The Bible Provocateur
The Bible Provocateur
Kingdom Economics: Laborer's in the Vineyard (PART 1 of 5)
The Parable of the Laborers in Matthew 20 confronts us with a profound spiritual truth that many modern Christians struggle to accept - God's absolute sovereignty over His creation. When Jesus tells this story of workers hired at different hours yet paid equally, He's challenging our deepest assumptions about divine fairness and human entitlement.
Through a careful reading of the biblical text, we explore how the vineyard owner's question - "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own?" - serves as the theological cornerstone of the entire parable. This simple yet profound question cuts through centuries of human reasoning and forces us to confront a God who operates according to His own perfect wisdom rather than our limited notions of fairness.
The complaint of those who worked all day reflects a mindset prevalent in contemporary Christianity. Many believers readily discuss theological concepts like predestination but recoil when confronted with God's right to choose who enters His kingdom. We've allowed American individualism and cultural concepts of fairness to reshape our understanding of divine justice, creating a domesticated deity who must conform to human expectations.
This parable reminds us that salvation is never earned or deserved. The workers who labored just one hour represent those who receive salvation with minimal religious effort, yet God grants them the same eternal reward. If God were truly "fair" in human terms, all humanity would face condemnation, as none deserve mercy. That He chooses to save any of us is an extraordinary act of grace.
When we properly understand this parable, our perspective shifts dramatically. Instead of questioning God's methods or demanding explanations for His choices, we respond with humble gratitude that we're included in His kingdom at all. As you reflect on this teaching, consider how God's sovereignty over salvation challenges your own understanding of divine justice and human deservingness.
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Christians, how's it going this evening? I trust all is well. I trust that all is well Tonight for this live. I want to tackle a little bit of a different subject than I usually do, tackle a little bit of a different subject than I usually do so many people on these social media platforms can only talk about. I find that most people can only talk about things like predestination and the free will and these lofty, hefty themes. And, believe me, I'm not knocking it because I love it as much as the next person. But tonight what I want to do is take a different subject matter and um, and I want to deal with one of the parables. I want to do with one of the parables and just share an exchange with different folks on the meaning of the parable.
Speaker 1:The parable is in chapter 20, matthew, chapter 20. And I'm going to read the parable. And it says for the kingdom of heaven is like a man, that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers in the vineyard and when he had agreed with the laborers for a few pennies a day, for a few penny a day, he sent them into the vineyard and he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace and he said unto them go, ye, also into the vineyard and whatsoever is right, whatsoever is right, I will give you. And they went their way. And again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour and he did likewise. And about the 11th hour he went out and found others standing idle and said unto them why are you standing here all day idle doing nothing? They said to him, because no man has hired us. He said unto them Go also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right you will receive vineyard, and whatsoever is right you will receive.
Speaker 1:So when the evening was come, the Lord of the vineyard said unto his steward call the laborers and give them their hire, beginning with the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the 11th hour, they received every man A penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have Received more. And they likewise received Every man A penny. And when they had received every man a penny, and when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house. They murmured saying these have wrought but one hour and you have made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden of the heat of the day. But he answered one of them. He said, friend, I have done you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a penny? Take what is yours and go your way. I will give unto this last, even as I gave to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is your eye evil because I am good? And then he says so, the last shall be first and the first shall be last, for many be called, but few chosen.
Speaker 1:Now this is a very interesting parable of our Lord, and he lays down a fundamental principle that, first and foremost, he lays out in verse 15. When he tells those who came into the vineyard first, when he says to them is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? As far as I see it, this is the most important part of this parable. It lays out clearly what it is our Lord wants us to understand that it is lawful for him to do what he wills with that which belongs to him, and the problem with Christianity today is not understanding this very thing. I wish more Christians understood what this parable is saying.
Speaker 1:It is a very important parable, and so he gives you this whole scenario of how the workers came to work for him, came to work for him In the vineyard, and various people came into the vineyard at different times to work. There were those who he brought in right away and there were those who he brought in just shortly before he returned. So there were those who worked in the vineyard longer, much longer than the others, but at the end they all got paid exactly the same. They all got paid exactly the same. And those who started working in the earlier part of the day came to the good man of the house and they complained and they murmured Because they believe that, because they started earlier, that they should get paid more. And this is a problem.
Speaker 1:And, christians, I know that when I say what I'm about to say, you're going to know what I'm talking about. How many times have you heard, when you have communicated clearly, what the word of God teaches about those who he elected to salvation and those who he has ordained to salvation? And when you explain this biblical doctrine as the truth that it is, you will find not only the unbelievers, but you will find those who call themselves Christians and believers who will say I cannot believe that God would be this way. It is not fair. It is not fair. Somehow the idea of fairness from the American point of view has seeped into the biblical interpretation and slant that Christians here in American have.
Speaker 1:When it comes to American ways, they introduce it into God's realm. God, his kingdom, is different than the kingdom of the world. Those who are Christians, when they become believers, they enter into God's kingdom, which is a different realm altogether. But all of the kingdoms of the world belong to God. And when I say the kingdom, the kingdoms of the world belong to God, what I am saying is this the individuals, the people of the entire world, in every age, they all belong to God. We are his creation. We are his creation. We are his creation. The good among us, the evil among us, if you want to call us good and evil, all mankind is the point. We are all God's creation and as a result, we are all his property and as a result, he can dispose of us in any way he sees fit. He can dispatch with us in any way he sees fit. Why? Because we are his owners. He owns us. We belong to him.
Speaker 1:So when we begin at verse 1 of Matthew, chapter 20,. In Matthew, chapter 20, it says the kingdom of heaven is like a man, that is, a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. So the beginning here Matthew says that the kingdom of heaven is like a man that is, a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire people In his vineyard. I don't know if back then that they had Home Depots, but you know, when you've been near a Home Depot you find a lot of men who are waiting in the front At the earliest hours of the morning To see if they can Get a job job with somebody who has jobs to do and they wait there in the morning and they wait there throughout the day and perhaps to the end of the day, looking for someone with whom they can work and get paid a decent day's wage. So what we see here is a similar situation.
Speaker 1:There's a householder who went out early in the morning looking for people To work in his vineyard. This is what he's doing, and so he came across some workers at the first part of his day, and it says in verse two and when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Remember, because this is going to come up again later. It says that he, the householder, the man who owns the vineyard, he says to the laborers, the first ones he come across, and he made a negotiation with them and they came to an agreement. And the agreement was that they would work in his vineyard for the day and they would work for a penny, for a penny a day. And then he sent them, after they agreed, he sent them to work in the vineyard, prepared for them to do their work and prepared to pay them what he agreed to pay. He agreed to pay. And then it says he went out about the third hour. So three hours later he saw others standing idle doing nothing in the marketplace. The third hour other people were already at work. He went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace and then he said unto them go ye into the vineyard and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Notice the difference so far.
Speaker 1:The the first guys that he went to to work in his vineyard. He negotiated with them a price that he would pay them to work in his vineyard and they agreed for a penny a day. They agreed. But in the third hour, when he went back out again, he sees more people standing in the marketplace idle and he says to them. He says to them go ye into the vineyard and I will give you whatever is right. And they just went their way. They didn't agree. There was no negotiation, there was no amount of money that they had to agree to. They just wanted to work. But they trusted they trusted this householder that he would pay them what is right. He didn't specify, nor did they have an engagement or a conversation about what he considered to be right. They trusted him to be right. He said he would be right and that he would do right and it was enough for them. And he went on into the vineyard and they went to work. Well, he did the same thing three hours later at the sixth hour and then another three hours later at the ninth hour hour. And each time that he found people standing there in the marketplace idle looking for work, the first time he negotiated a salary. But the next three times that he went out, he just said go into my vineyard and I will pay you what is right. I will pay you what is right. They didn't question, they just went. They just went and they went to work.
