Please turn with me to Matthew 20.  Which is The Parable of The Laborers.  As you’re turning let me share the context of the parable.

While Jesus has been teaching - He’s laid hands on some children.  Made the statement - remember this?  “The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Then a rich young aristocrat comes to Jesus with the question, “How do I obtain eternal life?”  “What do I do to get into the Kingdom?”  Jesus makes a contrast between the open-hearted faith of a child and the prideful heart of this young man who thinks that he can earn his way into the kingdom.

In the midst of this teaching Peter asks Jesus a question.  “Jesus, we’ve left everything to follow you.  We’ve sacrificed so much.  See what kind of faith we have.  What do we get?”

In Matthew 19 - verse 28 - Jesus tells Peter that Peter’s going to get lot’s of stuff.  “Don Pardo, tell Peter what he’s won.”

“That’s right Jesus.  Peter, you’ve been such a great disciple by sacrificing everything that you’ve won a throne in heaven.  And not just any throne.  This throne is set up right in front of Jesus’ throne - right there in the royal throne room.  From your throne you’ll be able to judge all the tribes of Israel.  And as a special bonus prize for today’s disciples - God’s going to give you back many times more what you’ve sacrificed today!”

There’s an old story about former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, and Bill Gates dying in an airplane crash.  They arrive in heaven to find God on His throne.

When God asks Al Gore what he believes in, Al Gore answers, “Well, I believe that the internal combustion engine is the root of all evil, and that we need to save the world from CFCs and that if any more freon is used, the whole Earth will become a greenhouse and we’ll all die.”  God says, “OK, come and sit at my left.”

Then God asks Bill Clinton what he believes in.  “I believe in power to the people.  I think people should be able to make their own choices about things and that no one should be able to tell someone else what to do.”  God nods and says, “Come sit at my right.”

Then He asks, “Bill Gates, what do you believe?”

Bill Gates says, “I believe, you’re in my chair.”

In Matthew 19:30 - Jesus makes this humbling - heart attitude checking statement - to Peter who’s all excited about getting a bunch of stuff and a throne up front by God.  Jesus says, “But, many who are first will be last; and the last, first.”

Matthew 20 - starting at verse 1 - the parable of the laborers is Jesus’ explanation of that - first last last first - statement:  “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.”

One morning a landowner goes down to Laborer’s Union Local #1 and hires a group of workers to work in his vineyard.  The agreed upon wage is 1 danarius for one days work.  A fair amount of pay for those days.  So, the laborers are sent into the field at what was probably 6:00 in the morning.

Verse 3:  “And he - the landowner - went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’  And so they went.”

The market place was the central square of the town - the piazza.  The place where business was conducted - where day labor was hired.  The landowner finds laborers idle - waiting for someone to come and hire them - and sends them off into the vineyard to work.  Happens around here all the time.

Notice - unlike Laborers Union Local #1 - there’s no agreed upon wage.  The laborers are simply grateful for the work.  Trusting the fairness of the landowner they head off into the vineyard.  The third hour - by Jewish reckoning of time - would have been 9:00 in the  morning.

Verse 5:  “Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did the same thing; and about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’  They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’  He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’”

At noon, the landowner hires laborer group #3.  At 3:00 in the afternoon he hires laborer group #4.  At 5:00 p.m. he hires group #5.  Groups that are just standing idle in the market place waiting to be hired.  Point being:  The landowner is still looking for laborers.  The day is passing.  People are still being hired even at this late hour.

Verse 8:  “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’”  Remember, the first come last and the last come - what?  first.

Verse 9:  “When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.  When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a danarius.”

Laborers Union Local #1 is at the back of the pay line.  Maybe a bit upset at having to wait after being in the fields since 6:00 that morning.  Dinner’s on.  Its time to go home.  But, when group #5 gets 1 danarius for about 1 hour’s work - we can almost see the mental process going here - the wheels start spinning.  “Well, if 1 hour equals 1 danarius and we’ve been out here since 6:00 this morning - that means we get - whoa - 12 danarius.  That’s worth waiting for.”  But when LUL#1 gets to the front of the line they get 1 danarius just like everyone else.

