HE SPOKE IN PARABLES
IX. THE WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD
Matthew 20:1-16 August 3, 2008

INTRODUCTION
Here again we discover the wonder of God’s free grace. The Jews were asking, “How is it that the Gentiles could be partakers of the Kingdom of God?” It further answers the question of late in life or even death-bed conversions.

I. THE CALL
Some are called early, some later. Some are called from the womb (i.e. John the Baptist), some as children (i.e. Timothy and Obadiah the Prophet), others are called later in life (i.e. Saul of Tarsus), some at the end of life (i.e. the thief on the cross). What are we to say about this? Do all share equally in the rewards of God’s Kingdom?

II. THE REWARDS
When the owner calls the workers to give them their pay, he pays all the same, regardless of when they were offered work. This refers to God’s free grace in bringing people into the Kingdom. Grace = God’s unmerited favor, applied to anyone who comes to trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The grumbling workers are rebuked for their envy. They worked longer and harder and wanted to be recognized for what they had done. They believed themselves more important than those called at the 11th hour. The Lord Jesus also rebukes their self-centeredness. Our response to God’s free grace ought to be one of “presenting my body a living sacrifice, for this is my reasonable service (Romans 12:1-2). Isaiah 55. The Lord Jesus is stressing here a heart attitude of humility and obedience. These are marks of God’s grace at work in your lives, marks of the Holy Spirit shaping you into a man or woman of God. God is under no obligation to anyone for anything. Yet he graciously chooses to pour out His grace on lost sinners. Participation in the Kingdom of God is all of grace. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, all to God’s glory alone.

SOME OF THE RESOURCES USED FOR THIS STUDY:
The Parables of Jesus by Terry Johnson
He Spoke in Parables by Gordon Keddie
The Parables of Jesus by James Montgomery Boice
The Parables of Jesus by Simon Kistemaker