"The Last Will Be First, and the First Will Be Last” | Matthew 20:1–16

Show Notes

Episode 715: 
In this episode, the hosts explore a parable from the Bible found in Matthew 20:1-16. This parable tells the story of a landowner who hires workers at different times throughout the day but pays them all the same wage. Chris and Jeff discuss the implications of this story, emphasizing that God's grace is not based on fairness but rather on His generosity and mercy.

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You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Hey, welcome to the Bible Guys. This is a good day. We are having a great day. He's Chris, I'm Jeff. Yes, and we are the Bible Guys and so and there's other Bible Guys that come on the show every once in a while. But we're the Bible Guys. O. The was the although, although didn't we just talk about humility? Yeah, yeah, well that was yesterday. We got that one done. We mastered it. We mastered the humility thing. We're moving on. Well. Actually, Wesley Woods when he was on, he said it was the platinum edition. Platinum, platinum edition. Yeah, that's great. So so, to his credit, he said you're diamond. Oh yeah, exactly after he realized he overstepped it. So so, so today is everybody's favorite segment. I don't know about that, Oh it is. It is. We get so many card and letter and email about it that people get so excited about. What made meant? Actually, last week's really got people going. Oh because it was about driving. Yeah yeah, yeah, the one that the one that aired last week on Friday was about driving and you're just mad about bad drivers. Well it was the right of ways. Learn, learn your. Traffic yeah yeah, right aways. Yeah yeah, learn learn what yield sign means. That's right. So uh uh and people were really with you on that one. So this week, it's what made Chris mad this week? Yes, And and I have to tell our listeners they don't know this. Usually when we say, oh hey, the next segment is what made Chris mad this week? He goes, I know is that fast? You don't have to think twice about it, you just know. But this one you had to get up go for a walk. Well, I went to the restaurant. Yeah yeah, yah, yeah, so I was being delicate no one. And so so you took a few minutes to think about this one. Yes, yes I did. I did. Yes, Well, because here's a confession. You know the reason why, because I had two. So it wasn't like, oh, I know, it's like, oh which one? Yeah, yeah, it was which one? It was which one? So I'll save the other one for next week. That's fabulous because so this one I'm mad for the world. Yes, thank you, Chris, because. All of them are. I'm mad for the world. Yes, okay, so you are mad vicariously for the rest of us. Yes. And by the way, I'm going to announce on the front end of this that not everybody is going to agree with me. Oh wow, okay, because everybody can be controversial. Yeah, well everybody can agree like, hey, yeah, if you're going to drive, learn learn the rules of the road, right, yeah, Like people get behind that, and it makes people frustrated. But I have a strong feeling that what that my opinion on this matter is going to be probably like thirty percent of everybody's opinion, and seventy percent will be like I'm not sure I agree with that, but yet I still feel strongly enough to give my opinion so that maybe perhaps people should consider what I'm saying. Yes, okay, well, thank you, Chris, thank you talking about generous, magnanimous. Yes, that's me. I'm so humble. So when I was walking or I was driving, I was driving in my car yesterday and it was a very hot day yesterday, right. It was a very hot day for Michigan, for Michigan. There was a guy walking on the side of the road. Actually I think he was jogging, but he would come up to an intersection. I think he I think maybe you know, how like when you jog sometimes you're like, Okay, I'm gonna walk for this half a mile. I think that was him because he had headphones in all this kind of stuff. So I think he was a runner. But but he but he was walking because he was not fit. Yes, okay, that makes sense, it makes sense. But this guy did not look good. But he did not have a shirt on. And to be quite honestly, he was assaulting all the people at the intersection and subjecting us to look at his torso. And you didn't have to. There's no choice the missing it. There's no missing it. And so I thought, and there's just my thought to myself was this. I've seen runners who run with their shirt off, and they have earned the right to take their shirt off in public. In fact, when they run by, I go, good for you, buddy, good for you. You have earned the right. You are fine, right this. Guy, guy was in the process of earning the right. No, I would, I would argue and say he is. He's a far way away. From he's beginning. Your intention does not equal have not yet earned, You have not yet earned. Okay, you're on your way to earning. Yes, but you have not earned