Equality in the Kingdom Matthew 19:30 – 20:16 “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (19:30)

Introduction God is fair and just; God is impartial – The Israelites in the Old Testament questioned the fairness and justness of God – God’s response in Ezekiel – “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?” (Ezekiel 18:25) – Paul wrote – “There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.” (Romans 2:9-11) God’s impartiality is most significant and wonderful in regard to salvation – No matter what men’s circumstances might be when they come to Christ, they receive the same glorious salvation – No matter how well or poorly they may serve Him after coming, they receive the same glorious salvation

The Participants in Kingdom Equality (19:30 – 20:8) The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard – Part 1 – A common earthly story teaches a truth about the kingdom of heaven – God reigns in righteousness and grace – Equal and just basis on which people enter the kingdom through God’s grace “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. He went again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ‘Because no one hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’”

The Participants in Kingdom Equality (19:30 – 20:8) Key points in the story – Laborers were unskilled and near the bottom of the social-economic scale – Gather in marketplace before dawn waiting for someone to hire them for the day (Day laborers) – Often owners took advantage of them because they were unskilled and desperate for work – One denarius was very generous – daily pay of a Roman soldier – Jewish law required laborers to be paid at the end of each day

The Objection to Kingdom Equality (vv. 9-12) “The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’” (20:9-12) Jewish TimeTime HiredHours WorkedAmount PaidHourly Wage First hour6:00 AM121 Denarius0.083 De/Hr Third hour9:00 AM91 Denarius0.111 De/Hr Sixth hour12:00 Noon61 Denarius0.167 De/Hr Ninth hour3:00 PM31 Denarius0.333 De/Hr Eleventh hour5:00 PM11 Denarius1.000 De/Hr Owner directed laborers be paid in opposite order from customary Last hired were first paid rather than first hired being first paid Highlighted to laborers that all received the same pay regardless of hours worked Equality or Partiality?

The Vindication of Kingdom Equality (vv.13-16) The problem was not injustice on the part of the landowner but jealousy on the part of the workers – Jealousy and envy are not based on reason but on selfishness – Charge of unfairness was not grounded in love for justice Workers selfish assumption was that extra pay they wanted was pay they deserved – Selfishness sees what it wants to see Point of parable – Owner’s right to pay all workers the same wage “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (20:13-16)

Parable’s Spiritual Meaning Who and what are represented in the parable – Vineyard = kingdom of heaven – Landowner = God – Foreman = Son of God, Jesus Christ – Laborers = Believers – Denarius = Eternal life, which all receive equally for trusting in Christ – Workday = Believer’s lifetime of service to his Lord – Evening = Eternity God’s sovereign principle for salvation – Every person who comes in faith to His Son, Jesus Christ, receives the same gracious salvation – There are no exceptions and no variations The Lord will indeed “reward” His saints at His coming according to their faithfulness – But, here the Lord is not teaching about the differences in rewards – Teaching about the equality of salvation The gift of eternal life is equal for all believers.

Conclusion Spiritual Principles 1.God’s sovereignty initiates and accomplishes salvation 2.God alone establishes the terms of salvation 3.God continues to call me into His kingdom 4.God redeems everyone who is willing 5.God is compassionate to those who have no resources and acknowledge their hopelessness 6.All who come into the vineyard worked 7.God has the divine authority and ability to keep His promises 8.Just as God always gives what He has promised, He also always gives more than is deserved 9.Humility and genuine sense of unworthiness is the only right attitude in which a person may come to the Lord 10.God’s sovereign, overarching grace is the great equalizer that removes sin and makes every believer equally acceptable to Him in Christ