The Offense and Reward of Grace

Thanks for listening to the latest podcast from Him We Proclaim with Pastor John Fonville. In this special series, we'll explore how the gospel speaks to our identity, our calling, and our confidence in Christ. Drawing from passages in Luke, Matthew, Ephesians, 1 Peter, and Jude, Pastor John unpacks themes like grace and vocation. The power of God's Word and the unshakable assurance we have in Christ's favor and goodness. Whether you're struggling with your calling, seeking clarity on your role in the church, or simply needing encouragement.

These messages will remind you of the sufficiency of Christ and the hope we have in the gospel. The message now is the offense and reward of grace.

Well, as you just heard in Matthew chapter 20, so if you have your Bibles, Turn to Matthew chapter 20. Grace. is offensive. To sum. Yeah.

Grace is truly offensive. To some. American culture is a can-do culture. We love rags to enriches, stories. We celebrate those who can pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and succeed, and work hard for something and earn it.

Here's an example of the slogan on the back of our son's basketball team's shirts. It's as this.

Well, let me say it. Earned, not given.

Now, for basketball, a covenant of works is appropriate. because we don't want to just dish out the starting five to any person in Providence High School. Right. That wouldn't work out too good. But but our culture dislikes.

Renal hooters. Don't worry. Yeah, we do. We don't like freeloaders, people who get something for nothing. I just read this article entitled, Why Do We Dislike?

Trust fucking babies. And one person interviewed said this. I have to work hard for it. Everything I get. And it's not fair that she gets more and doesn't even have to work for it.

And I say to that. Exactly right. Why is this? Because we live by. Bookkeeping.

We have this work-for-wages mentality.

Now, Matthew chapter 20, verses 1 through 16 tells us a parable that Jesus warns us about the danger. of whom living by Bookkeeping. Just a quick note: this parable has nothing to do with humility. When I grew up, at our church, our great big Southern Baptist church, right? We have these huge potlucks.

Massive outdoor potlucks in the summertime. And so the kids always run to the front of the line and get there first. And of course the adults say, remember kids, The first will be last and the last first.

So kid, get to the back of the line. You know. This has nothing to do with that. This parable has nothing to do with. with showing deference and humility.

Second, this parable has nothing to do with Marxism.

Some interpreters have looked at this passage and said, oh, look at this economic labor policy that Jesus is teaching us here. Everybody gets the same equal wage. No, that's not what Jesus is teaching here. All right. Yeah.

Uh If you employed this as labor policy for your business, you would shut down. in a day. or have massive lawsuits.

So, this is not about economic policy. What is this parable about? This parable is about Grace. And this parable is about judgment. This parable, Jesus is talking about what happens.

In the consummation of the kingdom of God, when Jesus returns to set up his kingdom in all of his glory. This parable is about grace that rewards the undeserving. And it's not about judgment. That punishes those who think they're deserving because they haven't lived by. Bookkeeping.

That's what it's about.

Now let's look at the context. You have to get the context to get the Impact Of what Jesus says.

So go back to the first, go back to chapter 19 with me. You have to see this. Verse 16. Of chapter 20, Jesus says, The last shall be first, and the first last. That's the main point.

Um this parable. Jesus In chapter 20, verse 16 is explaining to the disciples what he had just taught them previously in chapter 19. All right, look at chapter 19, verse 30. Jesus says, but many who are first will be last. And last First.

So Jesus intends for this parable to be a clarification of what he has just taught in chapter 19, verse 30, and what precedes verse 30. All right, so go back to chapter 19, verse 16. And Jesus is talking about He's teaching about the danger of self-righteousness. And he's talking about how God rewards sacrifice and work. Look at verse 16.

This rich young man comes to Jesus and he thinks he has kept God's entire law. And he asked Jesus, teacher, what good things shall I do that I may obtain eternal life? And so here Jesus is telling us that this young man lives by bookkeeping. All right, he has work for wages mentality.

Now, he clearly possessed a superficial understanding of God's law, of obedience to God's law, because he thinks he has done it perfectly. And so he's proud of himself, and he has kept his books. Perfect. Therefore, in verses seventeen through twenty-one, Jesus sets forth the exacting requirements of God's law. And he says to this young man: if you wish to enter into life, Keep the commandments.

Verse 21, again, if you wish to be complete, to be perfect. Look, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Come follow me.