the right to take your shirt off and assault everybody. I see, right, So it is offensive to be honest, I'm just thinking, I'm like, why would you why would you subject everybody to that? Why would you? Like, like, there's not a listen, this is he's feeling good about himself. This is where I think people are going to disagree with me, because people are like, hey, man, leave the guy alone. Poor guy. He's out there, he's trying to do what's right. He's probably running. I don't I don't know if he was running. I'm assuming he was running. Uh you know, so if the guy was hot, let him take his shirt off. I disagree. I say plan better. I'm like, go out and get a shirt that, like you know, is breatheable, and stops subjecting subjecting people to that, because that was because there isn't a person that and I don't mean to be rude, but there isn't a person that probably looked over and probably didn't go ooh right. And I'm just like, hey, you have a responsibility for your. Own body, okay, And and and it's like. Hey, if you have worked really hard, you have earned the right to be shirtless. Other than that, wait until you've earned the right. Okay, well all right now, thank you, Chris. Now let me just ask being. Let me ask you personally. Do you agree with that in general or are you under the like. Oh, I'm gonna go one step further. I don't really see the need to take off your shirt to go running. Oh yeah, yeah there there. There was a dude a couple of days ago was jogging as we were driving, and he looked like a statue, like a Greek god like he was amazing. Yeah, oh yeah, like two percent body fat kind of guy. His muscles had muscles. He's just running, yeah, listening. Yeah. And I looked at that and went peacock. Oh yeah, so the opposite kidse. Y, Yeah, yeah, it was the other way because it wasn't that hot, like four days ago, it was like seventy r anyone. He didn't take a shirt out. He just did. I just I don't know, I don't see that. Sure, yeah, you're hot anyways. The reality is keeping a shirt on and sweating into your shirt. It's going to keep you cooler than letting it all evaporate. Right, It's true. It's true. So it's just showing off. It's just showing off. Yeah, so you have to I don't see the need. I don't have to be medium. I don't see the need to take off your shirt to mow the lawn. I don't know. I don't see the need to go to go running with your clothes off to see that. I don't on either side, because you know what it is. It is it is a public forum. You're out in the public. If you're on a sidewalk on a busy intersection, you are in public, right, And so it's like, so do public things, right, when you're in private, do private things? Yeah. I have a high sense of modesty anyways. Right, So in the in the days I was super fit or in the current days, both ways, I still took the same same tact, and that was, Hey, this is mine, not everybody else's, and I don't need to put it in everybody's face. Yeah yeah, yeah, Well that's there's something that you said for that too, right, Yeah, yeah, so there it is for me. Well, thank you Chris for being our rate for all the rest of us. Yeah. And if you're a person who, by the way, just loves to do what that guy was doing the other day. Just reconsider, that's all unless you that's all I'm asking you. Just reconsider. You'll eventually get their pal. Yeah right, just just not yet. Or maybe that's not the goal of your should be the goal of your life, which running without your. Shirt, which is which is your contribution? Right? Your contribution is just why? Why? Why? That's great? Okay, we need to move on? Yes, so hey, by the way. Speaking of moving on and working hard and working hard? Oh wait, no, those are two different things. I was gonna say, speaking of moving on, Jesus is telling people to move on in this story. He's well, he's telling people to move on to the next group of people and the next group of people in the next. Group of people. Oh okay, and so that's that's what we're gonna be reading today. It really was. Okay, that's the goal. That's the goal. I made it up. I started it. Have you ever seen Michael Scott in the office where he says, sometimes I form a sentence and I don't know where it's going. Until I let you get there, get there? Okay. Well, we were in Matthew chapter twenty, and we're gonna read one through sixteen and this has always been a channel lenging parable I think for people. Yeah, I believe so, yep. And so he says, Jesus says, for the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard, and he graded to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work. And at nine o'clock in the morning, he was passing through the marketplace saw some people standing around doing nothing, so he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. So they went to work in the vineyard. And at noon, and again at three o'clock he did the same thing. At five o'clock that afternoon, he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, why