131 - The Grace of Reward#
131 - The Grace of Reward
(JP Text Group - Grace Grass Compilation)
Matthew 20:1-20
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.
5 When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.
10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 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 the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Some ancient manuscripts add, “For many are called, but few are chosen.”)
17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; 19 then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.” 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling before him and asking a favor of him.
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father, we especially thank you for giving us this time to share your word here. We have nothing to boast about in entering the kingdom of heaven; it is your grace bestowed upon us. We can only receive your blessings and cannot complain against God because of this. Through these words, open our eyes to correctly understand all the free grace you have given us. Keep every brother and sister who seeks you to receive something. We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!
‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.’
This tells a story, using this metaphor to show us how we can enter the kingdom of heaven. However, the story and the kingdom are not the same, so there are many types of foreshadowing. Whether it is a story or a metaphor, we cannot equate the metaphor entirely with future facts. Do you understand? Since it is a story, it must refer to something else later on, but there is definitely a gap between the story and the actual events.
For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out to hire laborers for his vineyard.
What kind of people were hired? The hired people were to work in the vineyard. If the kingdom of heaven is God hiring us, then whose kingdom is it? Does it have nothing to do with us? If you finish your work in the kingdom and are thrown out directly, would that be wrong?
The story is merely symbolic, indicating that everyone has the opportunity to be invited by God into the kingdom of heaven, Amen! Do not get caught up in the idea that “God hires us to work in the kingdom and then throws us out directly when we behave poorly, possibly losing our salvation.” This is a misunderstanding; it is not to be understood this way. The story is about the kingdom of heaven.
When reading the Bible, it is essential to pay attention to the context. When interpreting the Bible, it is crucial to consider the context. At the beginning of chapter twenty, ‘For the kingdom of heaven is like,’ the word ‘for’ indicates that something has happened, what kind of event occurred? It is in chapter nineteen. Let’s look at Matthew 19:27. Before this, something happened: a young rich man came to Jesus and said:
“Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
Jesus said, “You know the commandments.”
The young rich man said, “I have kept all these.”
Jesus said, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
The young man went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Then Jesus said something: “It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!”
The disciples did not understand and said, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus replied, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Peter did not quite understand what Jesus meant, so he thought, “Surely his behavior is not good enough; he cannot bear to part with his wealth, so he cannot enter the kingdom. Look, we have given up everything.”
How did Peter ask Jesus? Peter said, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Do you remember that young rich man? “Lord, I have kept all these; can I have eternal life?” Jesus said, “You still lack one thing.” Perhaps Peter thought, “I am much better than him. I have left my nets, left my family, I have given up everything to follow you. Can I have eternal life?”
With this premise, Jesus told the following story. We must understand the reasons behind it; we cannot interpret the verses directly without considering the context. So Jesus said, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.” In September and October, it is a very common story in Israel, meaning that in the Palestinian region, late September is a great harvest season for grapes. It is essential to finish harvesting the grapes during this specific time; if not, they will rot, so they work hard.
At that time, laborers were in high demand. From sunrise to sunset, twelve hours a day, the Jews worked strictly according to the standard. They started counting time at six in the morning; we generally start work at eight, but they began at six and had to settle wages by six in the evening.
Brothers and sisters, doesn’t God care for us particularly? At six o'clock, you start working, and by six in the evening, you receive your pay. God arranged for the Israelites to work this way. Early in the morning, he needed to hire workers, so he went to the market, what we call the labor market.
‘He went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard’ can be understood as six o'clock in the morning. When the workers entered the vineyard, they had to sign a contract first.
Verse 2 says, ‘He agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day and sent them into his vineyard.’
Brothers and sisters, since it is a market, there will definitely be bargaining; the price offered by the employer is not low. A denarius a day is the same as the price for Roman soldiers at that time. The employer was not stingy. The workers agreed, saying, “Okay, a denarius a day, I can work for you.” This was already a contract. Thank God!
At nine o'clock in the morning, the landowner saw others standing idle in the market and said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you what is right.”
But he did not say how much. Working from six in the morning to six in the evening is a day’s wage, and now it is already nine in the morning, which is clearly three hours less. The employer said, ‘I will pay you what is right.’ The person said, “I have already lost three hours; you cannot pay me too little.” There was also a contract involved. Then these people went in.
At noon and at three o'clock in the afternoon, the landowner went out again and said the same thing to the previous ones: “You also go and work in my vineyard; at the end of the day, I will pay you what is right.” He did not mention how much.
From three o'clock in the afternoon to six o'clock, how long is that? Three hours.
In that era, being able to work for three hours was considered a contribution. Before this, everyone thought, I should receive my wages; you should pay me for my work. So they all went in, and the owner only said, “I will pay you what is right.” But he did not say how much.
Finally, at five o'clock, that is, in verse six, “About five o'clock, he went out and found others standing there; he asked them, ‘Why are you standing here all day idle?’ They said, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’”
At five o'clock, these people were still standing in the market waiting for work. In that era, why was the wage settled at the end of the day? Because these laborers had no social security; if they did not work that day, they would not get paid, and their families might go hungry.
The employer saw that it was already five o'clock, and they were still waiting in the market, hoping someone would hire them. This proved that their families indeed had needs, so the employer said, “Since no one has hired you, you also go into the vineyard.” Did he say how much? No!
When they entered, it was already five o'clock, and they knew they had to finish work by six. At five o'clock, he said to them, “You also go in.” For this employer, it was a matter of compassion, and he would give them money. For those hired, did they know how much they would be paid? The previous ones had said, “I will pay you what is right,” but for those who entered at five o'clock, there was no mention of wages.
For those who entered the vineyard at five o'clock, they would not demand a full day's wage from the owner; they absolutely would not. These people were more grateful to the owner. Since you are willing to take me in, I am unworthy; if you can give me something, it is already a great grace!
So brothers and sisters, six o'clock in the morning, nine o'clock in the morning, noon, three o'clock in the afternoon, and five o'clock, are these five points? During these five time periods, different people were hired and went in. This was a common occurrence in the Palestinian region at that time. Workers would definitely settle their wages by six o'clock; why do I say this? This is specifically mentioned in the law, so everyone did not worry about being owed wages because the whole country operated according to God's law. In the Old Testament, which laws mention this? Let’s take a look at:
Deuteronomy 24:14-15:
14 You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. 15 You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets, for he is poor and counts on it; otherwise he may cry against you to the Lord, and you will incur guilt.
This is labor law. God, in the time of Leviticus, during the time of Moses, around 1500 BC, had already established contract law for His people, ensuring both parties were guaranteed. Even if you are wealthy, if you dare to oppress them, the sin will be upon you.
This means that God will judge you. In that kind of country, they all believed in God’s law because they believed that everything was given by God, and they needed to live according to God's law. This was the way of life for the Jews at that time. The first hired did not have to worry about being owed wages; the employer would not play tricks and not pay them. It was already a fair labor contract. In this process, Jesus told the following story.
What does this story foreshadow? Is the landowner this employer? Who does the landowner represent? It is our Heavenly Father. What does the vineyard represent? It symbolizes the church or the kingdom of heaven, where God personally goes out to invite people into the vineyard.
There are several interpretations regarding these five time periods. The first is that God used prophets in the Old Testament; later, He used apostles in the New Testament; and afterward, He used the disciples. Our current era is equivalent to the five o'clock period, where God says, “Come work in my vineyard!” Isn’t it almost time to settle wages? So this era has reached the five o'clock period, Amen! This is the first interpretation.
What is the second interpretation?
God first chose the Jews, then the Gentiles. The earlier ones had a contract with the Jews, “You go, and I will pay you wages.” This was the law era. If you obeyed, I would give you what kind of wages. So if you believe this and offer this sacrifice, it can cover your sins, allowing you to receive what was promised to you.
At that time, it was based on wages. By five o'clock, God did not say to the Gentiles, “After you do these things, I will pay you wages.” No, nothing was said; we are Gentiles. When God made a covenant with us, it was through the New Covenant. What does the New Covenant mean? I have done everything; you come! Come in! This is the second interpretation.
The third interpretation is that it refers to the three different periods of the age of grace: early, middle, and late. After Jesus died on the cross for us, He paid the price for everyone’s sins, and the age of grace began. Now nearly two thousand years have passed. It can also be said that we are now in the late period of grace. This is the third interpretation.
The fourth interpretation refers to individual salvation, meaning some are saved early; some are saved in the middle; and some are saved in their old age. Some believe when they are very young, like at six o'clock, “I have been going to church with my mother since I was little.” This is the six o'clock person. Some believe just before they die, “I want to accept Jesus,” and then they pass away. This is the five o'clock person.
Through these four ways, let’s see what kind of rewards God gives us. Are those who believed in the Lord since childhood and those who believed just before death receiving the same? Some say they are different. Some say they are the same. If they are different, in what way are they different? You may be confusing one thing: one is the salvation of grace; the other is the reward of grace. Do you understand, brothers and sisters? In terms of salvation, everyone is the same. As mentioned earlier, we must look at the context.
In verse 16, someone came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
This is about entering the kingdom of heaven. For everyone, whether they believe early or late, the kingdom of heaven and all its blessings are yours. The only difference is in the rewards, which is not what we should emphasize today. If we focus on the rewards, it becomes problematic. If it were about rewards, then those who believed early would receive more in the kingdom, and those who believed late would receive less, which would be unfair from God. It would relate to our behavior. We do not enter the kingdom based on our behavior, but we receive rewards in the kingdom based on our behavior, Amen!
Today we are discussing the issue of salvation; do not link it with rewards. If it is about rewards, then the scripture cannot be resolved. Whether you entered the vineyard at six o'clock in the morning or at five o'clock in the afternoon, as long as you entered, you are saved. This is God’s grace. It also foreshadows that in our time, due to the incarnation of Jesus, He aims to save all the lost in the world.
What kind of people are the idle ones? Those who have not entered the vineyard or those who do not believe are seen as idle in God’s eyes, Amen! It is God’s grace that has come upon these people, saying, “Why are you standing idle here?” In fact, the landowner’s question itself is a form of concern, “Because no one has hired us.” “You are really pitiful!” Wouldn’t it be enough to just leave? But the employer is not like that; he is full of love and compassion, saying, “You also go in!”
God sees us drifting alone in the world, just like that lost sheep, just as Jesus saw the Israelites, just like this group of sheep without a shepherd, scattered. Jesus was very anxious for them and had compassion on them. Does God see us the same way? God sees those who have not entered into Christ, those who do not believe in Jesus, as idle people. Therefore, God personally comes to find us, inviting us to enter His vineyard. Hallelujah!
Other religions in the world are people seeking God, but they are actually seeking false gods. Only our God, who became flesh in Christ, comes to seek us. All believers are called by Jesus, who seeks us and brings us into Him.
We become evangelists, bringing people into Christ, bringing people before Christ, not bringing people to ourselves or to our church, but bringing people into Christ. This is what we want to share. If you have not yet believed in Jesus and are outside of Christ, unrelated to Christ, no matter how busy you are, in God’s eyes, you are just an idle person.
The last person who entered the vineyard is about to receive wages; what does this refer to? It refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ. In the final period of grace, as long as you catch this train, all the blessings in the kingdom of heaven are still yours. Hallelujah! We must understand that even though we are late, we do not receive less than the Jews. It is not based on how much we have done that we receive. What is the boast of the Jews? “Our ancestors are Abraham; we have served this God for fifteen hundred years; we have done many things for God; we offer sacrifices every year.” They feel they are God’s people through these rituals.
In that era, God indeed used these sacrificial rituals to let them know that after the sacrifice, God accepted them. It requires effort. The person who entered at five o'clock knows he is unworthy and relies not on his labor, saying, “Master, I have worked for you for one hour.” Is there anything to boast about? There is not even an opportunity to boast.
Under grace, regardless of how much you feel you have done for God, being justified is not because of your behavior, not because of how much you have done for God. God says, “You have done well; come, enter my kingdom!” It is not like that. We are all those who entered the house of God at five o'clock. Therefore, in the presence of God, we are all recipients of grace. Hallelujah! Salvation is by faith; do not add any other conditions. Hallelujah! No matter what kind of message you have heard before, I want to tell you to return to the Bible.
