Scripture/Sermon of the Day. September 24, 2023
Matthew 20:1-16
The Laborers in the Vineyard
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning
to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a
denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about
nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and he said to
them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So
they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did
the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around,
and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to
him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the
vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager,
‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then
going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them
received a denarius. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive
more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And when they received it,
they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one
hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day
and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing
you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to
you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not
allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because
I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Reflection/Sermon:
I. Jesus talked more about the kingdom of heaven than anything else. Do
you think, eventually, we’re all going to end up there, and it’s really just a
matter of time. Because some places in the Gospels like Matthew 25 on the day
of judgment say God will separate us and some go to heaven and some thrown “into
the fiery furnace,” where unfortunate souls will weep and gnash their teeth.”
II. But THE GOSPELS TEACH INFINITE FORGIVENESS. Last week Peter asked Jesus
how many times to forgive someone who sins. Seven? Jesus said, “No —
seventy-seven times (in Jesus’ world, seven was a symbol of infinity. So Jesus
told Peter — no, you must not forgive always — but always, always).” So I can
relax, right? Because if God forgives always, always, no one will be eternally
punished. Right?
III. Listen to this Jesus told today about heaven. He said: “The kingdom of
heaven is like a landowner who goes out in the morning to hire laborers for his
vineyard for one denarii, a day’s wage. The landowner goes out again to hire
more laborers, at 9:00, 12:00, 3:00, and 5:00. At the end of the day, he pays
everyone the same amount. Those hired early grumbled: “You gave the people who
barely worked as much as you gave us — not fair!” The landowner says “I gave
you what we agreed on, it’s not your business what I pay the others.”
IV. SO THIS IS HEAVEN? A place where people get MORE THAN THEY
DESERVE!!!??? We studied this passage last Wednesday night at Bible Study.
(That’s what we’ll be doing this year at Zoom Bible Study — looking at the
reading for the coming Sunday — to give us a few days to think about it.)
One of the things we noticed is that the landowner — God — comes looking for
us. We might think we need to look for God. But in this story, God looks for
us all day long, and when God finally finds us, God says, “I have work for you.
Come on to my vineyard — which some call heaven— you’re hired. You’re invited.”
Maybe we make excuses why we can’t go. We say, “But I haven’t converted, I
haven’t asked Jesus into my life, I haven’t accepted him as my Lord and Savior,
I follow a different religion, I don’t believe in God,” whatever. God says,
“It’s ok — It’s a gift. I’m inviting everyone.”
V. Our friend Felecia, who lives in Canada and visits occasionally, was in
Bible Study last Wednesday and told us that this story reminds her of a movie on
Netflix called COME SUNDAY — about the minister Carlton Pearson who attended
Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was mentored by Oral Roberts and
ordained in Robert’s Church of God in Christ.
In 1981 he formed his own church, the Higher Dimensions Evangelistic
Center which became one of the largest churches in Tulsa with 6000 people
attending every week!!!! Pearson kept going up, up, up — in popularity, in
wealth, in fame — he was made a bishop. He counseled George W. Bush AND Bill
Clinton. He was invited to the White House. His program was the most watched
on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Wow — Pearson was FLYING! — the largest
television audience, 6000 people a week, a counselor to presidents, a guest at
the white house, a bishop AND, HE COULD SING!
VI. Then — just as he was on top of the mountain — he did something stupid
and lost EVERYTHING. What did he do? Was he caught on film with a prostitute?
Did he steal from the church’s treasury or elope with the secretary? No— he had
a vision from God and told his congregation! He said God will save everybody.
Pearson called this the Gospel of Inclusion because God, ultimately, will save
everybody. SALVATION FOR ALL!!!
NO WAY! Said the Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops. They
declared Pearson a heretic and they kicked him out of the church. Jesus was
also called a heretic because he said God loved everyone.
VII. So that’s it. Jesus’ story which he told just weeks before HE was
crucified — God finds us, all of us, and gives us heaven — whether we’ve earned
our denarius or not.
And God asks US to show the same grace and love and forgiveness to others. It’s
the work we’re given here in God’s vineyard.