Pastor Dan Eddy
Matthew 20: 1-16
“It’s just not fair: God
owes me”
9-18-11
I.
Introduction – Fairness Game – Acting out the text
At this time I invite the
children to come forward for the Children’s Lesson.
This morning I want you to
pretend that I am going to hire you to do work in my farm field. So as I choose
you I want you to come up and pretend that you’re chopping some wood. So you
take your imaginary axe and just start chopping. Everybody do that.
And as you are chopping I
want you to say “I’m working really hard
at chopping.” Go ahead and say that. “I’m
working really hard at chopping.” Good.
Now here’s the catch you
are not all going to start work at the same time. You see in the parable that
Jesus spoke which I just read from Matthew 20, the workers did not start their
work at the same time. Some started at 6am; some at 9am, Noon, 3pm, and 5pm. So
when I point to you…you come up and start chopping, okay. You’ll all be done
working by 6pm.
Now you guys are in the first group…you are going
to get $500 for working, okay.
Ready?
Okay you go first…it’s three hours later, 9am, you guys start; it’s
Noon…you go next; it’s 3pm you go next; it’s now 5pm you go last.
Stop!!!! The work day is
done. Now, that you have worked all day it’s time to get your money…your wages
for the day. And I have in my hands $500 in monopoly money.
Okay so who started
working last? Here you go $500 for
one hour of work.
Who was before them? $500
for three hours of work.
Who was before them? $500
for six hours of work
Who was before them? $500
for nine hours of work
And who started first? As
promised…$500 for 12 hours of work.
Now do you think what I paid you was fair? How
about you?
It doesn’t seem fair does
it? Everybody gets the same pay but some worked longer.
Jesus thought it was fair. Doesn’t God ultimately
determine what’s fair?
Well let me ask you…is it
fair that there are kids in the world that have way more clothes, toys, and bigger
houses with bigger rooms? Is that fair? Or, that some kids have nicer brothers
and sisters and maybe parents? Is that fair?
Well what I want you to do
is go back to your seats and listen really carefully to the sermon because what
we think is unfair is more than fair when it comes to looking at our life from
God’s standpoint. Okay. Thank you children for coming up.
II.
Explanation of signifiers in the parable
I want you to keep the
image of the Children’s Lesson in mind.
So let me ask you: Is God
fair to you? Do you feel that He owes you more than what you are getting out of
life now? Be honest. Does He owe you better health, more money, better behaved
children, a promotion at work, more people in this congregation, a bigger
sanctuary, maybe even a better pastor?
In this section of the
Gospel of Matthew Jesus is preaching
So let’s be clear who’s
who and what’s what in the parable. Christ is the Master of the House. The
laborers are chosen by Jesus to work in His kingdom of the Church. That’s you and
me, who have faith in Christ. A Denarius was wages for one day’s worth of work.
Denarius is the temporal blessings we get in our life in Christ. Money,
members, recognition for our work, success…however you want to define temporal blessings.
And what appears to be
happening is that some don’t work as hard for God and yet they are blessed about
the same as others who worked all day long. Is that fair?
Which set of workers in
this story do you identify with? The first group? Or the 9am, Noon, 3pm or 5pm
workers? My guess is that most of you would be in the first group. You’ve been
a believer in Christ since you were young and you’ve worked hard for the Lord
at church, in the home, at work, in your community…and by golly there better be
some blessings that come along with that.
III.
From our standpoint: What’s not fair in the text
So from our standpoint
here’s what unfair in this text.
1. Same wage for everyone
even though some worked 12 hours and some only one. By the way note the 9am,
Noon, 3pm and 5pm shifts didn’t complain…just the first group. I mean at the
very least the 9am group had room for complaint.
2. The 2nd, 3rd,
4th and 5th shifts were not promised an amount of money
ahead of time. Tell me what person would agree to that. The unions would have a
thing or two to say. I suppose these workers were just happy to
be working at any wage.
3. Unfair that the workers
were paid in reverse order…how insulting for those who busted their “you know
what” all day long to be paid last. The last shall be first and the first shall
be last?
Here’s the problem for you
and me. The more we start comparing our life to others, the more God seems
unfair in the way He has blessed you. You see others’ marriages and wish you
had them. You see others’ home and they’re bigger, cars (my Camero to Milt’s
mustang, please), material possessions, job opportunities, income, health and
wellness, even looks, maybe even more church members than other congregations…
When that happens, jealousy ensues…because you don’t have what they have…what
you think you’re owed more by God…
Or maybe you have it but
boy it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get it…and the other
people…there just seem to slide through life, falling into a lot of good luck. Or
worse yet…they get more blessings when they don’t act as righteous as you and
me. “Lord, I’ve worked harder, longer,
and better than others…You owe me!!!!”
It’s just not right. It’s
just not fair…or is it?
IV.
From God’s standpoint: What’s fair in this text for
you
Let’s look at this parable
from God’s standpoint and see what’s fair for you.
First, the Master of the
House didn’t have to hire anyone. God did not have to choose you to work in His
Kingdom.
Second, the Master of the
House delivered on all his promises. He paid the first group what He promised
and was more than generous with the other workers earning far more than they
deserved. The Lord could change His mind
about the temporary blessings based on our sinfulness, but even on our worst
day in life…He still blesses you and me far beyond what we deserve.
Third, the Master of the
House didn’t have to call his workers, friend.
In fact, it was rare they did in Jesus’ day. But this Master had a personal
relationship with the laborers. The Lord could be an impersonal God ruling from
distance with no direct connection, but He doesn’t…He’s as close as our hearts.
He’s as close and personal as Jesus Christ.
Finally, the Master of the
House could have taken away the money from the ongoing complains of the first
group…because that was the sense of text. But He didn’t even when they said: “You made them equal to us.” They
thought an injustice had occurred. The first
laborers failed to be thankful for their own wage because they were blinded by
their self-interests and lack of compassion for the other fellow workers.
The Master’s response was stern and dramatic. We
don’t work for the Lord to see what we can get out of Him. If we want to live
by the rules of fairness in this life then we would have far less from God. His
grace is sufficient.
God could banish us from
His Kingdom because of our whining, and our lack of gratitude toward working in
His kingdom, but He doesn’t.
When I sent out the
worship announcement for this week…one parishioner emailed me back the
following: “God is not fair, nor is He just. If he
dealt with me fairly and justly (pause)…I'd be rightfully condemned to an
eternity in Hell. I have paid full price for that ticket. Far more essential
than fair or just, He is ‘merciful’, not meting out the punishment I so richly
deserve, but showering me with His breathtaking Grace and granting me a full
and free pardon. Talk about Amazing Grace!”
We
thank God He’s not fair from a human standpoint. If He were fair from our perspective….none
of us would make it. None of us would have our sins forgiven because fairness
is a matter of perspective and what it comes to fairness we want God's perspective on fairness or
our lives or we will be in peril both now and for eternity.
Remember
the Master of God’s House, Jesus Christ, chose you to be His laborer at your
baptism. He rewards you with undeserved Grace and assures you He really did choose you to be His with His real body
and true blood.
Some believers are not more saved, are not more
forgiven, and don’t have more power over death, just because some work harder
or have been believers longer. We are all going to the same Heaven…it will not
be better for some and not for others. We all get the same grace with all its
fullness.
V.
Last shall be first and the first shall be last
In fact, look at verse 16
when Jesus said: “So
the last will be first, and the first last.” What does that mean?
Philippians 2:6-8 ESV
explains the thought:
[6] He (meaning Jesus) was in the form of God, did
not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, by
taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being
found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of
death, even death on a cross.
Was that fair that Jesus was last so we could be
first? I mean think about it:
Ultimately from our standpoint it was unfair that Jesus was put last by God the Father and had to suffer miserably, die a
horrible death for our sins. But, from God’s standpoint it was the fairest
thing to do if we were going to live with Him after this life.
Our sins make us last. But Jesus through His suffering, death, and
resurrection makes you and me first because of our faith, His grace. Because of
that we are now first in the
The chosen who were given faith in Christ shall be
first, those who return their election by failing to trust in Jesus shall be last,
away from the
We don’t serve to gain a reward;
rather it’s a privilege to serve. Humbling words…we serve God for Him not
us…for His glory…for other’s needs, not our own. This parable was geared for
the Disciples to keep them humble. It is meant to keep us humble, today.
Look at how the other
laborers didn’t agree to work for a wage, but gladly accepted what they were
given. They just felt privileged to be chosen. They were just waiting to the
opportunity.
So, who can we go out and
ask to be a part of our Master’s work in His Kingdom of the Church?
Let us pray:
Thank You Lord that our thoughts
are not Your thoughts, neither are Your ways our ways. We are glad that as the
heavens are higher than the Earth, so is Your love and forgiveness higher than ours
and Your grace enormous. Help us to see Your fairness and know that You don’t
owe us, and we could never work off or pay You back for Your grace. So, let our
service to the Church, in our homes, at work, and in our communities reflect
the fantastic generosity You have given us by faith through Jesus Christ, our
Lord. Amen.