord God. The main point that Jesus is teaching in this parable is that we are part of God’s kingdom by His grace. God is pictured as the landowner of the vineyard who hired workers throughout the day. He called some workers first and some workers last.

The parable isn’t teaching salvation by works, just the opposite. The earliest worker hired to the last hired received the same exact pay. It’s God’s progative to give the same heaven to a person saved later in life as to someone saved earlier in life.

Many Christians mistakenly believe that since they were saved early in life, there is no way that someone saved later in life could have as much of heaven as them. The reward of eternal life isn’t earned, therefore longevity of being a Christian has no bearing on entrance into heaven.

So, does the good work we’ve done after we are saved matter?

ABSOLUTELY!

For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:10)

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2Cor. 5:10)

Good works are the fruit of salvation, not the root of salvation.

It does not make any difference if we become Christians (workers) for the Lord early in life or later in life. We will be rewarded fairly no matter when we became Christians (workers) for the Lord. The thief on the cross who believed on Jesus only moments before he died had as much eternal life and a place in heaven as the Apostle Paul did. The Apostle Paul served the Lord tirelessly for years after his conversion experience, not to mention, writing half of the New Testament in the Bible.

So, the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen. (Matt. 20:16)

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO DO IS FINISH THE COURSE!

2 Timothy 4:6-8

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Conclusion: We all agreed to work for the Lord once He called us to Himself and we become Christians (workers). Our reward, no matter when we were called (hired) is eternal life through the blood of Jesus Christ. Since God is sovereign, all who are saved, whether early in life or later, receive the same eternal life. What a picture of the mercy and grace and goodness of God!

Next Week, session 13: The Parable of The Two Sons