Sermon for Sunday, November 8, 2026 at Unionville Presbyterian Church (BPC)
Old Testament Text
[Isa 5:1-7 ESV] – 1 Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!
New Testament Text:
[Rom 9:15-24 ESV] – 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory– 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
Gospel Text:
[Mat 19:23-30 ESV] – 23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit 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 lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
SermonText:
[Mat 20:1-16 ESV] – 1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
Introduction
It is guaranteed to cause trouble – even weeping and gnashing of teeth – if, in a family with multiple children, one child receives a gift, and then another child receives a better gift.
The child who receives a jump-rope is happy … until his brother gets a large Lego set.
The child who receives a dum-dum sucker is a happy child … until … his sister receives a box of chocolates.
An all-too familiar phrase is likely to be heard, a phrase I used a child, and perhaps you did as well:
“That’s not fair.”
Coincident with saying that phrase, all thankfulness is gone. The joy and blessing of receiving a gift is now scuttled and the focus becomes that evil, corrupting, COMPARISON. Comparison is the root of the trouble.
Well, when St. Paul became a man, he put away childish things.
We are encouraged to do the same.
The attitude of the Christian is not envy or bitterness,
but Thankfulness of God’s Grace.
That is the title of the sermon today: Be Thankful for God’s Grace.
And putting away comparison and the consequent envy are necessary so that we may Be Thankful for God’s Grace.
I. The Parable and Its Characters
Such point is made in this parable today from Matthew’s Gospel.
It is commonly known as the Parable of the Laborers of the Vineyard.
But, it could easily be called the Parable of the Landowner.
It is a parable recorded only in Matthew’s Gospel, and it is among those parables in which Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven. Often these parables are not so much about the Kingdom of Heaven itself, but about the WAY to heaven. Here, both are in view. God’s grace is the way to heaven, and heaven is a place of God’s grace.
The parable is spoken in response to Peter’s question in the previous passage. “We have left everything and followed you. What then will we have.” What is the reward for following Christ? And the parable answers that question showing that ALL who follow Christ are greatly blessed by God AS HE SHALL CHOOSE BY HIS OWN GRACE.
The Landowner is God. The landowner’s generosity is representative of God’s grace.
The foreman who does the bidding of the owner is Jesus Christ.
And the laborers are really of two sorts: the early ones (which may be likened unto the Jews), and the later ones (which may be likened unto the Gentiles). But parables are not always so clean-cut. The application can be broader. We have early laborers who are UNGRATEFUL and who GRUMBLE, and we have later laborers who are blessed despite not having worked much for it; despite having done little to deserve it.
You might actually find 3 sorts in this parable. The early workers, the MIDDLE workers, and the late workers.
The middle laborers start work on the 3rd hour, 6th hour, and 9th hour. These really are to be grouped with the early laborers.
The pay is given in reverse order; the last are first, the first are last.
Those who began at the 11th hour — those late laborers— all are given a full day’s wage
And the early laborers—perhaps including all of the other group or maybe just the persons that started at the beginning of the day— they all grumble, “That’s not fair.”
II. The Meaning of the Parable
What is the meaning of this parable?
Well, parables can be difficult!
Various proposals have been made regarding the meaning of this parable. Perhaps each are correct to a degree.
One [JFB] says that the parable “is designed to show that while [Christ’s followers] would be richly rewarded, a certain equity would be observed towards later converts and workmen in His service.” Well, OK.
Another [MH} says that the parable “represents to us that truth that ‘many that are first shall be last, and the last first.’” Indeed that is a line Jesus repeats at the end of the parable. So in answer to Peter’s concern of “what in it for me,” Jesus promises that such servants as Peter will have great reward in heaven; and that heaven is their great reward.
But this view might have us lose track of a bigger point and central focus of the text; for it is NOT OUR ACTIONS that win the reward; the whole text is about the GRACE OF GOD. The Grace of God is incredible. It is best represented in the case of the final group of laborers. There are actually 5 groups; (1) those who are hired early in the morning, (2) those hired at the third hour, (3) those hired at the sixth hour, (4) those who are hired at the ninth hour, and (5) those who are hired at the eleventh hour. And it is that last group in which God’s grace is best displayed, for the Landowner pay them, though they have done nothing to deserve it. Perhaps some will argue “look, they did work for an hour,” but that is missing the point; they are not paid so richly for getting a little bit of work done; they are paid richly because THE LANDOWNER IS GENEROUS; GOD IS GRACIOUS!
The eleventh hour! That has become a phrase in the English language meaning “the latest possible moment before it is too late.” Indeed, those who come to faith in Jesus Christ, even at the latest possible moment, are TOO recipients of God’s grace. You might think of the murderer coming to faith just before he goes to the his execution. Even he receives the grace of God!