Verse 11:  “When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’”

There were two ditch diggers out digging a ditch.  It was a really - really - hot day.  The one ditch digger says to the other ditch digger, “Look at that man sitting up there in the shade of that tree drinking ice tea.  Calls himself the supervisor.  Why does he get to sit up there in that shade while we’re down here in this ditch digging away in the heat?”

The second ditch digger says, “I don’t know.  Why don’t you ask him?”

“Okay.  I think I will.”

So the first ditch digger climbs out of the ditch.  Walks over to the supervisor sitting under the tree and says, “Why is it that we have to work down in that ditch in all this heat while you get to sit up here under this tree drinking ice tea?”

“Well,” said the supervisor, “It’s a matter of intelligence.”

“Intelligence?  What do you mean by that?”

“Let me show you.”  So the supervisor holds his hand up to the tree and says, “Hit my hand as hard as you can.”

“I can’t do that.  I’ll break your hand.”

“Go ahead.”  “No”  “Go ahead.”  “Well, all right.”

So the ditch digger goes to hit the supervisor’s hand as hard as he can.  At the last instant the supervisor pulls his hand out of the way and the ditch digger slams his hand into the tree.  “Now do you understand?”  “I think so.”

When the ditch digger gets back into the ditch the other ditch digger asks him, “What did he say?”  “He said it was a matter of intelligence.”

“What did he mean by that?”

“Well, let me show you.”  So the first ditch digger looks around the ditch for a tree.  And of course there wasn’t one.  So he holds his hand in front of his face and says, “Hit my hand as hard as you can.”

“Why are they so privileged?  We worked hard all day long.  And these worthless idle slackers only got here an hour ago.  We worked through the hottest part of the day.  They’ve only worked in the shade and cool of the evening.  Aren’t we better than them?  Its just not fair.”

Verse 13:  “But when he - the landowner - answered and said to one of them - the spokesman for the group - ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a danarius?  Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own?  Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ 

Notice four things.

First:  The landowner fulfills his commitment and does exactly what he says he’s going to do.  By being generous he hasn’t broken any agreements or laws.  LUL#1 agreed on one danarius.  They were paid one danarius. 

Second:  The landowner can be as generous as he wants to be.  Its his vineyard.  The money is his.  He can do what he wants and no one has a right to say anything about it.

Third:  The other workers had no idea what they were going to be paid.  They were simply glad for the work and probably just as grateful for the danarius - grateful for the generosity of the landowner.

Fourth:  Laborers Union Local #1 is upset, not because the landowner was greedy - or dishonest - or deceitful.  They’re envious - upset - because he was generous - gracious - giving what was undeserved.

Jesus’ point comes again in verse 16:  So the last shall be first, and the first last.”  “Peter, the Kingdom of God isn’t about the rewards.  Its about God.  God who is generous with His grace.”

Thinking through Jesus’ point - how all this applies to us - let me suggest two realizations that we need to take to heart.

First realization:  God is gracious towards me.  Try that with me, “God is gracious towards me.”

The landowner is who?  God.

The vineyard is what?  The kingdom of God.

The laborers are who?  Us.  God’s people.

Tougher question.  How do the laborers become laborers in the vineyard?  The landowner - God - seeks them out and hires them.  Even at the eleventh hour.  They respond to the invitation and go work.

Have you been watching the Olympics?  Friday night they showed Ice Dancing.  True to form - pun intended - true to form NBC showed all the medal contenders - the Italians - the Russians - the Bulgarians - the Canadians - the Ukrainians - and the Americans who we’ve been told numerous times are medal contenders for the USA - the first medal contenders since 1976 - currently ranked 6th.

Conspicuously absent from what was shown on NBC was the pairs team of Anastasia Grebenkina and Vazgen Azroyan from Armenia.  Who, by the way finished the day in 22nd place out of 24 teams.  They weren’t last.

Armenia’s National Olympic Committee President Gagik Tsarukyan said this, “The team is ready to participate in the Games, and our aim is participation rather than victory,”  Do you hear that?  We’re just grateful to be here.

Contrast that with American athletes who expect to win gold.  Darlings of the media who are being promoted for their gold potential.  And even flaunt their expectation of gold with arrogance and last minute stunts.

We’re just grateful to be here.

This is thief on the cross type of stuff.  A condemned man hanging around on the cross waiting to die and spend eternity apart from God.  God reaching to someone who has no possibility of earning or deserving to make it into the kingdom.  Remember the thief’s words?  “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

That’s not a request for thrones - a grumbling over rewards.  Its a simple statement of the heart pleading for grace.  Do you think the thief is grateful to be in heaven?

