01.15. What's In It for Me?

What’s In It For Me?

Matthew 20:1-16

I begin with a simple question. Who is more important you or others? There have been a lot of paramount statements made in the history of mankind. John Kennedy said, "Don’t ask what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country." A famous cry from the time of the revolution was, "I regret that I have only one life to give for my country." Today we have a lot of cries that are going out in America that are on a very primitive level. "If you don’t look out for yourself no one else will." "Looking out for number one." We have developed an attitude when we are searching for a church of not, where does God want me to be to serve but what do they offer me. We would probably ask the question, while not out loud, of what’s in it for me when we enter into most situations. I remind us all that Jesus, as recorded two times in Matthew and one time each the other gospels, talked about gaining our life by losing it. Matthew 10:38-39 "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. ³⁹ He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."

I- The Setting:

    Matthew records in Matthew 19:1-30 two important events that we must preface this parable with to understand it. Matthew 19:16-22 records the story of the rich young ruler who comes to Jesus and asks how he can have eternal life. Jesus tells him to give up all he has and follow Him. This rich young man was unwilling to do this. The second preface is found in Matthew 19:27 where Peter states, "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" Christ tells him that the disciples will receive a reward for their service. He also states, "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Matthew 19:29

Next Jesus makes the statement that He closes the parable He gives in Matthew 20:1-34 with, "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." Matthew 19:30 II- The Parable:

Jesus tells a parable about a common occurrence of the day. The area was one of agricultural use and especially of vineyards. The local day labors would gather in the market place (Matthew 20:3) and wait on someone to come by and hire him or her for the day. They were not hanging out because they did not want to work but in order to be hired to work. Some one has said that we could not run a business the way this man did and survive. However Jesus is not teaching business principles He is teaching eternal truths. This man comes to the market place early in the morning (sometime after 6:00 AM) and hires some workers and agrees to pay them a penny (NIV says "denarius") which was a days pay for a labour as well as a soldier. The same man goes to the market place on three other occasions on the same day. He goes at the sixth (12:00 noon) and ninth hour (3:00 PM) as well as the eleventh hour (5:00 PM) and hires workers. The last workers had only one hour before quitting time at the twelfth hour (6 PM). The problem arose when the landowner instructs his steward to begin paying them in reverse order of their hiring. He paid all those who had been hired and worked for only a part of the day the same as he did those who had worked all day. We might add quickly that he did not do anything dishonest by this. He had a contract with the first workers to pay this preciously this. He honored the contract. He had only agreed with the others to, "whatsoever is right." Matthew 20:4 ; Matthew 20:7 . He could give them what he wanted after all it was his money and he was not cheating anyone.

III- The Implications:

    We need to see several things that this parable give to us as implications to our lives and the lives of men.

These disciples were certainly the first to enter the work of the church. Christ may have been warning them that this did not necessarily make them an exclusive clique. He seems to be saying that when others come into the kingdom don’t claim special honor because you were saved first.

Paul was very assertive when he declared in Romans 9:24 "…not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" Jesus very well could have been speaking as well to the Jews that the not think of themselves as the only ones who were going to be saved by God. The Gentiles who would come later were just as important.

There are many that are born the second time and die almost immediately. Does this make them any less secure than someone who has served God for many years? No indeed all are as secure in God’s grace from the time of salvation.

This penny a day was not much wages. It would only sustain this man and his family for one day. This landowner showed great mercy and compassion when he paid these men a full day’s wages. He gave them what they needed not what they deserved. Does not this picture God’s grace for us. I remind us that, "The wages of sin is death…" Romans 6:23 Mankind is on the street corner without any hope of a payday other than eternal death and Jesus came along and gave us not only a days pay but an inheritance. This shows the generosity of God.

We need to not lose the point that there is going to be a pay day some day. These men were called and paid by the steward of the master. The word of God says, "as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment…" Hebrews 9:27

What if when we get to heaven we find that someone we know who we thought would be the first in line for great rewards has very few because they got there reward for what they do down here. Notice three things that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 6:1-34, giving, praying, and fasting. In some ways there three represent the Christian walk. "2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward…..5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward……16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."

It is very important that we do not serve God only for the rewards. Attitude is important. It is important that we serve to please God and not for the accolades of men.

As we have stated the reward for discipleship will be given. Notice that the first men who were hired had a contract and knew what they were to receive and the rest of the men only had the promised mercy of the landowner to pay them what was fair. I would rather leave the reward up to God and rely on His mercy rather than have the legalist promise of the law. I leave us with one last verse, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9