“But that’s not fair” is the cry of those who do not understand the reality of their situation in this world. FAIR! You want fair! Then ALL, you included, are going to hell. That is what is fair. God owes you nothing! But out of his Grace he chooses people for salvation.
The Jews, even in Jesus’s lifetime, and certainly more in the book of Acts, see the Gentiles coming to faith. But some, like the early morning workers of this parable are upset about the situation. WE are the people of God they say [indeed, in the Old Testament they are the vineyard. Isaiah 5:7 – For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting]. So they say God can only bless us. Who are these latecomers? The first group of workers in the vineyard have an attitude similar to that of the Pharisees, who were incensed at Jesus’ teaching that others could inherit a heavenly kingdom they thought was reserved for them alone. They despised Jesus for offering the kingdom to poor, oppressed, weak sinners whom He made equal to them.
Isaiah said of the Lord, “he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!” This is the reality even in the Old Testament: many of the Jews did not believe, and God set in place his plan to bring Gentiles to faith in Him.
Shouldn’t the Jews be glad that the Gentiles are also coming to faith? Instead, many are jealous, especially those who are not really in the faith in the first place; those who presume they are saved simply because they are Jews.
They say,
‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’
But God has an answer for this:
13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?
Of course, we should apply this in general, saying “Don’t be upset when another person is blessed.” Is it better for both you and your friend to be broke/poor? Or is it better for at least your friend to have some money? Does the rain fall any harder on your head if your friend has a roof over his? Of course not. So let us not envy. Let us BE HAPPY FOR OTHERS. Your friend’s success does not cause your failure.
And let us understand God’s grace. This parable highlights the generosity of God. He gives grace according to his will and pleasure, not our will, nor what we think we deserve. It is a key phrase in verse 14: “I choose to give.” Grace is His. He chooses. God is fully in the right to give or withhold blessings, as He pleases. “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Romans 9:15-16).
In truth, those who are saved of us – ALL OF US – are undeserving. The late laborers don’t deserve the full pay, but God provides it! He provides it by His grace! We get what we could never earn. And His grace is sufficient to redeem whether a person comes to faith early in life or at the eleventh hour.
“It’s not fair!” You appeal to justice, but there is no injustice in God. It is important to see that the landowner did not treat anyone unfairly. The early workers get their pay. And the late workers get the landowner’s grace and generosity.
The motive of the landowner for his surprising decision remains unclear. We don’t know GOd’s motives either. He saves, for his own purpose. All we can do is say “why me?” recognizing that we don’t deserve God’s grace.
We have it said more poetically in the hymn “How Sweet and Awesome Is the Place.” [Hymn #469] “Each of cries with thankful tongue, ‘Lord why was I a guest?”
That is to our attitude as Christians; not thinking we are better and others undeserving, but recognizing our sinfulness and God’s grace to make us then thankful beyond measure.
III. God’s Grace Changes Our Attitudes
We ought then look at life THROUGH the lens of God’s grace. The Lord has blessed me so incredibly. All that I have is from God’s grace.
God is just, be definition and as seen through His actions. It is his very nature that is justice, and he determines what justice is. He pay (or repays) what is due, but also gives Grace through Jesus Christ who satisfied the justice of God for us.
Can anyone sustain a complaint against God? No, He is always just. And we have no case.
What we should do instead, is focus our attitudes on thanking God for His grace, and living accordingly.
How does God’s Grace change our attitudes?
How do we live out the grace of God in our lives?
THANKFULNESS. First, we are thankful.
1.We do not compare to others, saying like the early laborers, “why do others blessed who don’t deserve it?” But, we say “God you have blessed me in many ways that I do not deserve.” Let us not be envious of others. Your success does not prevent my success, but often empowers it.
2. Our very attitudes are to be thankfulness to God; seeing every day as a blessing from Him. And even in tragedies we are to bless his name. “The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” Even when a person close to us dies, we ought to have this attitude of thankfulness; “Thank you Lord, for the days and years you gave me with this person; my parents, my friend, my spouse, my child.” No doubt, we are allowed to mourn! But we can be thankful at the same time.
3. Being thankful to God, especially for his saving Grace upon us, ought also to lead us to be gracious to others. Naturally, we cannot die on the cross in their place as Jesus did, but we can forgive our debtors; we can drop our grudges, we can pray for others, devote our time to others, check up on others, and be gracious in our words and in our understanding and interpretation of what others say.
4. We should be thankful for what we’re given, but also thankful for who we are. The eye does not say “if only I were a nose.” Nor does the nose say “if only I could hear like an ear.” All are parts of the body. All of us are Christians, and have no room for envy; for we have all been given the grace of God, and have the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. And there is no greater gift.
Conclusion:
Let us be thankful for God’s Grace.