The Bible tells us, “If you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, you will be saved.” What do you believe? You do not believe in how good your behavior is, but that Jesus paid the price for your sins on the cross, so you can enter into Christ. And all of this is God’s free grace.
Do not compare your behavior with the Jews; you cannot compete with them. You are too far behind. The Jews pray three times a day, fast twice a week, and have large pilgrimage ceremonies every year. How do we compare with them? We are far behind. The last person who entered the vineyard at five o'clock, do not compare how much work he did with the person who entered at six o'clock in the morning; you cannot compete with him at all, Amen!
But you can compare the grace received. Thank God, this is God’s intention, to give His grace and His kingdom freely to those who believe in Him. If you believe in Jesus, the kingdom of heaven is yours. If you believe that Jesus shed His precious blood for your sins and died, your sins are forgiven. If you believe He rose from the dead, you are justified. Entering the kingdom of heaven is solely based on faith, just faith, Amen!
Then at the end, we see that whether you entered at six o'clock or at five o'clock, the wages are settled at six o'clock.
I have told you before that their way of counting time was like this: they hung a white rope outside the window. If you look out from inside and cannot see that rope, it means a new day has come. Our timing starts in the morning, but they start counting from the evening when it gets dark. So they gradually pass through, and it gets brighter, which aligns with the Bible. What is the way of timing for the world? It starts bright and then turns dark. We should not follow the world’s way.
The Jews would say, “This day has already passed; you must settle today’s wages.” Generally, at six o'clock in the evening, all the workers would be called over, and then the wages would be distributed.
The owner actually only needed to do one thing: if he called the ones who came at six o'clock and started paying from morning to evening, there would not be such a problem. Because of the later ones, “The ones who came at six in the morning worked for twelve hours, and now they receive a denarius; I estimate there won’t be that much.” There would be no disputes.
But the problem is that this landowner reversed the order, causing the issue. He let the last ones come first to receive their rewards. God did not say to us, “I will give you more than the Jews; the Jews will receive very little.” Just like this landowner, he did not say, “Now it is five o'clock; you also go in; you must receive a full day’s wage.” He did not promise them that, which is called grace.
In verse 9, ‘When those hired about five o'clock came, each received a denarius.’ ‘And when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.’ There is a very important word here, ‘they thought.’
Why did they think they would receive more? Because they were comparing behavior. Brothers and sisters, many times, we inadvertently become like these people, thinking we can receive more. What was their reasoning?
In verse 11, ‘When they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘We have worked all day in the scorching heat, and the last ones only worked for one hour; you have made them equal to us!’’
What was the reason for their complaint? They felt they had worked a full day, and he had only worked for one hour; why should he receive as much as I do? They thought they should receive more. This is a mistake many people serving in the church also make. Such people are already under the law; they forget one thing: what was the contract they signed? It was a denarius. You have not been wronged; why do you want more?
Where is the difference between us and the Jews? In behavior, we absolutely cannot compare with the Jews; they are so devout in their actions. But we receive eternal life, and it is the same as theirs. The Holy Spirit we receive is the same as theirs.
The apostles received the Holy Spirit, and you can receive it too. They could not obtain all that righteousness through the law; if you believe in Jesus, you can receive it. In this situation, the Jews would certainly feel uncomfortable with us! They would say, “Why is it like this for them!” At first, when Peter and the others preached the gospel, they felt that the Jews were much superior to the Gentiles.
They looked down on the Gentiles; in the eyes of the Jews, Gentiles were like dogs, unclean. Once, while Peter was praying at noon, he fell into a trance, and God showed him a vision of a sheet with four unclean animals. God said to Peter, “Peter, kill and eat.” What did Peter say? “Lord, I have never eaten anything unclean.” Those four unclean animals symbolize the Gentiles.
God said to Peter, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” Did he not understand this? Until later, someone said, “Is Peter here?” People came from Cornelius’ house, and when Peter preached to them, the Holy Spirit “fell” upon them. Peter said, “Now I truly understand that God shows no partiality!”
