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Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard - Coggle Diagram
Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
Intro
Tell us about a job where you either go paid way more than you were expecting or tell us about one of your least favorite jobs you have ever had to do.
Read Matthew 20:1-16
Context
Workers
Unskilled, looking for work. They were dependent on others (hang out at town square waiting to be hired)
Represent believers before coming to Christ
Denarius
A denarius was a day’s wage. This is not what an unskilled worker would expect to receive.
Represents salvation by grace
Landowner
Wealthy, powerful, especially one who hires as many men as this man does.
How does this man use his wealth and power?
Represents God the Father
Summary
Start work at different times of the day
All is well until payday
those who work the least get paid first
Extremely generous amount (day's wage)
Those who worked the most were paid the same
What's their reaction?
Let's look at 3 lessons we can learn from this
3 Lessons
Grace is offensive to those who don't realize their need own need for grace.
Let's start with an obvious question. Is the landowner being unfair?
Vv 1-2
Denarius = fair wage for skilled workers
1) They agreed to it
2) if it wasn't they could have chosen not to go
They didn't just receive a denarius, they received grace
Yet what was their reaction?
So why are they upset when they are receiving grace?
They have lost sight of the grace they received
They look at those who have worked less than them, and they automatically think they deserve more than them. By thinking of themselves as more deserving or qualified, they have now forgotten that they are benefiting from grace themselves
How does this relate to how judgmental religious people can be?
Forgetting grace causes us to lack compassion and empathy for others.
What's missing in the reaction of the workers who had been working all day? Rejoicing for fellow brothers!
Illustration: hungry man off the street being allowed to eat until full becoming angry that another man is seated by him and allowed to eat all that he can.
How does that illustration relate to the temptation some Jews experienced towards the Gentiles concerning the Gospel message?
Samuel served God his whole life. Thief on the cross put his faith in Christ right before dying. Both received grace.
Is this fair?
fairness concerns issues of justice.
It seems unfair to Samuel. How is that not the case?
If we can’t rejoice in others being brought to God’s table, something is extremely wrong with us.
Adoption
God is Good
The compassion of the landowner is stunning.
Last hour misfits: they were the misfits of the misfits
They (handicap, aged, weak) probably weren't going to contribute much to the landowner's work.
Gospel
We are misfits in need (we are separated from God)
The rewards are one and the same; an eternal relationship with God. This also makes sense because in God's eyes, we are all the same. Sinners. We see ourselves as being better or worse than another but God just sees us all as unholy.
God in his grace comes to us at different times of our lives and provides the salvation that we need but don't deserve.