Bible Reading
Matthew 19:27-30 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
[41:24]Matthew 20:1-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 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.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”
[43:30] [45:35]Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
[46:53]Matthew 20:17-19 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
[47:34]Observation questions
- In Matthew 19, what question does Peter ask after saying that the disciples have left everything to follow Jesus, and how does Jesus answer him?
- How many different times does the master go out to find workers in Matthew 20, and what does this show about the master’s initiative? [46:14]
- What do the workers who were hired first expect when they see the last workers receive a denarius, and what do they actually receive?
- What words does the master use to address the grumbling worker, and what reasons does he give for his generosity? [46:33]
Interpretation questions
- Why might Peter’s question, “What then will we have?” reveal that he is thinking of following Jesus partly in terms of what he has earned? [42:44]
- The first workers receive exactly what they agreed to receive. Why do they still feel wronged, and what does that reveal about how comparison can turn a good gift into a source of resentment? [45:16]
- How does Jesus’ announcement that He will be mocked, flogged, crucified, and raised help explain the kind of generosity pictured in the vineyard? [47:44]
- In what way does the cross show both the seriousness of sin and the generosity of God? [51:08]
Application questions
- Where has the thought, “That’s not fair,” been repeating in your mind lately—at home, at work, in relationships, or in the church? What loss, comparison, or wound is underneath that thought?
- When someone else receives a blessing, an opportunity, forgiveness, or recognition, do you tend to quietly assume that more should come to you too? What might that reveal about the expectations in your heart? [45:21]
- God’s grace is not a wage earned by longer service, better behavior, or a cleaner past. How does that truth bring both humility about your own sin and joy when someone else comes to faith late in life? [49:46]
- Jesus calls the grumbling worker “friend.” Where do you need to hear Jesus speak that kind word over your own envy, resentment, failure, or self-righteousness? [52:16]
- Is there someone who has treated you unfairly whose face or memory still brings anger? What would it look like to begin bringing that person honestly to Jesus, without calling their wrong good but also without letting it rule your heart? [52:58]
- Jesus took the judgment sinners deserve and gives forgiveness, belonging, and life instead. How could remembering the cross change the way you respond this week when life does not feel fair? [48:19]