As long as you believe, you will receive. At that time, it changed Peter’s thinking. Peter thought, “I am so devout; I am a great disciple of Jesus; I have followed Jesus for more than three years, and I know the law!” But so what? Do those Gentiles know the law? No.
They had just received the gospel, but the Holy Spirit fell upon them. When did Peter and the others receive the Holy Spirit? It was also at Pentecost, and this event did not happen long after. This means they had labored and suffered, “It has been so long, and they have received the Holy Spirit.” When these Gentiles believed, the Holy Spirit fell upon them.
This is the person who entered at five o'clock, Amen! And we are just like that, entering into God’s house. So do not be like those who came early in the morning, thinking they should receive more. Brothers and sisters, you do not serve God to enter the kingdom; when you believed, you were already in the kingdom.
Any service has nothing to boast about before God. You cannot say, “Lord, I have served you for so many years…” So what? No matter how much you serve, can you enter the kingdom based on your actions? Is there anyone like that? No. Knowing that everything is a gift of God’s grace allows you to be grateful. No matter how much you have done for the Lord, you are still grateful. Do not compare; why should he receive so much for doing so little? This is not something to compare.
Regarding rewards, God will naturally mention this later, but here it refers to salvation issues, so the motivation is extremely important. Those who came early felt their behavior was good; they thought they were better than him. Once you start comparing, problems arise, and it becomes unbalanced.
Brothers and sisters, in the church, do not compare; I am better than him; he is not as good as me; my gifts are more than his. So what? Everything is received from God. Hallelujah! If you really want to compare, compare how much you know the grace of Jesus! Focus all your attention on Jesus. If you only look at yourself, “I have done so much for God,” you will create many contradictions and disputes. If you really want to compare, compare how much grace Jesus has given you! Hallelujah!
Finally, it says, ‘They each received a denarius.’ In fact, when the first ones did not receive their wages, they thought, “Hmm, I should receive more.” But in the end, it was the same. When we enter the kingdom of heaven, the way we enter is the same as the Jews. Although they have kept the law for fifteen hundred years, so what? We have not kept it, but we believe in Jesus, and we can still enter. Hallelujah!
So they felt, ‘We have worked all day in the scorching heat, and the last ones only worked for one hour; you have made them equal to us!’
This is the grace of God’s reward. It is not based on our labor; it is not based on our behavior that we enter the kingdom of heaven and receive eternal life. Because eternal life is a free gift from God, if you want to enter the kingdom through behavior, you must keep all the laws.
If you want to be justified and enter the kingdom through the law and behavior, then keep all the laws! If you break one, there is no chance. In this case, only Jesus has kept all the laws, Amen! After He kept them, He gave the gift He received freely to us, Amen!
God found you, allowed you to enter into Him, and become His child, not because you are better than that person, but because God had mercy on you. Before entering the vineyard, no matter how busy you are in the world, in God’s eyes, you are just an idle person. Regardless of how wealthy or how high your status is, or how poor or low your status is, everyone comes before God through faith.
What kind of person praises God more? Who is more grateful? Of course, it is the poor, the one with nothing, who feels, “I am so unworthy, and you give me so much.” Think about it, at the wage settlement scene, when the person who entered at five o'clock received that denarius, what was he thinking? Would he boast about his actions? No matter how much he did, he would not boast before the master, and we are precisely those who entered the vineyard at five o'clock.
Brothers and sisters, we have absolutely nothing to boast about before God. No matter how long you have served before God, compared to the Jews, your service is still too short; you have only worked for one hour. The purpose of serving must be understood. Are we different from the Jews? Are we different from those who entered at six o'clock in the morning? The person who entered at six o'clock had a contract with God for a denarius a day; their purpose in serving was to live for the wages.
So when they saw others receiving more than they did, they began to grumble against the landowner, saying, “I have done so much for you all day long…”
But the master said, “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?” Will God be unfair to people? No. Always remember, even if the Jews have offered so much and done so much, God has not been unfair to them. God has given us His abundant grace. God is not unfair to people; He has given us more, and you are precisely the ones who have received more. We do not deserve it, so God calls this grace, Hallelujah!
