There’s an old legend about 2 brothers who lived together in perfect harmony for many years without a single quarrel or argument. One day a magic genie appeared and told them, “You two brothers are bout to reap your reward for you have lived together in perfect harmony all your lives.” He told them to ask for anything and it would be theirs. Just before the genie disappeared, he added several conditions: “The wonderful thing is that although only one brother can make the wish, the other brother will receive twice as much of whatever he asks for. But remember, this offer is good only until sundown tonight.”

These brothers were excited. You would be too! What to ask for? The sky was the limit—a billion dollars, a thousand servants, a whole kingdom? As they celebrated their newfound joy, slowly a dark realization began to creep into the heart of the brother who would make the wish: his brother would get twice as much as he would. The joy and excitement of the genie’s declaration turned an ugly shade of green as greed and envy reared their demented heads in this brother’s heart. The day began to pass and no wish had been spoken. The sun was about to dip below the horizon, and no wish had been uttered. Finally the other brother in total desperation seized him by the throat and screamed into his face, “Wish, wish, wish or I’ll choke you!” Gasping for breath as his brother’s hands tightened around his throat, the wishing brother said, “I wish, I wish, I wish to be blind in one eye!” We sit in utter amazement, incredulous with even the thought that anyone could do such a terrible thing. But before we pass too harsh a judgment upon these brothers, let’s look at our own hearts to see what is lurking just below the surface. Are there not times when we have acted like these brothers? Sin is like that. Greed and jealousy are like that. You and I are not far from these legendary brothers.

God knows the human heart, and that is why Jesus told this parable of the workers in the vineyard. As the consummate teacher Jesus used everyday, life occurrences to teach spiritual truth to explain God’s Kingdom. In 1st century Palestine the grape harvest would come in very quickly in September. These grapes must be harvested before the rains came, and it was either harvest them or lose them. It was a mad rush to find all the workers to pick the grapes even if it was only for an hour or two. The scene is like the migrant workers gathered in the morning waiting to be picked up by the farm labor buses to be transported to South Jersey farms to harvest the fruit. It was a common sight in September in ancient Palestine and anyone who heard this parable would certainly understand and relate to it immediately.

The owner in this parable hires workers throughout the day—anyone who could and would work. We note that some worked all day while others worked for only a few hours. There is an ironic twist to this story in that at the end of the day everyone got paid the same amount of money. That doesn’t seem fair, does it? This is another one of those Biblical stories that I have had trouble with because of the lack of fairness. Why should we pay the price for the sins of others? Why should those who work 2 hours get paid the same as those who work 8 hours? Apparently I am not the only one with this attitude. Look at verse 11, “When they received it they began to grumble against the land owner.” Look back to vs 1, “For the Kingdom of God is like a landowner….” As I have wrestled with this parable we see that the picture of God is one of grace and love and generosity. It doesn’t matter if you accept Christ at a young age, in mid-life, or as a senior citizen, we all receive the same reward—heaven. I can deal with that and easily accept that God’s grace is extended to all no matter when they come to Him for salvation.

There is more to this parable that we are going to explore. I want us to change the lens through which we look at this story and see it from the perspective of the workers for hire and their attitudes. Truth be known we are much more prone to have the attitude of the workers than that of the landowner. You and I are more like the wishing brother than we care to admit.

In response to the complaints of the workers, the vineyard owner responds, “Are you envious because I am generous?” How would you answer that question-honestly? “You better believe it!” Hard to admit isn’t it, but so true. Why is it that a mother with 3 daughters wishes that she had 3 diamond rings? Because she knows the potential squabble at the reading of her will. Be honest. How may of you felt a twinge of jealousy at the Super Ball lottery winners who just won $350 million? Be honest—sure you do! I was talking to a friend last week who told me that their church is going to be building a new church on 20 acres of ground in Cape May County. After my congratulations to him, I asked what they paid for the land. He told me that someone had donated it to the church. My reply was, “Stuff like that never happens to me!” Was I feeling jealous? Absolutely! I would be less than honest to say I wasn’t! When we were putting on a small addition to the church in Sea Isle City, the Methodist Church in Hammonton received over $800,000 from the will of a New Jersey mobster. That church was dying and we were growing. We needed it more than them, I reasoned. Each one of us need to face the question that Jesus asks each and every one of us through this parable, “Are you jealous because I am kind?”

