MPC, 7th April 2002.Matthew 19:13-20:16 - "Unexpected Grace"
Cameron Wills MPC, 7th April 2002.
When Steve Bradbury won gold at the Winter Olympics in February. Everybody was surprised, especially him. Here's what he said after the race. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS. I don't know exactly what happened or how it happened." It was THE LAST THING HE EXPECTED. 15 metres from the finish line he was in last place. Dead last. And then at the last possible moment, the other skaters fell in a heap. And STEVE BRADBURY cruised over the line. First.
An amazing result for someone who admits he was "THE WEAKEST GUY IN THE FIELD." I mean, even his own MUM thought that he was going to come last. But what a turnaround. From last, TO FIRST. But not because he was the best, or most impressive skater. It wasn't just because of what he did. Steve said it like this. He said, "GOD SMILES ON YOU SOME DAYS, and this is my day."
So Steve Bradbury has now got an Olympic gold medal. A WINNER. But he knows it could have been very different. If God hadn't, 'smiled on him' there in Salt Lake City.
And when it comes to the kingdom of God, when it comes to being part of God's family, IT'S A SIMILAR STORY. It's a Kingdom of people who know they don't have any claims of greatness in themselves. Who know they're not the fastest skaters on ice, who know they're not the rich or the powerful.
But the ones who are first, who are greatest in most people's eyes… the people that you and I might naturally put up on a pedestal… don't get the gold medal from God. They're the sort of people WHO DON'T MAKE IT INTO GOD'S KINGDOM.
While the people who are seen as the lowest, the last - they're made FIRST IN GOD'S FAMILY.
Now that might sound strange. But that's because God's got an unusual way of figuring things. A strange accounting system that makes the last first and the first last. It's called grace. GOD'S UNDESERVED GENEROSITY AND KINDNESS. That's the difference that makes people who look like losers, into winners.
We're picking up in Matthew chapter 19, with some parents bringing their children to Jesus. And they want him to pray for them. But the disciples, who seem to see themselves like the secretary in the front office, the managers, they're not impressed. Children aren't worth wasting Jesus' time with. Jesus is busy - there are CROWDS waiting. And the kids DON'T COUNT.
But Jesus doesn't see things that way. And you can see the reversal already. It's not the impressive community leaders he's wanting to spend time with. Because he says God's kingdom belongs to people LIKE CHILDREN. The sort of people who've got a CHILD-LIKE TRUST IN GOD. That they're the ones who are first in God's eyes. It might not look that way to you, or to me. But that's the way it is with God. Look what Jesus says, in verse fourteen,
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BELONGS TO SUCH AS THESE."
So how do YOU relate to God? Do you think of yourself as a 'self-made man'? Or an INDEPENDENT woman? Someone who's a winner in life, and so you think God's pretty lucky to have you on his team?
Or are you a child… relying on the parent to know and provide what's best for you? It's a PRETTY HUMBLING WAY TO THINK as an adult.
I mean, when you grow up you normally leave your parents and start providing for yourself. You're independent. But Jesus says you and I need to have an attitude of child-likeness, in BEING DEPENDENT ON GOD if you want to be first with God.
But there's more. If you're looking to have your expectations TURNED UPSIDE DOWN about WHO'S WELCOME IN THE KINGDOM, keep reading. Because after the children have come to Jesus, there's a young man. And this guy is rich. Really rich. The sort of person you'd be impressed with if he came along to church. He's young, but he's already made it to the top of the heap.
He's someone like the guy who founded Netscape computer company. He was in his twenties when Netscape floated on the stock market. But the stock went from $2 to $60 in one day, and he made $59 million dollars. Marc Andreesen's now rich, he's made it to the top. And the man who comes to Jesus is like that.
And he says to Jesus, "WHAT HAVE I GOT TO DO… to get eternal life?"
So Jesus points him to the commandments God gave Israel. The young guy says, I'VE DONE THAT. So what else? What have I got to do… to be sure?
And so Jesus says, SELL EVERYTHING YOU OWN. Give it to the poor. AND FOLLOW ME.
Look at it with me, from verse 21, and watch what happens.
Jesus answers, "If you want to be perfect, go, SELL YOUR POSSESSIONS and give them to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then COME - FOLLOW ME."
Which is much too high a price. This guy's top of the corporate success ladder… and so he walks away. And in the end, he's not in God's kingdom at all. Looks impressive in other people's eyes, but when it comes to God, HE'S LAST.