In serving in the church, we should also have this mindset; do not serve purely for money. If the church does not give you much money, will you leave? This kind of service is very dangerous; this is called hired labor.
In fact, when I first came to serve in our church, my salary was three hundred yuan. If it were for money, would you serve here? When we understand that we are giving for the Lord, because God has given us so much, I am willing to serve God this way, and you will overcome the issue of money. You will not compare and say, “Lord, why do you give him so much and me so little?” You will not complain against God because you know God is just and fair; He has already given me more grace. Hallelujah!
If a person’s attitude is wrong, problems will arise. What did the landowner say? ‘Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.’ What does ‘I choose’ mean? Our God is truly amazing. God is indeed very willful, saying, “I want to give you ten thousand yuan; what can you do about it?” You are that group of people; I am willing to give you this grace; if you believe, I will give it to you. Why are the Jews envious? Why are you envious?
This does not tell us that we should all wait until five o'clock to enter the vineyard; it means do not rely on the law to enter the kingdom; it is too difficult. You must labor and suffer, put in a lot of effort, and strive to keep all the laws to live. If you cannot keep them, you will be cursed. So they must labor and suffer and work hard. The Bible also tells us that the kingdom of heaven is entered by those who strive; those who strive will obtain it. That was under the Old Testament law. Today is different; God says He will give His grace freely to you, Amen!
This is what the Bible says, “The last will be first, and the first will be last.” ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ What does ‘envious’ mean? The original meaning of ‘envious’ is more thorough than we think; the original meaning of ‘envious’ is, do you possess an evil eye? Is your heart not right? Has jealousy caused resentment? This is the meaning of envy. Is it just because I gave him more that you feel so uncomfortable? Have you become evil-eyed?
This is a warning to the disciples. Did I not mention earlier that the Jews always boasted, “Abraham is our ancestor,” including Peter, who also boasted, “Lord, look, I have left everything and followed you. What can I receive?” So when Peter had this thought, Jesus needed to correct their wrong thinking. He said, “What I want to give you is more, Hallelujah!”
In Matthew 19:29, how did Jesus respond? ‘Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.’
Jesus gave him an explanation, saying, ‘Everyone who has left all these for my name's sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.’ What does this mean? Does it mean we should not have parents, land, or anything else, and only follow Jesus? No.
Brothers and sisters, it is essential to understand that this is a warning to the Jews. Because the Jews felt they were the chosen people, Abraham was their pride, and they looked down on the Gentiles, hating and despising them, hoping the Gentiles would be destroyed. They said that if anyone wanted to believe in our Lord and enter our Jewish synagogue, they must come in at a low status. This is how the Jews viewed the Gentiles. Let’s see how Jesus spoke to them. Let’s read together:
Matthew 3:9-10,
9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
People who want to boast about their behavior before God find it very difficult to enter the kingdom of heaven, Amen! Jesus said to them, “Do not presume to say, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; so what? I also want to tell some people, if many in your family believe in Jesus, so what? If you do not believe, you will also be cut down.” This is a warning to the Jews.
Here it also shows God’s generosity, meaning that for those who have left all for my name, I will let you receive a hundredfold. Does it mean we will receive a hundred parents? What does receiving a hundredfold mean? We must understand these scriptures; what is Jesus trying to say?
Do not serve for your family. When serving God, do not serve for houses; do not serve for land; serving for these reasons is what was mentioned earlier, the one who entered at six o'clock thought, “I have worked a full day, and you give me a denarius; this way, my family, my house, my loans can be paid off, and my family will have food.” He was serving for this reason, which is correct.
This kind of service must be avoided. Many people fall into this trap, serving God for houses, for family businesses, for their descendants. This is called a profession. Are there many professional pastors? They treat this as a job, not as a life of service.
So Jesus said, “Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, or fields for my name's sake will receive a hundredfold.”
