Spoiler alert: I’m preaching Victory’s “Kingdom Stories” series part III at Victory Fort tomorrow at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.
Text: Matthew 20:1–16. (The poorly named Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard)
Main Point: “The Kingdom of Heaven is about Who He is, Not about What I Get”
Context:
– Jesus tells a story about a rich young ruler who was not willing to meet the terms of discipleship. (Matthew 19:16–24)
– Peter responded: “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
– This response seems to have prompted the parable.
Parable:
Here’s the story. Landowner gets a bunch of workers. Some start early in the morning. Others, the “Sampaloc tambays” who were just standing around doing nothing, started work at 9:00 a.m., noon, 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. When the day is over, the landowner pays the tambays exactly the same as those who worked a full day. The early morning crew cried “UNFAIR.”
Points:
Matthew 20:1–4. First keyword is “AGREED” which implies a formal contract based on merit and work. The first group had an agreement with the landowner. They had a formal contract based on merit. They planned to earn their wage. This is in sharp contrast with those who were standing around and started work later. They had no agreement. They simply hoped the landowner would “pay whatever was right.”
Matthew 20:5–10. Second keyword is “EXPECTED.” When they saw how much the tambays were paid, those with a merit-based formal agreement expected to get more than what they had agreed on.
– Are our expectations based on observing what others get, on how much we work, or on our relationship with the “Landowner”?
– Do we relate to God as if he owes us something, or as if we owe him everything?
– Do we serve God because of what we get out of the deal, or because of who he is?
Matthew 20:11,12. Third keyword is “GRUMBLE” which is what always happens when our false expectations are not met. We grumble when someone else gets. . .
– a raise and we get fired
– healed and we are still sick
– married and we are still single
– recognized and we get ignored
Conclusion:
What was the landowner really like?
– He was “not unfair” – verse 13
– He was generous – verse 15
If God is always the main character and the hero in his stories, then what does this story tell us about God?
– God is not unfair
– God is generous
More tomorrow at Victory Fort 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., and at all 73 Victory services in Metro Manila. Don’t just stand around, GO TO CHURCH!