haven't you been working today, and they replied because no one hired us. A landowner told them to go out and join the others on my vineyard. That evening, he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. When those hired at five o'clock were paid, each received a full day's wage. When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more, but they too were paid a day's wage. When they received their pay, they protested to the owner. Those people worked only in one hour, and yet you've paid them just as much as you paid us, who worked all day in the scorching heat. He answered one of them, friend, I haven't been unfair. Didn't you agree to work for all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I'm kind to others. So those who are last now will be first then, and those who will be first will be last? Wow? There you go. Yeah, So, so I love how God doesn't pretend to be fair, right right? So my saying is God is incredibly unfair in our favor? Yeah, or to our favor? Which is grammatically correct? Is it both? I think it's both. He's radically unfair to our favor. Is it too? Or in two it's two to our favor in our favor? It's both. It's both, Yeah, I think it's both. So bottom line is is I. Love unless you were the first own the first worker? What do you mean you're just assuming that you're the one that got got in at the five o'clock hour. What if you were the first one? Oh no, what I'm saying. What I'm saying is God is fair to the first person. But what I'm saying is, like. You said, he's radically unfair to our favor. He was just fair to the first ones. Yeah, well, well it is. He's unfair, meaning fairness is not a value that God necessarily. Well, there's a famous preachrier that tells his kids fairness ended at the garden. Yes, yes, Well, the last thing that I think that we want is for God to be fair, because if you got what you deserved, you would not be happy. That's right, right. So God gives us mercy and grace. Mercy is mercy spares us, which means God's not giving us what we deserve. But grace is actually favor, right, which means that God's giving us what we don't deserve. Right. So God's not giving us what we deserve, and He's giving us what we don't deserve, mercy and grace. And so the last thing we want is for God to be fair. And so that's why I say he's unfair. He wasn't unfair to the guy who worked all day, but he was incredibly unfair to the favor of the guy who only worked one hour. Right, So fairness is not something that God holds across the board, and so you know, God is just right, but fairness across the board. Hey, that's fair compared to the other guy. Because that's what fairness is, isn't it. Fairness is supposed to be what people deserve compared to other people, because that's how it's measured. And so I think that in the end, I love how, you know, the Bible goes out of its way. Jesus actually goes out of its way to tell a story, and he actually gives very, very very specific detail. He creates such a dramatic story that everybody's falling along. He says, you know, in the first hour, which would have been six am, right, he hires somebody and you know, at the beginning of the. Morning, and then he goes, weal can buy home depot. There's a bunch of guys out there waiting for Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll pay you a day's wage. Yeah that's right, that's right. And he says, I'll give you in the day's wage that he chose to choose as a denarius, which was a fair day's wage as given by Moses and Deuteronomy. But it's also the same wage that the Roman soldiers would have paid somebody for a day's wage. So denarius was a very fair wage. So he even uses you know, it would be equivalent for us to say, you know, at the end of the day, I'm going to give you x amount of dollars, right, you know, I'm going to give you fifteen bucks an hour or twenty bucks an hour times eight hours, right, whatever. So that's what Jesus was doing here. Yes, so he didn't pay him by the hour, correct, he paid another day, right, he paid him by the day. That's right, because that's a very important distinction, that's right. Otherwise, the guys who worked one hour and the guy who worked ten hours. The guy who worked ten hours had a fair argument. But it wasn't an hourly agreement. It was just at the beginning, if you work for me today, I'll give you a thousand bucks. Okay, great, that's right, that's right. I was trying to process math in my mind. Yea yea yeah, yeah, what's the whatever I'll give you two hundred dollars if you work for me today. Okay, great. Then the next guy he comes back and goes, I'll give you two hundred dollars if you work. Well, no, he didn't say say how much. He just said, I'll give you what's fair, give you what's fair, what's right. And so and by the way, that's also another good point. Jesus tells the story masterfully because he starts off with the denarius, and then then it goes a few hours later, a few hours later, a