Showing posts with label Matthew 20. Show all posts

Last

What would Jesus say about first and last place? Let’s examine the puzzle behind Jesus blessing those in last place in Matthew 20:1-16.

Wine Industry Parable

Matthew 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

The Gospel writers openly wrote about Jesus and wine. Grace is risky. Legalism removes risk and grace. Someone might get drunk, yet Jesus turned water into wine, drank with sinners and used wine as one of the elements of the Lord’s Supper. He even used the grape harvest in parables.

Matthew 20:2-7 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’

Matthew 20:8 So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’

Let’s understand the context. Jesus’ disciples quarreled openly for position. They spurned widows and children who attempted to talk to Jesus. This attitude is not tolerated in God’s kingdom. Those who arrogantly puff themselves up, and look down on others will be last in heaven. The last are put first.

Matthew 20:9-10 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.

How long we have served God does not give greater entitlements. In heaven there is a Great Reversal. The first will be last and the last first. Let’s not allow position or tenure to delude us into thinking we are better than anyone. They may be our boss in heaven.

Matthew 20:11-12 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’

The Old Testament law of redistribution, around the Jubilee, is neither capitalist, nor socialist. Like this parable, God’s kingdom will operate differently. This subversive parable reveals kingdom values, not based upon entitlement, but need. None of us is entitled to heaven, yet we all have a need of life after death.

Matthew 20:13-15 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’

He kept hiring people because they needed work and paid them the same contract wage no matter how long they worked. Jewish Christians are equal to Gentiles, and ancient churches are the same as new ones. “The parable is thus about the goodness... the mercy... of God... The Generous Employer.”

Ref: Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28. Word Biblical Commentary (572). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

An evil eye is an attitude of envy, greed or stinginess. Wanting first place is an evil eye. When we believe that others are undeserving of positions because they have not been around as long as we, is an evil eye. Human perceptions of what we deserve are not heaven’s.

Ref: Friberg, Friberg, Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. 2000.

Lasts are Firsts

Matthew 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.

Many so-called little people are big in heaven’s eyes. Why is the janitor the happiest person in the building? Why is the widow the one with the most encouraging word? Why is the wisdom of an old man in a nursing home the greatest thing you have heard all week?

Why does the poor farmer out working in his field sing so loudly? Why does the blue collar worker live longer and have a happier marriage than the billionaire? These are great secrets of the kingdom of heaven. This parable does not excuse unfair wages, but explains God’s generosity.

This world is upside down. The arrogant, the narcissistic, the greedy who have chosen first place in this life, have chosen the last place in heaven. The selfless, the generous, the serving who often choose last place in this life, are rewarded with first place in heaven. The Great Reversal is coming. Where will we be?

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Readings

Exodus 16:2-4, 15 God often provides even when we pray lacking in faith

Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 Israel escaping slavery is a picture of us escaping sin

Jude 1:3-23 in the midst of apostasy we must strive to maintain our faith

Matthew 20:1-16 in Rhyme
-
The kingdom’s like a landowner
Hiring help as a grape grower
The contract, a penny a day
All day or part for the same pay
-
But those who worked all day complained
So then the landowner explained
That’s the contract and you agreed
To be generous is my creed
-
Take what’s yours and be on your way
Don’t begrudge their bountiful pay
Don’t envy what I give away
The last will be first in that day

The Last

Prelude, Purpose, Plan

What kind of life do we lead when we put ourselves first, and others last? What kind of world encourages us to tread all over others and always be first? What would Jesus say about the first and last in society?

Let’s examine the incredible blessing of following Jesus to a life of taking last place so that we can serve others.

Let’s look at Matthew 20:1-16, the parable of the workers in the vineyard and its implications for today.

Matthew 20:1 Wine Industry Parable

Did Jesus promote the wine industry? In Matthew 20:1 Jesus said, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.” In an age when refrigeration and pasteurization were unknown, grape juice was commonly preserved as wine. Some try to be more righteous than Jesus. But, the Gospel writers openly wrote about Jesus and wine. Grace is risky. Pharisaic rules remove risk, but also grace. Someone might get drunk, yet Jesus turned water into wine, drank with sinners and used wine as one of the elements of the Lord’s Supper. He even used the grape harvest in parables.

Matthew 20:8 Where Latecomers are First

Why were the latecomers in the parable of the vineyard workers put first? In Matthew 20:8 Jesus spoke of the end of a harvest day, “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’” Let’s understand the context. Jesus’ disciples quarreled openly for position. They spurned widows and children who attempted to talk to Jesus. This attitude is not tolerated in God’s kingdom. Those who arrogantly puff themselves up, and look down on others will be last in heaven. The last were put first so the first could learn something.

Matthew 20:9-10 Fair Wages

Are older Christians or older churches more entitled? The parable of the vineyard workers teaches us about this common attitude. In Matthew 20:9-10 we read, “when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.” How long we have served God does not give us greater entitlements. In heaven there is a Great Reversal. The first will be last and the last first. Let’s not allow position or tenure to delude us into thinking we are better than anyone. They may be our boss in heaven.

Matthew 20:12 Entitlement versus Need

Could the Old Testament law of redistribution, the Jubilee, work today? The super-wealthy would certainly complain. In Matthew 20:12 in the parable of the vineyard workers, the all-day workers complained about equal pay, “you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.” This is a parable of entitlement versus need. Are wealthy people entitled to grossly excessive salaries which they the have power to get but perhaps not the need? Jesus’ subversive parable teaches that the kingdom of heaven is not based upon entitlement, but need. None of us is entitled to heaven, yet we all have need of life after death.

Matthew 20:15 God is Generous

Why did a vintner in Jesus’ parables hire harvesters several times during the day? The only indication why is he saw people who needed work. The farmer paid workers the same whether working all day or only the last hour. He explained in Matthew 20:15, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?” God provides generously for the most needy. Jewish Christians are the same as Gentiles, and the most ancient churches are the same as the newest. “The parable is thus about the goodness... the mercy... of God... The Good (or Generous) Employer.”

Ref: Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28. Word Biblical Commentary (572). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

Matthew 20:15 The Evil Eye

What is an evil eye? In Matthew 20:15 Jesus asked, “is your eye evil because I am good?” Friberg explains that an evil eye is an attitude of envy, greed or stinginess. When we want first place or all the best just for ourselves, that is an evil eye. When we believe that others are undeserving of positions because they have not been around as long as we, that is an evil eye. In the kingdom of heaven the first will be last and the last will be first. Human perceptions of what we deserve are not heaven’s. Jesus set the example. Let’s follow Jesus’ example and put ourselves last.

Ref: Friberg, Friberg, Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. 2000.

Matthew 20:16 Lasts who Already are Firsts

Why did Jesus say in Matthew 20:16 that in the kingdom of heaven, “the last will be first, and the first last”? Many so-called little people are big in heaven’s eyes. Why is the janitor the happiest person in the building? Why is the widow the one with the most encouraging word? Why is the wisdom of an old man in a nursing home the greatest thing you have heard all week? Why does the poor farmer out working in his field sing so loudly? Why does the blue collar worker live longer and have a happier marriage than the billionaire? These are great secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

Postlude

This world is upside down. The arrogant, the narcissistic, the greedy who have chosen first place in this life, have chosen the last place in heaven. The selfless, the generous, the serving who often choose last place in this life, are rewarded with first place in heaven. The Great Reversal is coming. Where will we be?

Ref: Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28. Word Biblical Commentary (572). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

Ref: Friberg, Friberg, Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. 2000.

Matthew 20:1-16

Good News for the Last

Intro

We are everywhere encouraged to seek to first place in this life, to strive to put self first. What does that say about our reward in heaven?

Purpose

I want to show the incredible blessing of following Jesus to a life of self denial, of taking last place.

Plan

We will look at the parable of the workers in the vineyard from Matthew 20 and its implications for today.

Wine Industry Parable

In an age when refrigeration and pasteurization were unknown, grape juice was commonly preserved as wine. As we look at the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, we may miss this salient point. We too often try to be more righteous than Jesus. But, the Gospel writers did not bat an eyelid when writing of Jesus and wine. Grace is too risky for some of us. We would rather make a rule banning a God-given gift than take the risk that someone might get drunk. Not so Jesus. Despite the fact that drunkenness also existed in those days, he turned water into wine, drank with sinners and used wine as one of the elements of the Lord’s Supper. It was also natural then for him to use the grape harvest in parables as he did in Matthew 20:1.

God the Generous Employer

Ancient day laborers had no rights and little security, as uninsured workers without a safety net. Jesus tells a parable of an employer hiring workers in the morning (Matthew 20:1) and hiring more later in the day, paying everyone the same day's wages, a generous desire to relieve the hardship of the poor. "no one has hired us" indicates that they wanted to work. The payment was according to need and not according to what was earned or deserved with obvious application to charitable giving. We will all receive eternal life, the late-comer the same as the long-time Christian. In any church, when a relative new-comer is promoted over a long-time Christian we get jealous, when we need to learn generosity towards late-comers. "The parable is thus about the goodness... the mercy... of God... The Good (or Generous) Employer".

Ref: Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28. Word Biblical Commentary (572). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

Farming the Church

Farming is an unpredictable business. Farmers cannot put it into their calendars a month ahead of time to harvest on a Tuesday starting at six and finishing up by Thursday noon. It doesn't work that way. It all depends on when the crop is ready, the weather and machinery breakdowns. A farmer would understand perhaps completely why in Matthew 20:3-7 the vintner went back several times to the unemployment lines for more hired hands. His harvest was ready and perhaps bad weather was on its way. The same is true in church life. We can schedule events to some extent but flexibility must also be a part of the plan. Things just have a way of totally changing at the last minute. A wise steward of God’s business is like a wise farmer: ready, flexible and patient with change.

Picking Teams

Picking two teams from a lineup is very disheartening for the last ones picked. They often feel like nobody wants them or that they are simply not good enough to even be on the team. Someone with compassion hired a bunch of people for his vineyard, and when the last were hired it was late in the day. He asked why the last did not have any work. Their reply was simply that no one had hired them. Perhaps they were feeling like many long time unemployed people, that nobody wants us. Perhaps to make up for that natural feeling of despair is why the big boss paid them first (Matthew 20:8). Naturally, there were jealousies, but there is a reason for everything and it is not always favoritism. Some people just need a bit more encouragement than others.

Where Latecomers are First

The kingdom of heaven is a place where latecomers are first in line (Matthew 20:8). Why? We need to understand the literary context of this parable. When the disciples were spiritually immature they strove openly among each other for political position and spurned widows and children who attempted to talk to Jesus. This attitude of snobbery and striving for position will not be tolerated in God’s kingdom. Those who insist that they be addressed by exaggerated and grandiose titles, or look down their noses at those they consider to be lesser beings will be surprised in the kingdom of heaven. The last will be first and the first will be last. It is important to humble ourselves and become servants of all. If we are not given recognition in this life, our self-sacrificing service gives us status in heaven.

Just Wages

The parable in Matthew 20:9-10 is probably not about a real vineyard and therefore not an excuse for unjust or whimsical wages on earth. No vineyard owner would pay someone who worked only an hour a day’s wages. So, it is a parable, perhaps exaggerated purposefully to teach us about the kingdom of heaven, not things on this earth. However, it is about just wages in heaven. To God, it is irrelevant how long someone has served him. It is also unimportant what entitlements we presume to have earned. In heaven there will be a Great Reversal, where the first will be last and the last first. So let us beware of allowing position or tenure to delude us into thinking that we are better. Let us not look down on anyone. They may be our boss in heaven.

Where Reward is Undeserved

The kingdom of heaven is a place where our reward is undeserved (Matthew 20:12). Why? We live in a world of entitlement. Wealthy and powerful people are deluded that they somehow deserve to be treated better than others. They gladly pay the poor a pittance and heap excess burdens upon them fully believing that it is their divine right. Celebrities and royals, presidents and prime ministers, CEOs and business owners believe that they deserve more wealth and honor than anyone else. So they take it. We bring that self-centered attitude into the church. We too can think that our tenure or position makes us worthy of a greater reward. The parable of the workers in the vineyard reveals the opposite. The wages given to those who only worked an hour shows that heaven is a reward that is undeserved.

No Room for an Evil Eye

In The kingdom of heaven there is no room for an evil eye (Matthew 20:12). That’s the original wording in verse 15. The Friberg lexicon explains that an evil eye is an attitude of envy, greed or stinginess. When we want to hog the limelight or have all the best for ourselves, that is an evil eye. When we believe that others are undeserving of reward because they have not been around as long as we, that is an evil eye. Jesus revealed that in the kingdom of heaven the first will be last and the last will be first. So, we had better get ready for it. Our perceptions of what we deserve are contrary to those of heaven. Being jealous of others then will be too late. Let’s follow Jesus’ example and take the last places now.

Entitlement versus Need

A national debate is over entitlement versus need. Are workers entitled to health care for which they have need but can't afford? Are wealthy people entitled to million dollar salaries which they the have power to ask for but perhaps not the need? This is a central part of the discussion in Matthew 20:12. Our society has trouble providing basic human needs to the entire population. Whether government can afford it or the wealthy ought to sacrifice to provide it are ongoing debates. Jesus’ parable of the laborers in the vineyard is known as a subversive parable. It sets up a scenario that defies normal events in order to teach a lesson. The kingdom of heaven is not based upon entitlement, but need. None of us is entitled to heaven, yet we all have need of life after death.

Lasts who Already are Firsts

Why did Jesus say that in the kingdom of heaven the last will be first (Matthew 20:16)? Perhaps part of the answer lies in the fact that many who are last already are first. Many so-called little people are in reality big people and many big in the eyes of this world are really small in heaven’s eyes. Why is the janitor the happiest person in the building? Why is the widow the one who always has the most encouraging word? Why is the wisdom of an old man in a nursing home the greatest thing you have heard all week? Why does the poor farmer out plowing in his field sing so loudly? Why does the blue collar worker live longer and have a happier marriage than the billionaire? These are great secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

Life’s Journey from First to Last

When young people receive blessings ahead of older people we can be covetous. It can be that a newer Christian is gifted in a ministry that is suited to changing needs. An older Christian may be more gifted in ministries that served past needs well but feel overlooked as times change. It is the job of each generation to prepare the next one to take over, not hang onto power forever. For a church to develop, new personnel must be brought along. It’s a humbling thing for us to realize that this life is not forever. How do we deal with the change in status? In Matthew 20:16 Jesus addressed this issue by stating that the last will be first and the first will be last. Giving up status from first to last is one of life’s necessary sacrifices.

Outro

When we seek to place ourselves first in this life, we are choosing the last place in heaven. When we choose last place in this life, our reward will be first place in heaven.