Life's Not Fair!
A Journey With Matthew • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
Pledge
Passage -
30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
20:1 “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.
20:1 “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.”
Title: Life’s Not Fair
Title: Life’s Not Fair
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
Segway:
Last week “Extraordinary requirements to being a Kingdom Resident.”
We summed up Chapter 19 with revealing the characteristics of a Kingdom Resident.
Moving into chapter 20 of Matthew we are presented with a Parable. (Laborers in the Vineyard)
Definition of a Parable: “A simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.”
Why does Jesus share a Parable?
He shares this Parable to help explain what he meant in what he stated in 19:30 “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
And being the fact this statement is repeated almost verbatim (20:16), we can assume Vs 1-15 are explaining this verse/statement.
Body:
How many of us remember the movie “The Lion King?”
Does anyone know the opening line of that movie?
Who doesn’t get it right wins the Candy bar ...... “Life’s Not Fair”
“Life’s Not Fair is it?”
Describe what was going on .....
Scar (The Brother to the King) has just snatched up a mouse and is holding it by his tail.
He makes this statement to say He will never be King just as this mouse will never see another day and he eats him.
He states, “Life is not Fair.”
Many of us here this morning would probably agree with this statement!
We just read a pericope where some people felt the same way ..... “Life’s not Fair.”
Read (Vs 12 - 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.)
and the scorching heat.
What were they saying? “THAT’S NOT FAIR!”
What’s not fair? Lets look at it.
Expound on Verse 1-15
The parable starts out with the statement “For the Kingdom of heaven is like .....”
Like a Master of a house (Field)
Who went out early (6:00am) to hire laborers for his vineyard.
(Expound on this hiring process)
Agreeing on a wage (Daily wage)
(Vs 3) He goes out around “the third hour” 9:00 am.
(Vs 4) He tell them he will pay them what “is right”
δίκαιος - (Dik-e-oas) being obligated in view of a certain requirement of justice, right, fair.
obligatory in view of certain requirements of justice, right, fair, equitable
obligatory in view of certain requirements of justice, right, fair, equitable
(Vs 5) He needs more workers
Goes out the 6th Hour (Noon) and the ninth hour (3:00 pm) and did the same.
Same what? Told them he would pay them what was right.
(Vs 6) we are approaching the 11th hour (5:00 pm) he find some who had not been able to find work all day.
He hires them for the one hour.
(Vs 8) is where things are going to get interesting .....
The workers are called in to receive their pay.
Beginning with the last hired to receive their pay first. (The Last will be first)
(This is not the typical way of doing things.)
Watch what takes place ...
Those who worked 1 hour (Payed a denarius)
Those who worked 3 hours (Payed a denarius)
Those who worked 6 hours (Payed a denarius)
Those who worked 9 hours (Payed a denarius)
Now we can only assume those who were hired first (Put in a full days work) was getting excited because they were assuming they would get more than those who only worked part of the day.
As a matter of fact Verse 10 tells us what they were thinking ..... “they thought they would receive more,”
They thought that this would be FAIR!
But read on in verse 10 ..... “but each of them also received a denarius.”
That’s not fair!
Scripture tells us the filed a complain with Management!
Here is the complaint ......
We worked the entire day while others worked only part of the day .....
We endured the heart of the entire day they did not ....
and yet they received pay as if they put in as much time as we did....
THAT’S NOT FAIR!
The Master of the Vineyard explains his thought process.
He first calls them “friend”
reveals there has been no wrong doing (payment agreed upon was paid)
He then ask them a question, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose?” (Mind you this is a parable and not something you would practice as a business owner)
Climax:
Let’s not forget what this parable is teaching ..... a moral or spiritual lesson.
What is that lesson? The Kingdom of Heaven is filled with those who were offered and accepted ........ GRACE (Unmerited favor from God)
GRACE (Unmerited favor from God)
There are 3 things that I believe we can learn, in this pericope, when it comes to Grace.
Some people Don’t believe others deserve it!
Some forget it has been offered to them as well and have a hard time receiving it!
Some are grateful For it!
Only those who felt they met what was agreed upon were complaining.
Life isn’t fair ..... But are you not grateful its Not?
In life, if we get what was fair ........ meaning if there was no Grace offered, not one of us would be rejoicing in the fact.
Remember, this all came from the question, (19:27 “What then will we have?” Peter asked)
Translated by Rod Kincaid, “What are we going to get out of this?”
Conclusion:
So, what do you struggle with when it comes to GRACE?
Believing some people don’t deserve it?
Have you forgot that God is offering it to you as well?
Or are you that person who is so grateful for it?
Have them stand ....
There is an older song that many of you might know .......
The chorus goes like this ....
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin!