Matthew 20:1-16
Christian author Phillip Yancey, in his book “What’s So Amazing about Grace?” shares a story about a discovery among theologians of what is unique about the Christian faith. “During a British conference on comparative religions”, he writes, “experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating several possibilities.
Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods' appearing in human form. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death.
The debate went on for some time until C.S. Lewis wandered into the room. "What's the rumpus about?" he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity's unique contribution among world religions. Lewis responded, "Oh, that's easy. It's grace."
After some discussion, the conferees had to agree. The notion of God's love coming to us free of charge, no strings attached, seems to go against every instinct of humanity. The Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of karma, the Jewish covenant, and the Muslim code of law -- each of these offers a way to earn approval. Only Christianity dares to make God's love unconditional.
Aware of our inbuilt resistance to grace, Jesus talked about it often. He described a world saturated with God's grace: where the sun shines on people good and bad; where birds gather seeds in grace, neither plowing nor harvesting to earn them; where wildflowers burst into bloom on the rocky hillsides. Like a visitor from a foreign country who notices what the natives overlook, Jesus saw grace everywhere. Yet he never analyzed or defined grace, and almost never used the word. Instead, he communicated grace through stories we know as parables.[1]
Parables like the one I just read from Matthew 20 where Jesus reminds us that in the kingdom of heaven the grace and mercy of God is often surprising, shocking, provocative, even offensive. The kingdom of heaven is where people are valued not because of their economic productiveness, but because God loves and engages them for who they are. That which initially appears to be an outrageous injustice between the landowner and the laborers is actually the greatest justice of all—a justice motivated by a different set of criteria: mercy and grace.
This is not a parable for just anyone; it is not addressed to the general crowds or even to seekers. This parable is designed primarily for the disciples (19:23, 27; 20:17); for those who have been around with Jesus since the beginning, to “insiders”, to those in the know, who, to some extent, know about God’s grace and mercy. The passage is a part of their instruction, their learning, as they travel from Galilee to Jerusalem (19:1; 20:18). It’s a warning to the disciples. Jesus is teaching them to not think that, because they’ve been close to Jesus so far, they are somehow the favored few for all time. They cannot claim any special honor or a special place because they were followers of Christ before anybody else. They are on the same level with believers of every time and place. All of us are equally precious to God.
This parable is also bracketed by two counter intuitive sayings (19:30; 20:16), sayings that in themselves carry an enormous threat for those who identify themselves as insiders, for the privileged who enjoy a special place with Jesus (see 20:20–28). The parable in effect shows what it means when the first shall be last and the last shall be first. It’s God’s prerogative that there is no first and there is no last. God does not rank us based on any criteria.
This parable is a warning for all of us. We come to believe that because we’ve been a member of a particular club, group or church that we are in charge. We get to call the shots. Any new people, new members are ignored, not included in what’s happening, and resented if they provide ideas for a new project, a new curriculum, or for suggesting doing something new or something better or doing something completely different from what has been done before. Will we put ourselves in eternal danger by begrudging God’s generosity to those whom we think unworthy? Will we endanger our community by resenting those who do not measure up to our standards?
This parable about the laborers and the vineyard owner tell us three things about the character of God: it is God’s prerogative to be a God of comfort; it is God’s prerogative to be a God of infinite compassion; and it is God’s prerogative to be a God of generosity.
First, the comfort of God is that everyone is equal in God’s eyes, whether you believed in Him your whole life or on your deathbed; whether you’re an elder or a deacon or a member of Presbyterian Women or youth group, you are equal in God’s eyes with everyone else. No matter when someone comes to Christ, he or she is equally dear to Him.
Second, there is the infinite compassion of God. There is nothing more tragic than a person who is unemployed; whose talents are rusting from idleness because there is nothing to do. In Jesus’ time, men went to the marketplace prepared to work. The men in our parable stood waiting because no one had hired them. The master shows compassion by recognizing the average day’s wage was not very much. In fairness to all, those who worked fewer hours should receive less pay. The owner showed compassion toward and did more than was required giving them more than what they deserved.
And third, there is the generosity of God. All service is equal in the eyes of God. It’s not the amount of service given, but the love in which it was given. That’s what matters. Is there a difference between a rich person buying a gift out of their abundance? Or a child gives a gift that cost a few bucks but which he saved for it held more value. All God gives is grace; it’s grace you can’t earn and grace you don’t deserve. God’s grace is not the sort of thing you can bargain with or try to store up for a rainy day. God’s grace is not the sort of thing that one person can have a lot of and someone else only a little. It’s what people receive from having served God and God’s kingdom. It’s a covenant in which God promises us everything and asks of us everything in return. When God keeps his promises, God is not rewarding us for our effort, but doing what comes naturally for God: being overly generous and gracious with all of us.
It all comes down to God’s grace. Pastor and teacher Frederick Buechner describes grace as “… something you can never get but only be given. The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you. I created the universes. I love you. There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.”[2]
God’s grace is for everyone. Who are we to judge God’s generosity to those whom we think don’t deserve it or don’t measure up to our standards? God’s grace is for everyone. Will you accept it? Amen.
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