So what is Jesus doing? He's taking God's law and he's exposing this young man's pretensions of lawkeeping. And he's demonstrating to this young man his lack of righteousness that he doesn't. have any. And that his bookkeeping is really, his accounting is really, really messed up.

So, look at verse 22. Having exposed his greedy, covetous heart. His heart is filled with covetousness. Envious. Verse 22, it's as that he went away grieving.

He he went away grieving. Then, look at verse 24. Jesus turns to his disciples and he even ups it even further. He says to his disciples, certainly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Verse 25, the disciples are astonished. Then who can be saved? They say to Jesus. They ask Jesus. Looking at them, Jesus says to them, with people, this.

What is this? Who can be saved? Salvation. With people, salvation. entrance into the kingdom of God.

is impossible. But With God. All things are possible. With God, salvation is possible. Jesus teaches them that at every point of salvation, beginning.

Metal and end, the whole entire work of salvation. The whole entire life of a believer is dependent on the grace of God. Of himself, man can do nothing.

So, if anyone must be saved, if any man must receive a reward, It must be God who goes out and finds them and calls them into his vineyard. By his sovereign grace. And so Peter begins to think about what Jesus is saying here. And what Jesus said to the rich young man, Verse 21. Because he's weighing their sacrifice.

And their work against what Jesus said. And he's scratching his head and he's thinking, well, wait a minute. Have we not done what this rich young man refused to do? We have sold all. We have followed Jesus.

We are working.

So won't we be rewarded for our work and our sacrifice? We've given up everything to follow Jesus. He said, Come follow me. And I left my nets, I put my business away, I threw away everything, and I followed him. I sacrificed, I'm working.

What about me? What about us? Jesus says it's impossible.

So, what's going to happen to us? And so, troubled and confused, look at verse 27. Peter says to Jesus, behold. They're not fighting. Behold, Jesus, we have left everything and followed you.

What then, look, what then will there be for Uh Look at Jesus. Look at his response in verse 28. Surely I say to you that you who have followed me in the regeneration, what is that? That's the consummation of God's kingdom, the new heavens and the new earth. He says, you who have followed me in this, he says, He says, When the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Now, look at verse 29. He says, everyone who Who has left? Houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms, for my name's sake, listen to what he says. Will receive many times as much. Look, it will in Perrit.

Listen to that carefully. inherit Not merit.

Well, in Herod, what? Eternal life. You'll be rewarded richly. Jesus makes it clear that Peter and the disciples are going to be rewarded for their sacrifice and their work. But he has a twist on it.

He says, This inheritance, this reward. is based on grace inherit not their sacrifice or work. There Merit.

Now That's the context of this parable of chapter 20. Jesus drives that point home. in the parable of the laborers in the vineyard.

Now that's the context, and let's look at this parable. Look at chapter 20, verse 1. Jesus continues to teach his disciples about rewards and judgment in the kingdom of God. Look at verse 1, he says, For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hunt laborers for his vineyard.

Now, when Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner. It means something like this. What happens on Judgment Day when the fullness of God's kingdom comes may be compared to this story between a landowner. And his Employees. And look at verses 2 to 7.

This brings us to, the story brings us to two different groups of workers. In verse 2, we're introduced to what's called the first group of workers. This group is characterized by bookkeeping and work-for-wages mentality. Look what Jesus says in verse 2. When he, that's a landowner, had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Now, look carefully. The only thing that is said about this first group of workers is that they had agreed. By a contract. With this latent With this about the terms of their work contract. And the point that Jesus is making about these first group of workers is very clear.

They agreed to work in this vineyard based on a work. F for wages. Contract. Do their part. The landowner will do his part.

So they came to an agreement with this landowner about a fair wage for a day's Mm-hmm. All right, this first group of workers lived by. bookkeeping. It was a contractual agreement. Look at verses 3 to 7.

Jesus introduces us to the last group. And he went out about the third hour, nine o'clock in the morning. and saw others standing idle. Very keen to see that. The these these these late group of workers We're just standing there doing nothing in the marketplace.

And to those he said, you also Go into the vineyard and whatever is right. I will give you.

So they went. Again, verse five: he went out about the sixth hour, thus noon. In the ninth hour, that's 3 p.m., and he did the same thing.

Now, this second group of workers is emphasized that they're just standing idle in the marketplace. Nobody's working. They're just standing around doing nothing. Notice also that the second group of workers do not enter into a work wages contract with this landowner. He just says, I have promised to bet you what is right.

based on his promise These workers who are late, they go, okay. Great. And they'll go off and work in this vineyard out of gratitude. They're just happy that they get... Paid.