It's not the self-proclaimed righteous - the people who do the most good - who get into heaven.  It’s the sinners.  The one’s who know they deserve God’s wrath - that gladly receive God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus.  Not those who think they’re first.  But the last.  The ones lower on the totem pole.  Those are the one’s who get there.  By grace - through faith.

That holds out a lot of reassurance for us.  Doesn’t it?  That God is gracious to us is a truth that we need to let sink into our hearts.  To be reminded of.  To continually be grateful for.

Second realization:  God is gracious to others.  Say that with me, “God is gracious to others.”

What would happen if you took 5 cupcakes - chocolate cupcakes with white frosting and rainbow colored sprinkles.  Got that picture?. Take these five cupcakes and set them down in front of 3 kindergarten age children.  Instruct them to divide the cupcakes between themselves.  What do you think would happen?

How long do you think it would be until you heard the words, “He cheated.”  Or, “She isn’t being fair.”

The denarius is what?  Rewards - thrones - crowns - jewels - stuff God gives us.  We really like it when God is gracious to us - blessing us.  We almost expect it.  But, way too often we struggle with God blessing others.  That was the grumbling coming from LUL#1.  “One denarius isn’t fair.  We’ve been cheated.”

But, think about this.  Do you think these guys, who were so concerned about fairness, would have grumbled if the landowner had paid the latecomers less?  Or, would they have shared with the latecomers from their wealth if they had received more?

Fairness isn’t the issue.  Jesus is focusing Peter - and us - on the attitude of our heart.  At issue is why we struggle when God blesses others.

There are times when I see someone else’s ministry - multi-staffed - impressive facilities - huge budget - all kinds of ministries going on - maybe a few books or articles published - well respected.  There are times when I feel a twinge - just a twinge of jealousy.

Ever go into someone’s house and come away thinking differently about your own?  Or the car you drive?  Or look at your situation in life - compare it to someone else’s - and start to wonder about the fairness of life?  Why doesn’t God bless me like that?  Why do I have to put up with this?

Gossip.  Jealousy.  Envy.  Coveting other people’s stuff or lifestyle.  Dissatisfaction with God.  Self-doubt.  Feeling like a failure.  Feeling useless.  They’re all part of this.

There’s a scene in Exodus that takes place in front of Mount Sinai - where Moses and God are talking.  Part of that discussion focuses on God’s sovereignty.  In the midst of that conversation, God tells Moses, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” (Exodus 33:19)  It’s a powerful statement about the sovereignty and grace of God.

We need to be reminded of this.  To realize this in our hearts.  What reward is God obligated to give us?  God can do whatever God chooses to do.  Its His vineyard.  He’s sovereign.  God doesn't have to be fair.

Being in the Kingdom.  Being a laborer - or a disciple - isn’t about our getting rewards or a throne seat up in front.  Its about the sovereign God being gracious.  When we loose sight of that truth - focusing on ourselves and what we get - we get ourselves into all kinds of trouble. 

The bottom line of this parable is really a question.  A question Peter hopefully asked himself.  A question that we need to ask ourselves.  A question - where honestly answering the question will reveal a whole lot about our heart attitude.  Here it is.  Why am I following Jesus?  Is it because of what I get?  Or, as a response to God’s grace?

When I was in seminary I applied for a job at a drive through dairy.  Have you seen one of these?  It’s like a drive through 7 Eleven.  People drive up into the building and ask for stuff - milk - cheese - diapers - whatever.  The attendant runs through the store putting their order together.  Gives it to them.  They pay and drive off.  Its not a rocket science type of job.

The job didn’t pay much.  Minimum wage.  But that was 100% more than I was making as an unemployed - losing weight - seminary student.  I’ll never forget, during the interview for the job the supervisor told me he couldn’t hire me.  He said I was over qualified.  I didn’t care about qualifications.  I needed the job for income for little things like food.  I would have worked my tail off in gratitude if I’d been given that job.

If we really get the realization that God is gracious to us - how desperate we are for what He offers - how He freely gives it - following Him is a response - not with expectations - but with gratitude.  God, here’s my life.  Let me keep following You. 

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