May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' "'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'

"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'

"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." (Matthew 20:13-16)

In the name of Christ and to his glory, dear friends: Certainly the Lord wants the willing service of his children. As children of God's kingdom we are to be busy about the work of God's kingdom. God wants us to be honoring him, loving our neighbor as our selves, and doing all to the glory of God. Now we need God's encouragement for this work. Too often we are like the ones hired in the 11^th hour of whom it was asked: Why are you standing here doing nothing? It is easy for us to think God is talking to someone else when he says, Serve me. And if we do not act like them, then it is easy for us to have the mercenary spirit of the ones hired first. They thought they deserved more from God since they had worked so hard. We deserve God's favor, they thought. For our encouragement, Jesus gives us this parable. With his words JESUS GIVES US STRENGTH FOR ANOTHER DAY'S WORK IN HIS KINGDOM.

God in his grace calls us to work in his Kingdom.

The Scene. It will help us understand all that Jesus teaches us in this parable if we look at the setting that prompted Jesus to speak this parable. In chapter 19 we hear that a rich young man came asking Jesus, What good thing must I do to get eternal life? Jesus seeing that the man thought of heaven as something he could work for and achieve said, Obey the commandments. The man replied that he had been keeping the commandments. Jesus then told him to do one more thing: Sell all you have and give it to the poor; then come follow me. Now you know that giving away all our assets could not pay our way into heaven. Jesus was speaking in such a way to show the man that he had not kept the commandments. In fact he had not even kept the first one-you are to have no other gods. This man relied on himself and his resources rather than on his God.

The disciples' reaction. Now at first the disciples were shocked at Jesus' words. If this is the case, who can be saved? This was a good, decent, sincere man. If God would not accept him, how could anyone hope to get to heaven? Jesus says a wonderful thing. With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. God in his grace alone opens heaven to sinful man. Now it seems that Peter was not listening. After a moment or two Peter says, Lord, we've left everything for you. What will there be for us? You see, the disciples had left all they had and followed Jesus. But Jesus wanted to make sure that Peter and the others did not think that their work for God earned them God's favor. Every worker in God's kingdom must see that it is Grace that allows them to serve in God's kingdom.

The parable. Notice how the parable shows God in his grace allowing people the privilege of working in his kingdom. The workers do not apply. They are sought by and called by the Lord. You did not choose me but I have chosen you, our Savior said. (John 15:16) Some work the whole day long while others work only one hour. Yet they each receive the same pay. How unusual! We would not be satisfied at our jobs if this happened. But God's kingdom is and must operate this way. For you see, the workers are not rewarded for their work and effort but because of the grace and generosity of the Lord. We are not mercenaries working for God for pay. We are the redeemer, given all that we need for life and eternal life, serving God in thankful love.

What kind of worker are you? The parable shows us the workers God wants. They are willing, thankful, happy to serve. They consider it privilege. They know grace when they see it. This truth comes hard for sinful man. We do not naturally want to give God the honor due; we would like credit for what we receive. Plus, we know in this life God does connect work and benefits-If a man will not work he shall not eat (2 Thessalonians 3) But we must toss all these worldly thoughts aside when we come before our Lord, even when we listen to his call to work in his vineyard. Paul spoke of this in Romans 4. Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." Even if we could serve God in our daily lives perfectly, as God deserves. Still at the end we would have to say, We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty. (Luke 17:10)

Therefore, be busy in that work

Grace before us. With this grace in our hearts and minds, now we are ready for a day's work in Christ's kingdom.

The work. Jesus says to each of us in the parable, You also go and work in my vineyard. There is no lack of work in God's kingdom. There is work to be done close to home, on the vineyard that is God's kingdom in my heart. Always there are the weeds of sin to be weeded out. Your work and mine each day involves identifying sin and taking it to Jesus. Do not be as the ones standing around all day as if no sin needs to be set at the Savior's feet. And then there is being light, being salt, living for God and serving our neighbor. Your work and mine involves being kind and loving to those God has place around us. Do not be as the ones standing around all day as if there is no kind deeds to be done.