Now In response, they go out with gratitude. And to drive this point home, look at verse 6. Jesus introduces to us the last group of the last workers. Hired almost at the close of the workday. Verse 6.

in about the 11th hour, 5 p.m. Closing time is at 6. Jesus, the landowner, and let me skip ahead here, just the landowner at this point. The landowner goes out and he found others. Dan Dean.

around They're not doing Anything. And he said to them, Why have you been standing here idle? All day long. It's kind of funny, isn't it? And they said to him, because no one hired us.

He said to them, you go into the vineyard too. Completely surprised. Out of just joy and gratitude, they go off into the vineyard. And by this time, it's probably like, what, four of a 505, so maybe it worked for 55 minutes. And he goes out and he hires these folks who have been standing idle.

Uh oh. They No. Freeloaders doing nothing. Trust fun babies. They didn't deserve to be hired.

They didn't deserve to be paid anything. Yeah, this landowner hires them at 5 p.m. an hour before they close. And he pays them a whole day's wage, we'll see, for an hour of work. There's no mention of a contract.

There's no mention of an agreement. The landowner just says, hey, do you want to work? Go. And they go. Finally, quitting time arrives.

6 p.m. hits. Look at verses 8 through 15. And this is This is quitting time, evening time. And if you think this has been a strange workday, just wait till you see what happens at quitting time in the evening time.

At the end of this workday. Look in verse 8. Wh when when Evening came. The owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last. Group To the first.

Now this phrase, and when evening came, it begins to introduce the main point of this parable. Because when the evening came, the parable was saying, The the evening points us to the And To the final judgment. to the consummation of God's kingdom when Christ returns. And Jesus begins to explain what will happen. when he returns in final judgment.

And the and history books are closed.

Now, it was customary for wages to be paid at the end of the working day. But what is strange about this payday is that the landowner tells his foreman to pay the last group. Nine o'clock. 12 o'clock. three o'clock and five o'clock.

them first. And keep the first group that started at, let's say, six o'clock in the morning. Pay them last.

Now, No. order of these payments explains chapter 19 verse 30 and chapter 20 verse 16. the last are going to be first and the first last Look at verses 9 and 10. When those hired about the 11th hour, 5 p.m., came, each one received a denarius. From those hired first.

Yeah. They thought that they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarius. When the last group of workers came, the five o'clock workers who stood idle all Day long. When they arrived or when they arrived.

They got paid a day's wage. And they got paid in front of That was workers who arrived at 6 a.m. And the workers who arrived at 6 a.m. saw that. And they said, well, surely we expect to get paid more.

But they get the exact same pay. Look what they do. They begin, you see here, you begin to see the offense of grace to some. Because when the foreman paid out these wages, the first workers were highly offended. and began to grumble and complain.

Look at verses 11 and 12. When they, the first workers, received it, they grumbled at the landowner. Sane. These last men have worked only in behind that hour. And you have made them equal to us.

who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day. Can't you just hear it? I mean, can you just sound just like that? lady that was interviewed in the trust fund article that she doesn't have to work for it And I I work hard for everything that I get and that's not fair. Their grumbling reveals what kind of worker they are.

They're characterized by a work-front-wage spirit. They live by their bookkeeping. They're offended that the landowner would put them on par with these last workers who did nothing to deserve that pay. You can just hear their complaint. We have worked longer and harder than these idle latecomers.

We have borne the burden and heat, scorching heat of the day. They're not as deserving as us. We have worked hard. Hard. We deserve to get paid more for all that we have done.

We have earned a full day's wage. Plus more. These latecomers haven't earned a full day's wage. They don't deserve such generosity. This is scandalous.

This isn't right. It isn't just. Fair. They even worked. an hour and they get the same pay.

as we do, who have worked for 12 hours. And so the a load, the landowner. because of his generosity and his graciousness towards these Late workers. Look at verses 13 to 16. Listen to what the landowner says.

But he answered and he said to one of them who was rumbling and complaining, friend, I am doing you no wrong. Listen very carefully. I'm going to come back to this. Listen very carefully. God Never Ever Give injustice to anyone.

Never. I've done friend, I've done you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? They did, didn't they? That was their contract.

They agreed. Take what is yours and go. But I wish. I desire to give to this last man the same as to you. Listen to this.

Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? And here's the problem. Or is your eye? Envy. Is your eye like the rich young man who went away grievous because he was filled with Covetousness.

Is your eye envious because I'm generous?

So The last workers shall be first, and you the first workers. You'll be last. You see, these first workers were characterized by a work for wages mentality, therefore, they're envious. They're envious of the undeserving, these idle latecomers. All who live by bookkeeping are envious of those who get rewarded for nothing.

This is one Bible teacher puts it, to harbor within oneself envy over against others because God reveals his grace to them. What a depth of depravity is revealed by this kind of disposition. And also, these first workers resent the generosity of God. Listen carefully. Those who live by bookkeeping resent the generosity of God, and grace is offensive to them.

It's not joyful. Those who live by bookkeeping, the rich young man, that's what he is illustrating here. I think it's a very good thing. Fairness not grace.

So rather than being loved for his generosity and kindness and just surprised and out of joy, you go and labor. The first workers hate the landowner. and view his generosity as unfairness. Calvin says it like this. He says, what unkindness is it that men are not content with that generosity of God which bestows unearned rewards upon works.

That merit no such thing.

So that's the parable. What does it teach us? There are two lessons for us to take away here today that this parable teaches us. Here's the first lesson. On the day of judgment, All first workers will receive judgment.

The landowner's reply in verse 16 brings us to the main point of the parable. Judgment is given to those whose life has been lived by bookkeeping. This parable leads us, Jesus is leading us to ask some vital questions. Here's the question. It's very simple.

Are you a first or last worker? Do you live your life by bookkeeping? Is your relationship with God viewed as based on a contractual agreement? I do my part, and God does his part, and that's what's fair, because I've done what I have earned. I have earned what I have done.

Now Do you relate to God like this? Does the grace of God and his generosity toward the undeserving? offend you. Are you counting on your good works like this rich young man? As a whole or even just part.

To serve as your righteousness before God on the day of judgment. This parable says, don't Make that mistake. Listen to question 62 in the Heidelberg Catechism. Why can't our good works? be the whole or just part of the whole.

our righteousness before God. And here's the answer: because the righteousness which can stand before the judgment seat of God must be perfect throughout and wholly conformable to the law. to the law of God. But even our best and works in this life are all imperfect and defiled. with sin.

That's the first lesson. Here's the second. On the day of judgment, all last workers will receive rewards. Question 63 in the heart of our catechism. How is it that our good works merit nothing?

Well, yet it is God's will to reward them in this life and also in that which is to come. Listen to the answer. And this is what Jesus teaches us in the heart of this parable. The reward comes not of merit. but of grace.

That's the point Jesus is making. Our reward when he returns to set up the glory of his kingdom. comes not of merit, not of anything we've ever done as believers to earn anything for our final salvation. strictly of his grace. Clearly, in this parable, because it's really absurd, how many of you, and please do raise your hand on this question, how many of you as we walked through this parable felt very uncomfortable?

I felt the offense of it. That's Not Fair. They didn't deserve a full day's wage. Guess what? They didn't deserve it.

That is the point. We don't deserve grace. We deserve Fairness, which is justice. All of us are like those last workers. Why have you been standing here all the time?

All day idle doing nothing. If grace is deserved, it isn't grace.

So here is the vital question that the parable sets before us on the day of judgment. What? do you want from the landowner Jesus? Grace? or fairness.

What do you want? This parable, as all the scriptures, teaches us that God's grace is grounded not in what we do. but in his willingness to show it to them. He said to these late, these earnly workers. I wish to give this last man the same as to you.

I wish to do this. I desire to do this. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish? With my own, with what is my own? Listen to how the Lord says the exact same thing to Moses when Moses says, Lord, show me your glory.

Exodus chapter 33, verse 19. The Lord says to Moses, I myself will make all my goodness pass before you. And will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. And listen, and I will be gracious. to whom I will be gracious.

and will show compassion. on whom I will show compassion.

So, in a general sense, we can define God's grace as His. Unmerited favor. In the context of a fallen world, it cannot be defined as his merited favor because no man can make such a claim against God. This is what Jesus teaches us in this parable. But listen very carefully.

If you've ever heard this God's grace cannot ultimately be classified as his unmerited favor because grace is not merely undeserved. God's grace must be defined as God's demerited. favor. And that despite our sinfulness, God does not give to us what we have merited or earned. What is that?