If you are not serving for property, family, or your descendants, but serving me, I will let you receive a hundredfold. Do you see God’s blessing? If you are not doing it for that, God will let you receive a hundredfold. Just like the person who entered at five o'clock, he was not serving for money, was he? No, he thought, “If you can give me something, that is grace.” No matter how much you give, it is all grace. So he worked hard and was very grateful to the landowner. He did not know how much he could receive, but he received more than the earlier ones, so he received a hundredfold.
Do not calculate with God, saying, “Lord, look, I have served you for so many years; my reward in the kingdom of heaven should be significant, right?” This is Peter’s thought. If you serve for this reason, it will be problematic; you may end up receiving only a little. It is easy to become a Pharisee in the end.
What is the service of the Pharisees like? They hope others can see them; when they pray, they stand at the street corners; when they fast, they make their faces look miserable, deliberately letting people see that they are fasting. When they pray, they say many repetitive words, making people feel they have prayed for a long time. So what does God say? “They have received their reward.”
Indeed, what you do for God, God will reward you, but are you doing it before God to receive a reward from Him, or are you doing it to receive a reward from people? This is important. What do these scriptures mean? If you are not serving Jesus for houses or family, you will receive a hundredfold. Furthermore, it adds, ‘and will inherit eternal life.’
Many people do not understand what “inherit” means. Let me emphasize again, “inherit” means that there are many blessings in the kingdom of heaven. There is peace, joy, goodness, and glory from God. For example, peace can come upon you; you can say you have inherited peace.
Brothers and sisters, these are two concepts. Many people do not understand this. “In the kingdom of heaven, there are many blessings; they cannot inherit eternal life because they do not enter the kingdom.” You are wrong; they are Christians, but many blessings they have not received, yet they are still saved. Hallelujah! Entering the vineyard means being saved; it is just that many have not received these blessings.
Let’s take today’s example. You say that the one who started working at six o'clock in the morning and worked until six o'clock in the evening, did they complain about working all day? “Oh, how hot it is! Oh, that wicked employer, there is so much to do…” They forget that if they had not hired so many workers, where would they earn money?
Many people also curse their bosses at work, “That wicked boss, why do you give me so much work?” If you cannot do anything in the company all day and are sent home, is that what you want? People are very contradictory; they are busy in the company, cursing their boss for giving them so much work. If there is no work, how can you pay them? People complain while working, and when it comes time to settle wages, they still feel it is too little.
The same problem arises; these people, while working, do not have a grateful heart towards the landowner; they complain, complain, complain, and in the end, when they see others receiving more, they complain even more, unable to bear it. The person who entered at five o'clock, what kind of mindset did he have while working? “I did not expect there to be such a good boss in the world; it is already five o'clock, and I have only one hour left.” Would he complain during that one hour? No.
You can serve God; it is your honor, and you will joyfully serve every day. God wants to bless you through your boss; you will joyfully work. Isn’t it true that the more work you have, the happier you are? Remember, the more work your boss gives you, the more he values you, proving you have the ability. If he gives you one task and you mess it up, he will not let you do it again. Isn’t that something to be grateful for? Change your mindset, brothers and sisters; you are under grace, Hallelujah!
If you are not serving God for houses or children, God says He will let you receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life. What does this mean? So many blessings, God will let them come upon you. To give an example, God actually hopes we can inherit eternal life, and He hopes we can inherit the world.
What does “inherit” mean? God has so much joy; does God want us to live joyfully every day? He particularly wants that, but God also says, “You must forgive your brothers.” You say, “No, I cannot forgive him; when I see him, I get angry; his behavior is so terrible.” If you choose not to forgive, will God curse you? No, but what have you lost?
That’s right; God originally wanted to give you joy, but you say, “I will not forgive him; I will hate him.” You cannot inherit the blessing of joy. You cannot say God did not give you joy; God says, “If you forgive him, won’t you be joyful?”
Just like I explained earlier about work, if you curse your boss every day, you will not be able to inherit the joy of work. Starting today, thank your boss, Amen! “God, you have blessed him so much, allowing me to have so much work to do.” Your mindset will change, and you will see the whole world differently. God has allowed you to inherit much joy around you, Amen! This is the meaning.
