The Vineyard Workers Mt. 19:16-20:16. We tend to think of wages, expenses, fringe benefits and better working conditions as rights. This attitude is sometimes carried over into our spiritual lives where we regard God as a divine employer and treat him accordingly. The parable of the vineyard workers is prefaced by the account of Jesus dealings with the young man who wanted to know what ‘good’ thing he had to do to be saved. Even in asking the question, 19:16, he seems to acknowledge that there has to be something else along with keeping the law 100%. In dealing with people Jesus is always concerned to establish the fact that he is the Son of God and, as such, he is the only one who is ‘good’ and ‘perfect’. Jesus knows that he is dealing with a fairly good living individual who thinks that he is breaking no rules and so he says ‘ok, keep all the law’. Again, Vs. 20, the young man knows there is something missing. Jesus knows that he has broken the first commandment, Ex. 20:3, and points this out, Vs. 21. If we want to be saved by keeping the law well, fine, but we must keep it 100%. Who of us can do that? If one link in the chain is broken then the chain is broken. Break one law and the whole law is broken, Jas. 2:10. The message for us here is that part of presenting the gospel is pointing out the impossibility of any other route to salvation. Generally speaking, people want to hold on to the one thing that is preventing them in coming to Christ for salvation. Living a righteous life and being rewarded by wealth is not the route to salvation. In fact, the wealth, as in this case, can be a hindrance to our being saved. The second message for us here is that anything that comes between salvation and us must be confessed and abandoned. We cannot be saved while continuing to serve another god. The young mans’ reasoning is that if he could do whatever was required then he had a right to salvation. We know that is not the case and so Jesus follows up with another parable. Those who don’t get what they think are their entitlements become resentful, 20:11. In our society if you work longer you get paid more. What the workers here are forgetting is that they agreed to work for what they got. The employer was being generous to those who came later and who got paid relatively more. If we want to be saved by keeping the law, well fine, but keep it 100%. And don’t complain when you see someone else being saved because God wants to save them and they agree and say ‘yes’! It is Gods wish that everyone be saved, 2 Pet. 3:9. To that end he is constantly calling, even at the eleventh hour. Those who responded were rewarded; rewarded simply because God wants to reward and bless, if only people would respond to him! Even at the eleventh hour there are those who do respond. However, those who are already secure in the knowledge of the days’ wages are resentful. How do those who have been saved for some time, served God and suffered for him feel when others are saved at the eleventh hour and receive the same blessings from God as themselves? How do you think Peter responded to this parable? How do you respond to it?