Speaker 1:And then, in verse eight it says so when the evening came, the lord of the vineyard called to his employee, his steward, and then he told his steward to call the laborers, those who came in at the first hour, the third, the sixth and the ninth. He said call them all together and give them their hire, beginning from the last to the first. Now here's the next thing that happens. So he calls his servant or his employee, and he says gather the laborers together, all the ones that started that worked in this vineyard that day. Bring them all to me, or bring them all to yourself, and give them their hire, give them their pay, give them their compensation, beginning, he says, from the last to the first, from the last to the first, from the last to the first. And then it says and when they came, when they came that were hired about the 11th hour, they received every man a penny. So what he's saying here is that the guys who came in last and who worked the least amount of time pay them a penny. Pay them a penny every one of them.
Speaker 1:But then it says those who started in the earliest part of the day, they had come to the conclusion. When they saw the guys who came in last receive a penny, they came into the conclusion that they should receive more. They were expecting more simply because they started earlier in the day and they had negotiated a penny per day. That's what they agreed to. So it says here that even before they got there, they just assumed. They assumed that when it came to them they would, they should have received more. But it says likewise every man received a penny. So keep in mind the guys who worked 12 hours received a penny. The guys who worked six hours, they received a penny. The guys who worked three hours received a penny. So, regardless, regardless of how long they worked in the in the householder's vineyard, all the men that day, regardless of what time they started, they received a penny.
Speaker 1:For those who are just coming in, I'm at Matthew, chapter 20, verses 1 through 16. Now, here's the problem. Here's the problem. Here's the problem. Now, keep in mind nobody who came in at the third hour, the sixth hour or the ninth hour. None of them complained about their wage. None of them complained about their wage. None of them complained about their wage. None of those people, the ones that did not complain about the wage, were never guaranteed a wage. They were only told by the householder that they would get paid whatever he felt was right, whatever he felt was right, not what they felt was right. There was no negotiation with them, only the guys who came in at the very beginning. They started at the earliest part of the day. They complained about their salary after they had agreed, simply because they saw what the other guys were getting paid. This was a problem for them. This was a problem for them. This was a problem for them.
Speaker 1:Stick with me here because I want to bring some good points. I hope, if the Lord blesses me, to be articulate in the matter now. It says in verse 10 when they, when the first ones, came, they supposed that they should have received more. And they likewise received every man a penny. And when they received their penny, they murmured against the good man of the house, complained and they said this these last, these ones that came in last, they only worked in last. They only worked for one hour. They only worked for one hour and you made them equal to us.
Speaker 1:Now keep in mind they go to the householder and complain that he gave them what he promised them. They're complaining because they negotiated with him and he gave them what it was they negotiated for and they complained that they didn't like what they received, even though they negotiated with him, because they saw what the other guys who came after them Got, which was the same as they Interesting. So they make this argument To the householder, the owner of the vineyard, and they said to him you pay those guys that only work one hour the same way, and we worked here 12 hours and you made them equal to us in pay. We have borne the burden of the heat of the day. We were here at the hottest of the day, the highest point of the heat, and we were here all day and you're paying us the same thing that you gave the guys who only worked one hour.
Speaker 1:And then it says in verse 13, but he answered one of them and he said One hour. And then it says in verse 13, but he answered one of them and he said friend, I have done you no wrong. I have not done anything wrong to you. Did you not agree with me for a penny? Didn't we sit down at the table and agree on what it is you would do and how much I would pay you. Did we not agree on this?
Speaker 1:And then he says this, take what is yours and go your way. He didn't cave. He stuck to the agreement that he made. He kept his word and he gave them what they agreed to receive as compensation for their work in the vineyard. And then he tells them. Then he tells them go your way, I will give unto this last, even as I gave unto you. I'm going to give them the same thing. In other words, you have no say in what I pay. It's my vineyard, it's my money and it's my terms. That establishes your compensation as well as theirs. You need to be focused on what you are to do and to be compliant with the agreement that we made, and I assure you that I will give you what we agreed to. Have I not done that? Have I not given you what I agreed to? That? Have I not given you what I agreed to? So he tells him well, if you don't like it, hit the high road, you can leave. Take what is yours, go your way, but I'm going to give to the last, even as I gave unto you.