And the truth is we are. By nature—carnal, human nature—we are jealous over God’s generosity. That’s why Jesus told this parable. The prophet Jeremiah tells us, “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” God knows the sad truth about us and it grieves Him deeply. When God created each aspect of our world, He summed up His work by saying, “It is good.” His highest creation was saved for the last day—man and woman and He said, “It is good.” Later on however the Bible tells us that God regretted making them. So, when we get all puffed up with our own importance, when we think we’re ‘all that,’ when we think that there is no one better looking, no one smarter, and certainly no one as smooth as us, just remember that God regretted creating you!

Somewhere along the line we’ve come to believe that God’s Kingdom is one that “sets us up,” blesses us, establishes us, and doles out special favors to those who are especially religious. But God’s Kingdom is not that, rather it is the reign of Christ in the hearts of His children. The problem with the parable of the workers is the same problem you and I face. We’re never quite ready to let God’s grace, God’s kindness and unmerited favor rest on others as much or more so than it rests on us. Instead of rejoicing in His grace we rate the dispensing of that grace. It’s as if God performs for us and then we hold up the cards: 9.6, 9.8, 7.0, 10, 9.4 etc.

There is a satirical book written for pastors. One chapter is entitled, “How to Be Impressive in the Pulpit.” The chapter says that the key to being impressive in the pulpit is to subtitle each sermon this way, “How to Use the Christian Faith Get What You Want.” One paragraph reads, “Remember, good reverend, if you will never forget that your beloved parishioners are primarily interested in themselves, their spiritual aches and pains, their desire for whatever they equate with happiness, their urge to succeed socially and financially, then you will do well to do the bulk of your preaching on these subjects…. You will discover that your people have an insatiable appetite for sermon on how to improve themselves, or solve their emotional and spiritual problems, so long as the cure you offer them does not require them to 1. Quit anything they like to do, 2. Spend any money, and 3. Commit to any very rigorous or time-consuming spiritual discipline.

When’s God’s grace and kindness is given out, we sometimes keep tabs on who gets what and who gets more than us. Our jealousy comes into direct conflict with God’s generosity. God’s Holy Spirit convicts us when He asks, “Are you jealous because I am kind and generous?”

John the Baptist was anointed and blessed by God. The multitudes followed Him and hung on his every word. He was very popular among the common people. When Jesus came the people began to leave John and follow Jesus. Did John become jealous? Did he badmouth and undermine Jesus’ teachings and ministry? John said about Jesus, “He must increase and I must decrease.” Are we jealous when someone else gets the applause and accolades? That promotion? The job we had our hearts set on? That special part in the play? The truth is that we are a jealous, envious people that often stoop to being “dogs in the mangers” who can’t eat the hay but won’t let the cows eat the hay.

The story is told of an evangelist on a preaching tour and arriving in a new town stopped a young man to ask directions to the post office. When he got the directions, he said, “You seem like a smart young man. How would you like to come to church with me tonight and listen to my sermon? It will show you the way to Heaven.” The young man looked at him and replied, “You’re going to show me the way to Heaven? Why, Reverend, you don’t even know the way to the post office.”

To look at us—the way we live, the way we love, the way we envy, the way we resent another’s good fortune, the way we measure forgiveness, is it any wonder why there are empty seats in the pews? Do we need to wonder really why people are not swarming into our church in droves to have us show them the way to Heaven? To look at us you’d know quickly that we’re fortunate to know the way to the post office, much less to Heaven.

Each one of us fits into one of the groups of the laborers in the vineyard. Some of us accepted Jesus as Savior in the early years of our lives. Some of us did midway in life and even a few of us later in life. Some of you have been Christians for years and many only recently and some of you haven’t yet.

The image of the Kingdom of God is that of laborers in His vineyard. God has called us as Christians as His people to labor for Him. Let us work while it is still day because the Bible tells us that night is coming when no one can work. That means that we don’t have forever to be God’s people and to make an impact in our world and the lives of people around us. Let’s not get hung up on God’s generosity and kindness. Know that the green-eyed monster of jealousy lurks just beneath the surface of our hearts. The best way to defeat that monster and his master, Satan, is to rejoice and be glad when a fellow Christian is blessed with an extra special measure of God’s great grace.

Thank You for Taking The Time to Read This Message.
May God Use These Words to Help You and Strengthen You.