The Parable of the Hired Laborers

Matthew 20:1-16

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 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?’ 7 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.’

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.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 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.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 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?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

The beginning statement to this parable (which occurs in Matthew 19:30) and the final conclusion is this:

-              The first shall be last and the last first

Jesus said that this is what the kingdom of heaven is like:

o   That earthly order doesn’t necessarily translate to kingdom order

o   That the economics of God do not always make sense

o   The people who are marginalized here are treasures in the eyes of heaven

o   Leaders will be servants so that those served can be increased (servant leadership)

o   NEED has more priority than MERIT

The tension of this passage is pay scale 

Too many times we slip into seeing the kingdom as merit based

• This is a product of our culture: Everything is merit based

  • Job payscales

  • Grades at school

  • Career Promotions

  • Your self-worth

  • Your reputation

-              This has been a struggle from the beginning of the new testament church:

Ephesians 2:8,9

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.    

We find that God doesn’t reward based on our performance – as a matter of fact we see in Hebrews 11:

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

-              He rewards – diligently seeking him

This is great news – it takes all of the pressure off of you and what you can produce!

The workers were not hired because they were highly-skilled workers – 

So, why were they hired?

Because they showed up!

Do you know how to experience the kingdom of God at work in your life?:  SHOW UP

“The Law of Showing Up”

You don’t have to earn things – just keep showing up

You don’t have to be smarter than everyone else – just show up You don’t have to be more skilled than everyone – just show up

- Our mission is to make the goodness of Jesus unavoidable in Hattiesburg.

How do we do that? We just show up.

What does it mean to “show up” spiritually?

1.     Showing up means that I am waiting to be used

• The master showed up early in the morning and found people ready to work

2.     Showing up means I work even if I don’t know if I’ll get paid

• The second, third, fourth, and fifth times he picked up workers they didn’t even discuss specific pay

3.     Showing up means that I stay there until the master needs me – even if it feels hopeless

• Think about the guys who were standing, waiting to be used at 5:00pm. I’m sure their hope of making a day’s wages had long been given up

Those who “show up” spiritually are the ones who see God moving in their life. 

• The focus of this parable, and most important part is not the pay scale

• The focus is not the fact that the workers showed up

• The focus of the parable is not the foreman who paid everyone 

Here’s what is particularly powerful about this parable:

The owner of the vineyard had not miscalculated the need for workers that bad.

o   If he NEEDED that many workers, he would’ve taken them all at the beginning of theday.

o   For some reason, he returns to the city square, over and over and over again

He wasn’t there because he needed more workers, but he was there because more workers needed him.