In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

 When it comes right down to it, what is the real difference between the first and the last laborers in the vineyard?  Some might think it's simply a matter of greed and jealousy, that the first workers didn't get what they thought they deserved in comparison to the others.  And we can sort of understand their point.  We wouldn't like it if somebody got paid the same as we did for doing only a fraction of the work.  Nothing seems to arouse our passions more than if there's even a hint that we are being treated unfairly in money matters.  We love to grouse about how overpaid athletes are and how obscene corporate profits are.  Of course, if we're honest about it, there's a bit of jealousy there on our part, and a sense that we deserve it as much or even more than they do because of our hard work.  But that's not the real difference between the first and the last laborers in the vineyard.  It goes deeper than just what's considered fair.

 The first laborers had an agreement, a contract with the landowner to work for a denarius a day.  That was a reasonable, decent wage for a good day's labor.  The other laborers, however, had no such agreement or contract.  They didn't insist upon definite terms.  Rather, the landowner simply said, "Go into the vineyard, and whatever is right, I will give you."

 Now if that were you, would you have gone to work for this landowner?  Would you labor for him not knowing what your wages were going to be, if all you had to go on was His promise to do what was right?  It all depends, doesn't it?  It depends on what kind of person you think him to be–is he miserly or generous, is he a man of good character or bad?  It depends on whether or not you trust him–do you know him, do you have a good relationship with him?  If you didn't trust the landowner, you probably wouldn't go into his vineyard.  If you did, you would.

 That ultimately is the real difference between the first and the last in this parable.  The first were dealing with the landowner on the basis of a contract; the last were dealing with him on the basis of trust in his goodness.  The first dealt with him on what they deemed to be fair.  The last dealt with him on the basis of what he deemed to be good and right.  Do you see the difference?

 The owner of the vineyard in this parable is God the Father.  By His Word and Spirit He sends out the call of the Gospel to come into His vineyard, which is the church, and for His people to be about the things pertaining to the holy Vine.  Some come into the church from the first moments of their life, baptized as infants, remaining faithful their entire lives.  Others are converted as adults.  Some aren't brought to faith in Christ the Savior until their lives are almost over.  Some are full of good works.  Others are full of weakness and failure who yet cling to Christ.  But God gives all the same thing at the end of the day: full forgiveness of sins, deliverance from death and the devil, everlasting life with Him in heaven.  He does this not because He is unfair, but rather, because He is generous and loving and merciful.  He pours out His gifts on His people abundantly and lavishly.  For the reward at the end of the day is given not based on our work but on the work of His Son, who lived and died and was raised again for us.

 The problem arises when some in the vineyard of the church begin to think that their length of time and their service deserves some special reward, who want God to work on the merit system.  This is a problem for two reasons.  First of all, it destroys the relationship of love that God wishes to have with His people.  Love has nothing to do with what is owed or deserved.  Real love is a freely given gift with no strings attached.  As soon as we start wanting to deal with God on the basis of what He owes us, it is no longer a relationship of love, but in the end a business relationship–you do for me, I'll do for you.  To treat God like that is not to love Him but to use Him.

 Furthermore, if we want God to deal with us on the basis of what's fair, what we deserve, we're putting ourselves in grave danger.  Those who want the merit system with God are spiritually ignorant.  If you want fair wages, then here's what the Scriptures say, "The wages of sin is death."  Those who go to hell are really only getting what they asked for, namely, the just payment for their faithless works.  In their unbelief the damned will bitterly disagree with God's judgment and spend all of eternity suffering the anguish of growing infinitely more angry with the God they consider to be unfair.

 Do you find yourself considering God to be unfair because of your situation in life or something that's happened to you?  Are you one whose religion is like a contract with God, a system of rewards for your good behavior?  Do you negotiate with God in your prayers (I'll do this for you if you do this for me)?  If so, then you are behaving like the first laborers in this parable, and you must repent.  Turn away from ranking yourself above others, turn away from your own works, and turn to the works of Christ.  Believe that it is only and entirely through Him that you receive any blessing from the Father.  Trust in Christ alone to save you from death and hell.

 That is the real difference between the first and the last; it is the difference between unbelief and faith.  Unbelievers seek a God who is fair, and when they find Him, they don't like Him.  Believers seek a God who is merciful and gracious, and when He finds them, they love Him.  Believers know that it is only by grace that they are even in the vineyard, no matter how long they've been there.  They consider it a privilege and an honor to be able to contribute to the health and the growth of the vineyard.  They are not jealous of the newcomer or of the one converted in his dying days, but they rejoice that the same mercy that saved themselves has also saved another.  Even a faithful lifelong Christian recognizes that of himself he deserves nothing and that it is only because of Jesus that he has forgiveness and life.  As it is written, "The free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23)."  And again, "By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)."

 Remember, the landowner said, "Go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you."  The word for "right" can also be translated "righteous."  "Whatever is righteous I will give you."  God is not simply saying, "I will give you what is fair," but, "I will give you what My righteous Son Jesus won for you."  Or most simply, "I will give you My righteousness."  It is written in Romans 3, "You are declared righteous freely by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

 Do you trust the owner of the vineyard to give you what is right in Christ?  Do you believe that He will be good to you at the end of the day?  Faith says, "I trust You, O Lord, to give whatever is right, for I know You to be One who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love."

 It is as we prayed in the Introit, "The Lord will save the humble people, but will bring down proud and haughty looks."  Or as Jesus said, "The last will be first, and the first last."  It's not first come first served; it's first come last served and last come first served.  The repentant new believer is at the front of the line while the self-righteous lifetime member is at the end.

 Martin Luther had this to say on today's Gospel, "When God declares that ‘the first will be last,' He takes away all your presumptions and forbids you to exalt yourself, even above a whore, even if you were Abraham, David, Peter, or Paul.  But when He says, ‘the last will be first,' He bids you cast off despair and not to regard yourself unfavorably even in comparison with the saints, even though you were Pilate, Herod, Sodom and Gomorrah.  For just as we have no reason at all for presumption and boasting, so also we have no reason for despair.  In this way then, all merits are set aside and God's goodness alone is praised. . .  We are all the same in our sin and death, and so we all receive the same grace.  Always the kingdom comes by grace to whomever God desires to give it."

 "The last will be first, and the first last."  For that is the way of Christ.  He who is the first and the greatest humbled Himself to be the last of all on the holy cross.  He was treated unfairly so that you would be treated graciously.  He Himself was the one who did the work in the vineyard that brings you the generous reward at the end of the day.  Christ was handed over to Pontius Pilate at dawn.  He was crucified at the third hour of the day.  Darkness covered the land at the sixth hour, noon.  Our Lord died at the ninth hour as the perfect and complete sacrifice for your sin.  He was buried at the eleventh hour of the day just before sundown.

 So then, Jesus Christ is the true Laborer in the vineyard.  See how the work was all done before you were even brought to the faith.  You need to add nothing!  For Jesus said, "It is finished." Only receive and cling to His mercy and grace.  Lay hold of the denarius Christ earned for you, the forgiveness and life and salvation which He now gives to you in His words and His supper.  Come in penitent faith to His table to receive the rich blessing He gives with His body and blood–not because it's fair, not because it's owed; but simply because it is His good pleasure to be generous and loving toward you.

  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit