Mt 20:1-16
What is the Context? Read Mt 19:27-30. Servantude
v1. Answering Peter’s question 19:27 The Kingdom.
v2. They knew what they would be paid before starting work.
v3. 9:00am
v4. They didn’t know how much they would be paid. Trust.
v6. Only an hour of work left in the day.
v7. They weren’t lazy, just nobody asked them to work. There are people in this world that haven’t become Christians yet because nobody asked them to. They weren’t invited yet.
v8. Mimics 19:30 and 20:16. Why did he pay in this order? To reveal their hearts.
v9. Is this fair?
v10. They expected to receive more after seeing the other get paid a denarius. Wouldn’t that be just?
v12. Made equal – shows grace. It isn’t work that saves.
v13. The early workers got exactly what they had agreed, yet they were upset. Why? Because they had pride, jealousy, entitlement, selfishness, greed, competitive spirit and seniority rather than servant thinking.
v15. What are they envious about? That they hadn’t started work at the eleventh hour.
“Those who were hired at 6:00am should have counted it an added recompense to serve such a wonderful master all day.” – William McDonald
Are you grateful or prideful?
Who are the characters?
- Landowner – God
- Early workers – Christians that don’t understand grace
- Late workers – Christians that do understand grace
What human beliefs are shattered?
- In God’s Kingdom there should be no merit, seniority or entitlement thinking
- God is gracious
- His grace is based on His goodness, not on our worthiness
What divine wisdom is shared?
- The problem is not with God, but with our attitude
- God is always just, no one will be treated unjustly
- Be grateful, not prideful
- Evangelism is just one beggar showing another beggar where the food is!