To receive a hundredfold because you are not doing it for yourself; your work is serving God. Not only will you receive wages, but you will also inherit the joy that God wants to give you. Can you understand, brothers and sisters? Do not serve God for rewards; doing so will cause you to lose rewards. If you serve for Jesus, you will receive a hundredfold reward.
Matthew 25:36-37,
‘36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing; I was sick, and you took care of me; I was in prison, and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, 37 ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?’
Because he has always served the Lord, treating everything as serving the Lord, he forgot. God says, “You forgot; that’s okay; I have not forgotten; I remember.” Hallelujah! If you always remember, God says, “I do not remember.” Because if you often remember, it means you want to receive a reward from people. God says, “If you remember, I will forget.” If you have received a reward from people, you will not have it before God!
Brothers and sisters, entering the kingdom of heaven is a free gift of grace. Whether you believed in the Lord when you were young, in middle age, or in old age, it is all by faith that you are justified. At the moment you accept Jesus, all the blessings in the kingdom of heaven are yours. It is not because your behavior is good that you receive it; these blessings were originally meant to be given to you. If you come in earlier, you can inherit more, Amen!
God’s rewards are beyond our imagination; the riches of the kingdom of heaven, His blessings are beyond your imagination. The longer you know the Lord, the more you will understand His grace. Thank and praise the Lord; do not say you have believed in the Lord for many years. You should consider how long you have truly given for the Lord. God will remember this day.
Let’s look at the last passage of scripture, Matthew 6:1-4,
1 Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Do you see our Father’s intention? What you do for the Lord in the world may not be known by anyone; your service may not be seen by anyone, but you are always doing it before God. In the future, at the judgment seat, God will let everyone from the foundation of the world to the end of the world see these things. So now it is in secret; on that day, God will reward you openly, Hallelujah!
God says, “The crown of righteousness, the holiness of what, what, all will be given to you; the reward is eternal.” Do you want to receive a reward from people or from God? This is extremely important. So when we serve God, is there joy in it?
Remember, brothers and sisters, in the family, taking care of children is serving God. Never say, “This is mine.” That is God’s, Hallelujah! When you are at work, it is a way of serving God, Hallelujah! You are working for the Lord, Amen!
Similarly, serving in the church is the same; all ministries are done for the Lord. You are the one who entered the vineyard at five o'clock, living in grace, Hallelujah! We have nothing to boast about in our actions, but God does not look at your actions; He has freely given all the blessings of the kingdom of heaven to you. He wants you to live joyfully. Amen!
Let us pray together:
If today’s words have helped you, please loudly pray before God, “Lord, from today on, I will not serve for people; I serve solely because I understand your grace has given me so much. I am willing to serve you, Amen! All the rewards of the kingdom of heaven are freely given to me, and they are what Jesus has prepared for me on the cross, Amen!”
Heavenly Father, we thank you! Thank you for loving us like this. Our actions have nothing to boast about; you do not reward us based on our actions or how much work we have done. You give us the rewards of the kingdom of heaven because of what Jesus has done for us. We are the ones who entered the vineyard at five o'clock. Yet you have treated me so graciously, allowing me, this idle person, this drifting person, to have a home today, to serve you, and to recognize your grace, I thank you.
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me like this, for treating me like this. You do not require us to obey everything like the Jews; we are unworthy, yet you have given your abundant grace freely to me. Thank you for loving me like this, Hallelujah! No matter the circumstances, you have not left us. You do not look at behavior to bless us; you freely give the kingdom to those who believe. You personally came to find us, inviting us to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Your grace has come upon us. If we have not entered into Christ, we are all idle people. You have had mercy on us, treated us kindly, and even if we have exhausted our strength to finish this one hour, we have nothing to boast about. We are willing to serve you with the rest of our lives, and you have given us your abundant grace. In the kingdom of heaven, you have given us all the blessings; you want us to live with this joy and gratitude. We do not complain every day; we live joyfully every day.
Heavenly Father, thank you! You love us like this because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. You no longer remember our sins because Jesus has cleansed us with His blood, and your blessings can come upon us. Thank you, Jesus, for preparing these blessings for me. All glory be to you. We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!