few hours later, and then finally it's one hour left. Right, So we're talking five pm? Is what is what he grabbed the last guy to work an hour or the last group of people. So so Jesus masterfully says, and I'll give you what's right. I'll give you what's right. I'll give you it's right. One hour left, I'll give you what's right. So everybody listening is saying, oh, well, what's right is uh? You know, one out one twelfth of what the first guy has made right, that's what people are thinking. Yes. And then at the end and then and then I love how he starts with the last guy first. Right, So the guy's only work. One hour gets the full It is a big twist. What yes, And I just love it because and then you. Start doing the math, going, oh, the next guy is gonna getting paid is going to get paid a fortune right over time. And and by the way, this is a parable that starts off by him saying the kingdom of Heaven is like, which means this is how God treats people spiritually the way that this vineyard would have treated them monetarily and physically. So I think that what he's saying is is he saying the same thing that Jesus demonstrated later on to the criminal lacross. So he says, God, remember me and your kingdom. The criminal says, and he says, I tell you the truth today, You're going to be with me in paradise. So how does that guy get to go to heaven when somebody who serves their entire life gets to go to heaven. Both of them get heaven. And so the guy who. Sometimes people will be kind of frustrated with that. Right when they start learning about they're saying, are you telling me that if a murderer accepts Jesus right before they're executed, that they're going to go to heaven. Right, that doesn't seem right. How many times have you heard that phrase? Yes, well, that's horrified by this idea. And that's the point Jesus is making. So I think it's interesting. The amount that was going to be paid to everybody had been predetermined already, right right, This, this wealthy man, this businessman, this landowner had already determined WWA, he's gonna pay everybody. He didn't tell everybody, but he had already determined it. And and so what he's highlighting here is the guy who comes in one hour or the guy who works twelve hours, you're gonna get paid what's fair. The guy who works twelve hours, you're gonna get paid what is normal. The guy who squeaks in at the end. I'm gonna just be generous to you. And it's okay. It's okay that I choose to be generous to you. Everybody's getting the same. I'm going to treat everybody the same in that the payment is predetermined, and I'm going to be good to you. And then when the when the other guy complains, what he's saying is for those of you who come from a deeply religious background and your family has been deeply religious for generations. You're going to get the same heaven that the guy who came from a bunch of a whole long line of pagans and lived a sinful life and then at the end of his life comes to faith in Christ. You're going to get the same. Right, your pedigree, your experiences, all those things. When it comes to God's grace, he gives to whom he wishes, as he wishes, and there's not going to be able to be any complaint. And so his defense of his own behavior was, it's not against the law for me to just be generous to whom I want to be generous. I can do whatever I want to with my money. And that's God establishing he's gotten. We're not right. So do you want to know what I believe is the most overlooked verse. In this parable, which one? It is verse number six where he says about the eleventh hour, he went out and still and found still others standing around, And then here it is he asked them, why have you been standing around here? All? They doing nothing? Oh? Yeah, yeah, And then he says, because no one has hired us, So there's a reason why Jesus included that in the story. Yeah, because that's unificant as well. There's a compassionate angle to this loap. Well, they're they're the forgotten, they're the overlooked, they're the unreached, right, they're the unreached, They're the ones who haven't been found, they're the lost, and so so here they are. You know, he goes out and he says he still finds somebody at the last minute, and then he asked the question, why aren't you working? Well, because there's a there's a good answer that no one has asked us. No one has approached us. So what they're really saying is like, we've not been given the gospel yet, We've not been nobody's invited us, nobody has told us about the truth. Nobody has invited us into their into their vineyard, hence kingdom, right, And so it's like it's like there's this brilliant storytelling in comparison that that that gives, you know a reason why he's generous, because he's found these people that no one has found before, and and so it's like it's just a beautiful insight. And so you know, when God tells us to go out to the highways and the hedges, and God know it says, the