His justice. These late workers didn't deserve Anything. But rather God has given us His favor, His grace. They were paid, these latecomers are paid a full day's wage. That's outrageous.

Grace is outrageous. It's outrageously joyful. to those who are late. But to those who live by bookkeeping, it's offensive and they hate God for it. Jesus told us this parable to remove any notion that the Lord rewards us on the basis of merit.

The landowner does not pay the idle latecomers based on their work. He doesn't pay them on the basis of their work. He rewards them on the basis of his promise to be generous to them. You see the difference? What is he teaching us?

Listen carefully, because I've heard many Christians talk about this. Oh. Because I've done so much. Boy, they're going to have a lot of crowns in heaven. No, no, no, no, no, no.

We must not make the mistake of thinking that reward presupposes merit. Amen. Jesus teaches us in this parable, we do not deserve anything from God based upon our work, whether it's twelve hours or one hour. That's the point. At the final judgment, no believer will be rewarded because of their work, their obedience, their Christian life, anything they've ever done, their merit, because they don't deserve it.

They've not done anything to deserve it. That's the point. Jesus teaches us that we'll be richly rewarded, just like he told Peter and the disciples, you'll be richly rewarded. Listen. based on grace.

God's generosity for Christ's sake. 19 verse 29. Remember what Jesus assured Peter and the disciples of? Jesus, we've left everything, just like the rich young man didn't do that. We've done that.

We've sacrificed all. We've given all. We've followed you. We've paid the price. We've done the work.

What's in it for us? When you come in the consummation of your kingdom, and Jesus says, everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for my name's sake will receive many times as much. Listen. Well in Herrit. Eternal life.

You would think that he would say, and will deserve it. Because they have left. Houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, farms, for my namesake, so they will deserve it.

So they won't inherit. What is he teaching us? He's linking reward With inheritance.

So, when you think of believers being rewarded in the consummation of the kingdom of God, you have to think reward. Equals inheritance. Jesus is teaching us in this parable that the kingdom of heaven is not a servant's wages, it's a son's inheritance. And so There's a reward attached to our good works. But this reward is of grace.

not merit, Listen as we finish to how John Calvin beautifully explains this point. There is no doubt that whatever is praiseworthy N works. is God's Grace. There is not a drop That we ought by rights to ascribe to ourselves. If we truly and earnestly recognize this, not only will our confidence in merit vanish, but the very notion.

To man we assign only this. That he pollutes and contaminates by his impurity those very things which were good. For nothing proceeds from a man, however perfect he be. that he is not defiled by some spot. Let the Lord then call it.

call to judgment the best in human works. And he will indeed recognize in them his own righteousness. But man's dishonor and shame. Good works, then, are pleasing to God. And they're not unfruitful.

For their doers. But receive by way of reward the most ample benefits of God. not because they so deserve. The late workers, they don't deserve it. But because God's kindness has of itself set this value.

on them. And so, in this parable. Jesus teaches us this comforting truth. That we the last will receive a reward. Not because we deserve it.

But because God for Christ's sake is generous, And he's gracious. to us, the undeserving. Amen. Heavenly Father, we thank you that you were gracious to us because it is so true that in and of ourselves we have. Nothing to offer but our sin.

And we thank you that for Christ's sake. And that through Christ we can offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God. because they're through him. They're through the Son. And it's your grace that has said that they're valuable, not because we have merited that value.

but your grace has made it valuable. Because of the perfect merits of your Son.

So help us to be Waste.

so that we can receive a fullness in your kingdom. when you return. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. John Fawnville sends his thanks for listening today.

And before we wrap up, can I tell you about an encouraging book you might want to get soon? It's called Hope and Holiness: How the Gospel Enables and Empowers Sexual Purity. You're not alone if you've tried to conquer sexual temptations and tried all the methods available, only to find yourself feeling defeated again. This book may be just what you're looking for. With his shepherding heart, John shows that the gospel, not practical steps or more self-discipline, is God's provision for the power to live a life of sexual purity.

and it's available to every Christian. What I like is the book is available in three convenient ways, paperback, audiobook, or Kindle. The links are in our podcast descriptions or just search for Hope and Holiness by John Fonville on Amazon to get a copy for you and it's a wonderful book to go through with a small group. Him we proclaim is a ministry of Paramount Church in Jacksonville, Florida. You can find us at paramountchurch.com.

We'll talk again soon.