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25th January 2004

The Value of Grace

Matthew 19 16 – 20 16

In this narrative Jesus demonstrates to His disciples a lesson in grace.

Firstly the young man approaches Jesus and asks how he may enter the
kingdom. When Jesus challenges him about the law he responds that he
has kept it.

Jesus then tells him he lacks something – he must sell all he has and give
to the poor and then come and follow Him. The young man goes away
sad – for he has much to sell – and he has calculated that he cannot afford
it.

To reinforce the lesson Jesus tells His followers that it is very difficult for
those who have riches to enter the kingdom – and at this they are greatly
surprised.

Peter speaks for them all:

25
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who
then can be saved?”
26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all
things are possible.”
27
Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will
there be for us?”

Jesus reassures them that they (the twelve) have a particular reward – but
that no one who surrenders things for His sake will lose out.

28
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the
Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left
houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake
will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who
are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Jesus then tells them a parable – it’s usually called the parable of the
workers in the vineyard – but I like the title “The Parable of the Unexpected
Wages”

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25th January 2004

In this Jesus gives His disciples and us a good deal to think about.

Even when we have read the parable – and listened to it explained – we

still feel for the workers in the story who “endured the heat of the day” and
ask ourselves that
perennial question:

IS IT FAIR?

This is teaching about how to get into the Kingdom – it is teaching about
the GRACE OF GOD.

I would like to ask three questions as we take a brief look at the narrative
and the parable:

1. Who can be saved?

2. What’s in it for us?

3. How much should we get?

The first question focuses on the story of the rich young man:

For this you must try and see the events as the disciples saw them.

WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED?

There were so many reasons why the Young Man made an excellent
candidate for – as we would say – joining the church:

1. Obedience to the commandments “good thing” 16

2. A willingness to ask the important questions 16,18,20
3. Wealth 22

If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”

18
“Which ones?” the man enquired.
Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give
false testimony, 19 honour your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbour as
yourself.’”
20
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

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I don’t know about you – but he seems to be on the right track doesn’t he?

We know from the other Gospels that Jesus did not contradict his claim.
Indeed
Mark says that Jesus “looked at him and loved him”.

He was a young man with a remarkable record!

YET IT WASN’T ENOUGH!

He also showed a willingness to ask the right questions:

“Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

18
“Which ones?”
20
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

Although he has lived a good life – he is still conscious that he doesn’t

have the answers.

That’s a good thing too!

But the result of his questioning – was a challenge he couldn’t meet

IT WASN’T ENOUGH!

And – of course he had the outward trappings of success – and, in the

disciples’ view so it seems – the favour of God in his riches!

But these – rather than making the way easier – made it harder:

IT WASN’T ENOUGH!

Remember the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians:

13 If I speak in the tongues a

of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a
2
clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have
a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and
surrender my body to the flames,a but have not love, I gain nothing.

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Jesus challenged him to surrender all – and follow him!

The rich young man makes a calculation – and concludes that the kingdom
is beyond his reach – for he cannot meet the Master’s challenge.

No wonder the disciples were amazed!

It still applies though : I can have a wonderful record of good living – I can
be the kind of person who really asks the right questions – I can have all
the outward signs of just the kind of person God wants –

But none of those things work for me : I enter the kingdom on HIS TERMS
– and He requires

not merit
not even sincerity of purpose
not money
or good works

BUT A WILLINGNESS TO SURRENDER THE VALUES OF THE WORLD AND

FOLLOW HIM.

The Gospel is FREE AT THE POINT OF DELIVERY!

I can’t buy it – or work for it – or act up for it – IT IS GOD’S TO GIVE

ALL OF GRACE

WHAT’S IN IT FOR US?

This was the question Peter asked when confronted with the astonishing
reversal of their ideas.

If that sort of person can’t get in – who can.

25
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who
then can be saved?”
26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all
things are possible.”
27
Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will
there be for us?”
Inevitably the disciples compare themselves with the young man – and it
doesn’t seem to add up.
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Jesus reminds them:

Goodness! It has nothing to do with wealth and possessions

Goodness! It is humanly impossible

Goodness! It is rewarded in the Kingdom

Goodness! The first will be last and the last first!

We have to learn that we can’t earn it

can’t buy it
can’t deserve it

It is in GOD’S HANDS TO GIVE FREELY

TO THOSE WHO WILL FOLLOW AND BE CONTENT TO HAVE CHRIST AND

NOTHING ELSE

But Jesus does not disappoint them – He promises His special friends a
special honour in glory

And for those who surrender all for Him a reward too:

28
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the
Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left
houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake
will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who
are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

NOTICE THAT – JESUS TURNS OUR EXPECTED VALUES UPSIDE DOWN!

And then – to make sure they understand he tells that story – the one
about the wages paid for a few hours work:

How much should we get?

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The idea of a FAIR WAGE – JUST EARNINGS what ever you want to call it is
engraved in our culture as it was in theirs.

Men are employed to work in the vineyard – and they are taken on

(rather like a van coming to employ a line of asylum seekers)

at different times of the day:

DAWN 12 hours 1 denarius

NINE AM 9 hours 1 denarius
NOON 6 hours 1 denarius
THREE PM 3 hours 1 denarius
and
FIVE PM 1 hour! 1 denarius

You can compare these workers in all sorts of ways (and in some ways they
remind me of people in a Church)

daily rate of pay - the same

hourly rate of pay
the hours they worked
the difficulty of the job

their willingness to complain

No minimum wage seems to operate here

This is a story about GRACE- about undeserved GENEROSITY

And not surprisingly it runs counter to our expectations – like those of the
12 hour workers.

So the Master has to ask them some telling questions:

• Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want
to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.
15
• Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?
• Or are you envious because I am generous?’
The central question is the telling one:

15
• Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?

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The problem here is not the GENEROSITY OF THE MASTER – BUT OUR
TENDENCY TO APPLY OUR STANDARDS TO GOD’S GRACE

And you CAN’T DO THAT!

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