In God’s Time (St. Matthew 20:1-16)

So … the Eagles won the Super Bowl last week in decisive fashion. 

I realize that I am in the middle of Raven’s and Oriel country and I don’t know a whole lot about Baltimore or DC sports teams … because even though I’ve lived in New Jersey for the last 42 years … I was born and raised in Philadelphia … 

As I watched the game … I really couldn’t believe what I was seeing … after all … this was the Eagles — E-A-G-L-E-S … or as the Mayor of Philadelphia spelled it … ELGSES!

I have learned through the years not to get too excited one way or the other about Philadelphia Sports teams … because I … we’ve … been let down so many times!

My earliest recollections is that of the 1964 Phillies … and their historic collapse.  In the last two weeks of the season — after being in first place most of the year — all they had to do is win one game to go the World Series.

I went to three of those games those last two weeks with my father … and they lost them all.  I was 12 years old … and obviously they did not go to the World Series.

Then … through my teen years and early 20’s … a friend of mine and I would go down to Veterans Stadium a few times each year to watch the Phillies … I think we went about 10 years without seeing the Phillies win a single game.

It’s been 42 years since the 76ers won it all … 

And … do you realize it’s been 50 years since the Flyers won the Stanley Cup … or as my daughter called it when she saw it at the NHL Museum in Toronto … the Stanley Bowl.

Disappointment after disappointment … that’s the Philadelphia Sports history … so forgive me if I didn’t get too excited about the Eagles in the Super Bowl.

But then … last week changed it all … for the 3^rd time in 7 years they were in the Super Bowl and this time they won their 2^nd Lombardi Trophy … pretty amazing when you consider their history!

And as we look at honestly … they’ve been in the playoffs rather consistently since Jeffry Lurie became the owner.

And so … we had last week … the Super Bowl … and they are already talking about an Eagles dynasty.

And … for the rabid Philadelphia sports fans … there was great celebration … with over a million people along the parade route … profanity laced speeches … along with the destruction of property and a couple of arrests … which is consistent with Philadelphia fans.

Before we know it … a new season will begin … and everyone will expect them to do it all over again.

But … all we know is that it was the Eagles time this year … who knows about next year.

We just know what a day is going to bring forth.

I am reminded of the thief who was crucified with Jesus.  One minute he was waiting on the cross to die … and the next moment he was given the promise of paradise.

As we read in Luke 23:39-43: 

““Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord,  remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”  

Proverbs 27:1 reminds us: ““Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.””

This is exactly what we see in our Gospel lesson from this morning from Matthew 20:1-16.  

This is one of the parables our Savior used to teach us the truths about the Kingdom of God and Heaven.

The parable should be familiar to us — an owner of a Vineyard hired day laborers to work in his vineyard for the agreed rate of a denarius a day — which at that time was a days wage.  

Throughout the day he went again and again to the marketplace to find more workers.  

Even to the 11^th hour — 5:00 PM in the afternoon — he continued to hire men to work — and he said, I will pay what is right … and they went to work for an hour.

After the day was done, he paid them their wages …. starting with those who had been hired LAST!   

He gave those who had only worked an hour, a denarius for their labors, the same wage that he had agreed upon with those he first hired.  

Those who had labored all day thought they would get more — and when they didn’t they complained — St. Matthew 20:10-12:

““But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’””  

We then read the answer of the landowner — St. Matthew 20:13-15:

““But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?.””

He basically told them that he paid them what he agreed to pay them — and besides, it was his money and he could do what he wanted with it.  

Jesus told us the conclusion of the whole thing — 20:16:

““So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.””

Again, remember that Jesus taught in parables to teach us truths about the Kingdom of God —  heaven … and in many ways … our lives here on earth.

We see at least three very important things from this passage.  

The first is something that is more of a temporal nature — that God blesses his children materially in different ways and to a different extent.  

There are some very wealthy Christians and some very poor Christians and some in between — I believe that is where most of us are.

The point of it all is that God gives His children what HE desires.  And we are not all equal. 

YET … we have His promise, that He will provide ALL OUR NEEDS according to His riches in Christ Jesus.  

He may not provide all our wants — but He will provide all our needs — WE HAVE HIS WORD ON THAT.  

But we know that the most important … the most blessed thing that He has given us is our salvation … and we will see more on this in a moment.

Whether we are materially rich or poor — we have something in our salvation that is beyond measure and value.  Praise be to God for that!

The second thing that we see — that being … that it is never too late to come to faith in Christ. … it’s all in God’s time.