And Jesus turns to his disciples, and starts talking about, not just this one rich guy, but ANYONE RICH. And he says that for any rich person, it's not just hard to get into the kingdom of God. But that it's PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. That the people who might naturally impress us don't necessarily impress God. See how Jesus puts it, from verse 23,
"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell 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."
Jesus is saying some tough things here. And you and me need to hear them. That rich people, those who seem to be first in life, don't get into God's family. That the first in life, are actually the LAST WITH GOD. Have a look how he puts it in verse 30… he spells it out… 'But many who are first will be last, and MANY WHO ARE LAST WILL BE FIRST."
It's a reverse order. First in this life, last in God's kingdom. Last in life, first in the kingdom.
Now maybe you're wondering what's going on. That God reverses human judgements. I mean, how can it be like this? That in God's kingdom the rich are out, and that the child-like are in. What sort of upside down kingdom is it?
Do you remember those old Cadbury's chocolate ads? The ones with Professor Julius Sumner-Miller? His white lab coat, and those thick black-rimmed glasses? And he'd always say that memorable line, "WHY IS IT SO?" That's the issue here. Why IS IT SO that the first will be last, and the last will be first?
Well, Jesus EXPLAINS. By telling a parable ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. It's about an owner of a vineyard, and people he hires to work for him. The owner says he'll pay them a denarius, a silver coin, the usual pay for a days' labouring. Pick it up with me at the start of chapter 20,
"For the kingdom of heaven IS LIKE A LANDOWNER who goes out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agrees to pay them a denarius for the day and sends them into his vineyard."
About 9 in the morning he goes down to the market-place and hires more workers. And he says "I'll pay you what's fair." And then he does the same again at midday, and 3pm.
And at 5 o'clock, just ONE HOUR BEFORE KNOCK-OFF TIME, he goes back again and hires more workers. And he says to the guys standing there, "Why haven't you been working?" And they say, "NO-ONE WANTED US". These guys are the unemployable's. But this owner's different, he generous. He hires them to work in his vineyard for just the one hour. Read it with me from verse six,
"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'.
So when finishing time comes, an hour later, the workers are paid their wages. The ones hired last are paid first. And I'm sure all the workers are expecting that these guys will get paid less than the others. Hired last, PAID LEAST. But here's the SURPRISE. They get paid JUST AS MUCH as the ones who've worked all day. They get a whole day's wage for just an hour's work. It's a VERY GENEROUS PAYMENT, from a very generous employer.
But now the guys who've worked the whole day expect that they're gonna get more than a denarius. Hired first, PAID MOST. But they get exactly the same. And they're not happy about it. They're feeling cheated; they've done more work, so they should get paid more. Have a look from verse 10,
"So when those came who were hired first, they EXPECTED TO RECEIVE MORE. But each 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, 'and YOU HAVE MADE THEM EQUAL TO US who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'
They're thinking, 'equal pay for equal work'. So the guys who've worked a lot less don't deserve to get equal pay. It's payment that they haven't earned, and shouldn't get. But the owner of the vineyard hasn't done anything wrong, has he? Paid what he AGREED with the first guys. And was GENEROUS with the rest.
He's a generous boss, who WANTS TO GIVE MORE THAN THEY DESERVE. Which is how Jesus finishes off his parable. Read from verse 13…
"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 last."
Jesus is saying that God's not like a normal employer. Cause he doesn't have a normal accounting system. He WANTS TO MAKE THE LAST FIRST, and the first last. God's accounting system IS GRACE, not works. Giving undeserved generosity, not responding to those who think they can earn his favour. Making the last in life, the poor, the unimpressive, first. And the first in life, the rich or independent, last. THAT'S HOW, the first can be last and the last first. It's how God operates.
AND YOU SEE IT MOST CLEARLY at the Cross. Where the King himself PUTS HIMSELF last. And pays the debt for the rest of us. That's the sort of Kingdom it is.
So how are you responding to God? Do you think that you don't need his kindness, because you're independent? Or that you deserve God's favour? If so, you aren't a part of His kingdom. Maybe for you that means you wouldn't sell everything you own and give it away if God asked you to. The house, the car, or other things you prize. Or maybe you think you've earned your way into God's kingdom because of your impressive achievements in life. But you can't.
The right way to respond to God's grace is to acknowledge your dependence on Him. And be thankful that though you might be last in life. Poor, or unimpressive. That because He is very generous, you can be first in His kingdom. And that's something worth celebrating, for a long time.