Speaker 1:And then he says the householder. He says this Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Don't I have the right to do what I want to do with that which belongs to me? This is the essence of this whole message here, a message that is desperately needed in Christianity today, because most of you who call yourselves Christians, most of you who call yourselves Christians, have no concept of who God is. You don't understand that he is sovereign and he does whatsoever he pleases with all of his creation.
Speaker 1:Now I have one individual who's already made the first troll comment, like they always do when they have nothing else to say. He says to me you give your private interpretation and scatter God's sheep. I give the interpretation of the Bible and he scatters people as he sees fit. I give the interpretation of the Bible and he scatters people as he sees fit. And, my friend, you don't have to stay. I wish you would, but if you don't, you can leave. Otherwise, there's no profitability in you being here. But you sound just like one of the people that. No, I'm not letting you come up. I don't feel like having a dispute with somebody who probably doesn't even know what they're talking about. So, no, no, so you sit there and keep making your comments and trying to be a disruptor of some sorts. Everybody's a genius today. Armchair theologians abound.
Speaker 1:Now. So the householder, he says is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? And the answer is yes, I can do whatever I please with my own. And then he says to those who came in at the later part of the day he says is your eye evil? Is your eye evil because I am good? Your eye evil? Is your eye evil because I am good? Is your eye evil because I am good? I have done you no wrong. I gave you what I agreed to give you. So are you going to be upset because I gave, and I was gracious in giving others more of what belongs to me? If I had given them twice the money that I gave you and had them do nothing, would you have complained then? But you see, believers, this is the problem.
Speaker 1:People today believe that there is a standard of fairness that they believe should belong to God in order for them to be satisfied as to whether or not they would want to have a relationship with him. As to whether or not they would want to have a relationship with him, the more people begin to hear the true nature of God, that he is sovereign over all things, especially people. They need to know how can he be selective about who inhabits his heaven, who is saved and who's not, who gets sick and who doesn't, who dies young and who dies old All these things are determined by God, even who is saved. And so when you say that God chose those who would be saved and who, those who were ordained to believe, you have these Christians and I say Christians because they're the ones who always argue this. The atheist is not having this conversation. The Muslim is not having this conversation. The Muslim is not having this conversation. The Jew, judaism, is not having this conversation.
Speaker 1:It is those who claim to be Christian. They go, wait a minute. How are you saying that God chooses who is saved and rejects those who are not, if you say this God is unfair. I don't want to worship a God like that. That's unfair, they say. How is it fair that God would choose some and not choose all? Well, he tells you right here. He tells you right here. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? So my question is to all of you believers, all of you who have a problem with the sovereignty of God. My question to you is is it not lawful for God to do whatsoever he chooses with that which belongs to him? There is no grounds whatsoever that you have where you can go to God and say that's not fair, that you would save some and not save all.
Speaker 1:In God's eyes, we are not all on equal footing. He chooses who it is, so ever he chooses to be his people. He gives citizenship to his kingdom to whoever it is he wants to be in his kingdom. You don't get to make that choice. He makes that choice. God does. It's his house. Where the mansions are Is his house. What obligation does he have to put you in his house? God is obligated to save no one. And if God were to be absolutely fair, in a sense of what human justice mandates, we would all be condemned to hell, every one of us, because there's not one of us who deserves God's mercy. Not one, not one single person deserves salvation. We would all, every one of us, be turned into hell and never to escape.
Speaker 1:So I think I made it clear so far that this parable in Matthew 20 is talking about this householder who owns this vineyard, this householder who owns this vineyard. There is no other way to believe other than that the householder is God himself and the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one who went out early in the morning to hire laborers in his vineyard. He went out early in the morning in verse 1 of Matthew 20. Early in the morning to find laborers in his vineyard, big Gravy, how you doing, sir? Hello sir. I'm blessed more than I deserve to be. Thank you, man. Are you from the South? Yes, doing sir, hello sir. I'm blessed more than I deserve to be. Thank you, man. You wait. Are you from the south? Yes, because it's something they always say in the south. Then I see, all right, all right, cool, so I'm in Matthew, chapter 20. Talk about the parable of the household.