Until they put you in the box, it is never too late for God to work in your life.

Most … if not all of us are familiar with C.S. Lewis.  Probably his most famous book is “Mere Christianity” which has sold millions and millions of copies.

In his autobiography called “Surprised by Joy” … he tells of his spiritual struggles … and he addresses his faith in Christ as Savior … a journey that took a number of years … and as he was going to the zoo with his brother in the sidecar of a motorcycle … he would later write:

“When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but when we reached the zoo I did.” 

It was God’s time. … the rest is history.

We all have family members that don’t know Christ as Savior and Lord.  Don’t lose heart … continue praying for them that God would open their hearts to the truth of the Gospel.

The third, and perhaps the most important thing that we see in this parable is that it is God who chooses to give us what He wants — INCLUDING our salvation.  

Our salvation is His to give!!

We see this in the concluding words of the parable — 20:16:

““So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.””

A honest reading of the scriptures shows clearly that it is God who does the choosing.  He choose Abraham …  He choose Isaac and Jacob also, along with Joseph.  

As we know, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers — and after he became second in charge in all of Egypt, his brothers came.  

When Joseph revealed himself to them, he said that is was God who had sent him to Egypt to preserve life.  Again, God choose him and ordained all the circumstances.

We also know that he choose Israel as His people … and He choose them simply because He desired to.

In Deuteronomy 7:6-8: we read: ““For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers,””

God also choose Saul as the first King of Israel … He choose David to replace him .. but most of all, He chooses His people to give them salvation.

We read the familiar words in Ephesians 1:3-5: 

““Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as HE CHOSE US IN HIM before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, HAVING PREDESTINED US TO ADOPTION as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,””

… note clearly those words: ““ACCORDING TO THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS WILL,””

In the Book of Acts … we read of Paul’s teaching at Antioch.  And when the Jews rejected his teaching … he then spoke to the non-Jews … the Gentiles.

And Paul … quoting from Isaiah says: ““I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” … and then we read:

““Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”” …

““AND AS MANY AS HAD BEEN APPOINTED TO ETERNAL LIFE BELIEVED.””

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One other thing that is important in all this.

Modern Evangelical Christianity views salvation from the individual point of view.

“I have accepted Christ as Savior … I raised my hand … I went forward … I prayed the sinners prayer …

So called “Believer’s Baptism” is focused on the individual … I chose to be baptized …””

… I, I, I.

But in the first chapter of Ephesians we see an interesting phrase — 3 times in talking about our salvation:

Verse 6: “”“to the praise of the glory of His grace …””

Verse 12: ““that we who first trusted in Christ should be TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.””

Verse 14: ““TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.””

While our salvation does have many blessings to us as individuals … the primary purpose of our salvation is to bring Glory to God! 

… TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.

The point of it all is that if we have trusted in Christ as Savior and Lord, it is because God has done a work in our hearts.  

As we read in Ephesians 2:1: ““And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins …””  

He — GOD —  has made us alive … — before that … we were dead … spiritually dead.  

Dead men can do nothing — there is no life there — and there is no way that someone who is dead can turn to God under their own power …

… BUT as we read … it is God who has made us alive in Christ Jesus — by His grace AND as we read in our passage …

““For many are called, but few are chosen.””

NOW … One thing must be pointed out — which I have done before — and that is the fact that just because we are chosen by God … and it is God that brings people to Himself by the power of HIS Holy Spirit … 

— this fact does not lessen or diminish our responsibility to proclaim the Gospel — the good news that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

While we are not all evangelists — WE ARE ALL witnesses.

I have told you many times before … and it goes for me also … that witnessing is not something that we do … it is something we are! 

We are witnesses by our lives … by our words … by our actions.  

The very fact that we get up on Sunday morning and come here is a witness to our neighbors.  

The very fact that we do certain things and don’t do certain things is a witness to those around us.

The very fact that we support the church is a witness to others …

I found it interesting that there was a number of Eagle players that prior to the game knelt in the end zone to pray … and following the win … the coach and a couple of players gave glory to God … that is a witness …

So … not only are our actions and reactions important … but we also have to follow it up with our words.  1 Peter 3:15 says: 

““But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;””

We have to be able give a defense for the hope that is within us. 

And so we see, that while it is God who does the choosing — we still have a responsibility to be witnesses — because WE DON’T KNOW whom He has chosen.

So, as we think about this parable … let us remember that God has blessed each of us differently in terms of our material possession … 

— BUT … but … He has given us the same blessed gift Spiritually — and that is our salvation through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ … 

… TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.  AMEN!