harvest is plenty and the workers are few. And God says, you know how beautiful the feet that go When God tells us to go out to the ends of the earth. I mean, all those commands, It's focusing on these people who have not yet heard. They need to be invited. And so God's generosity is is that everybody deserves to, you know, be invited into the kingdom. So this Sunday I just had mentioned about herodge in the hill yesterday. You know, we're about to teach the prodigal son. And the prodigal son is somebody who you know, ends up getting the fatted calf and getting welcomed home and getting invited back into the family. And then and then what is it? The older faithful son who had been there the whole time, says, why does he get that? Right? Like, like he doesn't deserve that. That's not fair, And Jesus says, he was lost. It's the same same basic idea, isn't it. That It's exactly the same thing. And so I love the fact that God is not fair, God is just. God is compassionate, and the last thing that you and I want God to be is fair, because we don't want what we deserve. We want God to continue to give us what we don't deserve, which is his mercy and his grace. Earlier or in the Book of Luke, Jesus tells us a similar story about a servant who goes out. In Luke seventeen, he goes out and works all day in the field, and then when he comes home, he immediately goes into the kitchen it begins prepping dinner for his boss. And there's kind of this amazement that wow. And the response was his reply was, we are unworthy servants and we've only done our duty. And Jesus said, listen, when you really understand God's grace. So he's teaching about humility, he's teaching about God's grace this passage, he's talking about God's grace. We come to the understanding that we've only done our duty, right right, I don't deserve any special treatment. I just did my duty. Then what happens is we stop comparing our behavior to other people's behavior. God's not measuring him by somebody else's behavior. God's grace is not determinate or determined by my behaviors. God's grace is determined by his goodness, period, Right, And so I want to measure how much I deserved God's grace versus how much is that guy doesn't deserve as much grace? Right? Right? Does doess? God love everybody? If I'm gonna be a good Christian, I'm gonna say, yeah, God loves everybody. That's so good. If I'm gonna be good Christian, say sure, everybody deserves God's grace. They just don't deserve as much grace as I do. Right. It's a shocking thing to discover that God loves my enemies as much as he loves me. So God's grace has nothing to do with. You, right right, It has nothing to do never do. Although it has everything to do with you. Right Well, you're the recipient of his great You're the object. Yes, you're the recipient. But God's grace has. Everything to do with him only because he's good, that is so good. So He's predetermined the value of his grace and it's not dependent on your work. We need to say that Sunday. Right, He's predetermined the value of his grace and it's not determined on your works. That's that's what's happening, and that's the name. That's the story here. Yeah, the guy who worked twelve hours, the guy who worked one hour. The value of God's grace was his determination, not their not the value of their work. So perhaps a great way to conclude this parable is this, as you're trying to piece together, you know who is who in the story? Right? Obviously God is the is the vineyard owner, right, and so if you're asking the question who is the eleventh hour worker, you know what the answer is. We all are, all of us, all of us, we all are the eleventh hour worker. Because you may say, well, no, no, no, I'm in the I'm in the category of the guy who works all day. No, we all get more than we deserve, every single one of us more than we deserve. So we all are the eleventh our worker. And so when we picture ourselves like that and not like the guy who's worked all day, then we understand that, you know, God can then give as much grace to anybody that he wants to. He can, he can, he can save the guy in death row because he has saved me, right right right, And so yeah, and so I'm not going to compare myself to the guy in death row. I'm going to compare myself to myself. And this changes my perspective on what I'm doing for God. I'm not doing God a favor, right, I'm just doing my duty, right, that's all. When I serve God, I'm not helping him out. I'm not like, oh, now he really is impressed with me, right right, right right. Instead, we're just doing our duty. And so this is what Jesus is trying to drive you. Go do your work. He's going to be good to you regardless. That's great what you feel like you've earned. Oh, that's great. Well, hey, we will pick up in this awesome series of what If Jesus had a podcast on Monday. Yeah, we certainly hope you join us. Hey, have a great weekend, and we'll see you next time on the Bubble guys. Mhm mhm.