Matthew 20:9-10

Not only is Jesus saying that God is fair and just, but also He is showing that God is full of grace and mercy. God retains to Himself the exercise of both His goodness and His grace. The goodness shows in the fact that He was fair. The grace shows in that He went far beyond these people’s trust that He would do what is right.

God is not operating a work based on man’s normal quid pro quo—something for something. We give a day’s work, and so the employer gives back a day’s wages. God wants us to understand that He does not operate according to that. In forgiving us, He has already given us more than we deserve.

So, I think it is good to ask the question, “Why didn’t the men who complained instead rejoice that the men who waited so long in the marketplace looking for work were now at some measure of peace because they had money to take home to feed their family?” They were not thinking of the other guy’s blessing.

It is the same basic reason that the elder brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son was upset, because the brother came home and the father greeted him so warmly with tears. Then the father said, “Look—you had me the whole while. What more do you want? How much more are you entitled to?” He did not look at that. He looked at the situation in jealousy at what his younger brother was now receiving.

God is full of grace. So the rewards of God are not according to what men think is their merit. If we cannot bring anything to God except our life, then we make an agreement with Him in which the basic terms are spelled out, what claim do we have on anything more than what was part of the terms of the original agreement? Nothing.

Matthew 20:9-11

Ordinarily, if one works a full day, and another works only a portion of the day, any one of us would expect that he who only worked a portion of the day, would only receive a portion of a day’s wages. We would expect them to be pro-rated accordingly. (Using my minimum wage example from earlier), twelve times $6, I should get $72 for my day. One times $6 for the fellow who only worked one hour should only get $6 for the time worked—right? Any good union man would agree. But now we find in verse 9:

Oh, oh, oh! Here we go again, just like Israel back in Numbers 11 and Exodus 16.

These people felt entitled to more, even though they eagerly had accepted the landowner’s offer when they were hired. And though they were paid fairly, they did not feel as though they were treated fairly. There is a difference between those two. The landowner gave them exactly what they agreed to—it was just. But human nature did not feel it was just.

Matthew 20:1-16

In Matthew 20:1-16, the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard illustrates mercy toward willing laborers rather than rewards for idleness. Rewarding different levels of effort equally can be unjust because justice generally requires compensation to reflect the work, the sacrifice, and responsibility involved. Please keep in mind this sermon is about justice and mercy and compassion. And so we are looking at it from a point of how do we become just as God is just, and justice carries out punishments according to what is due.