Amazing Grace
Between the years of 1978 to 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 young men. I'm sure most of you remember the news stories. The details of his crimes were absolutely horrific. He was sentenced to 15 life sentences. While in prison, a man reached out and sent him a Bible study. He was then introduced to a local minister, accepted Jesus and was baptized in May of 1994. Just six months later, in November of 1994, a fellow inmate killed Dahmer.
Will Jeffrey Dahmer be in Heaven? Was he sincere in his belief? I can have an opinion about it - but God didn't ask me how He should handle it. God knows Jeffrey Dahmer's heart, just like He knows mine... And if Jeffrey Dahmer is in Heaven - do you think that's fair...?
We seem to have a very strong sense of 'fairness' when it comes to how we are treated and what we feel that we deserve. I want others to be gracious with me - but am I always as gracious with others? Does that sense of fairness affect our view of salvation? I want to start us off by looking at...
I. The offer of Heaven
Jesus told His disciples a parable to teach them about Heaven, about God's Kingdom and to give them some insight into how that works a bit. I want us to look at this passage from Matthew 20:1-16 (NIV)...
For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. (2) He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. (3) About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. (4) He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.'
(5) So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. (6) About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' (7) 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' (8) When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' (9) The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. (10) So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. (11) When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
(12) 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' (13) But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? (14) Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.
(15) Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' (16) So the last will be first, and the first will be last.
Jesus was addressing this tendency to compare our situation to others and perhaps feel cheated if we don't think things are quite fair. Jesus was speaking to a crowd who might have felt that perhaps they deserved God's generosity more than others around them. But in the New Testament we see scriptures that point out that salvation was being offered equally to everyone.
So, why would the people hearing Jesus feel cheated by salvation being offered to everyone? In this specific passage, in context, Jesus was preparing them for God's plans that were much larger than they perhaps believed. You see, at this point in the unfolding story - although salvation was a universal offer, it wasn't offered to all men at the same time. Before Jesus taught this parable of the hired workers, we see this in Matthew 10:5-6 (NIV)...
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. (6) Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
Jesus offered salvation first to Israel. And as the one offering the invitation, He could do as He pleased. But even as Jesus was preparing His 'chosen people' for God's growing Kingdom, this problem of resentment arose when...
A. The offer expanded
From the beginning of God's creation and expressed in His covenant with Abraham, there was a very specific way that had to be followed in order to be right with God. Then Jesus came onto the scene and proclaimed that He was The way! Prior to Jesus - in order to have a saving relationship with God, you had to follow Jewish Law, you had to become 'as a Jew'. After Jesus became the final sacrifice, the Kingdom gates were then thrown open to all of mankind!
This would bother many who had been serving God for years; they had sacrificed and worked hard to follow the letter of the law - and it wasn't easy! Now, all of a sudden - anyone could come to God? Even a person, a Gentile who had ignored God and lived their whole life as a 'pagan' - now even they could come to God and receive a reward...?
There was some dissension as God's generous offer of salvation expanded. And it was because many who had previously worked so hard to follow God misunderstood the purpose of the Law. Somehow they believed that by following it they had earned a spot in God's Kingdom. The people to whom Jesus was speaking didn't yet understand what Paul would later write in Romans 6:23 (NIV)...
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
They believed that if they could just do enough good things - or do the right good things - that they would somehow earn a place in Heaven. The understanding, then, would be that those who hadn't spent their life 'doing good things' could never deserve God's generous gift of grace. But that's not how a gift works....
Back to the parable - the workers in the story tried to explain to the Landowner how he had done things wrong; how he had given pay to those who didn't deserve it. Those first followers of God tried to explain to Jesus how they thought the gift of salvation should be given out. But...
B. God didn't ask man
After Jesus, the way to Heaven was opened up to everyone. God didn't ask His followers how they thought He should do things - He went over and above in His grace to bring as many of His children as possible to Him - whether all of the 'children of Israel' understood or even agreed with His plan or not. We later see this illustrated in Acts 13:44-50 (NIV)...
On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. (45) When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. (46) Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
(47) For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" (48) When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. (49) The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.
(50) But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.
Paul cut right to the heart of the matter. The offer of salvation was for everyone. Those who thought they deserved God's grace were jealous - those who knew they didn't deserve God's grace were grateful. We see that, many Jews, the people through whom God chose to bring the Messiah, rejected God's offer of salvation because He didn't offer it quite in the way they thought He should. They had a problem...
II. Accepting the offer
A big part of the problem as seen in our text from Matthew was jealousy and pride. Yes, we are to work hard for God's Kingdom - but we don't work hard in order to earn Heaven, we are called to work hard because we are going to Heaven. For the Israelites of Jesus' time, the true issue was one of sharing God's grace.
The first century Jews had been expecting the Messiah for thousands of years; for generations. They had an idea of what their Messiah would do to vindicate their suffering at the hands of their enemies. Now, when this 'possible Messiah' finally arrived - He not only offered salvation and Heaven to them but to everyone, including their enemies!
You can somewhat understand their confusion, but it ultimately came as a result of rejecting just how loving and gracious God truly is. Fortunately for all of us - God is more loving than we are. God offers salvation to us even when we don't deserve it. We see in the Bible that God is...
A. Generous with grace
God is more gracious with His children than we deserve. Our service in following Jesus is a response to God's grace, not the basis for it. Paul wrote this to Titus, in Titus 3:3-7 (NIV)...
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. (4) But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, (5) he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, (6) whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Now Jesus' story, His parable was spoken to followers over two thousand years ago. But by way of application - when we read the story of the workers in the field, with which worker could you perhaps most identify? Have you grown up in the Church? Or did you come to know Jesus later in life? What's your attitude towards God's generous grace? We certainly wouldn't want to be the ones complaining - but do our attitudes or actions maybe show that we sometimes feel that we have to...
B. Earn grace?
If your Christianity is based on trying to earn God's grace - your walk with the Lord will be an exhausting one. You'll probably always feel unworthy, always feel those tinges of guilt, always carry the burden of doubt and end up pulling away from God because you just can't quite measure up. You'll be like the unhappy workers in the story - pointing out how others are more blessed than you. You'll critique and complain because things just aren't fair. Your 'religion' will become a chore, an obligation, rather than a blessing and a joy.
Also - you showing grace to others will be very difficult. If you somehow feel that you, who do all sorts of religious things, still can't earn God's grace - 'surely those other people don't really deserve it either'....?
We are unworthy of God's love and always will be. But God's estimation of our worth is not really based on us - but on our relationship with Jesus. Letting go of your pride is a very freeing act. When we fully realize what we really deserve is not Heaven, but Hell - we respond much differently to God's grace; we value God's grace differently and we can't help but share that grace!
When you understand just how amazing grace truly is - your 'religion' becomes a relationship with your loving Creator. When you accept God's grace - you'll be much more joyful, more content, and your service to God and His people will be a source of refreshment rather than just a task. When you accept God's grace - you won't complain that things aren't fair, you'll cheer knowing that you're not getting what you deserve!
It really boils down to a choice - will you allow God to be generous with His grace with you and with others - or not? Your responsibility isn't to work your way to Heaven. Your responsibility is to respond to God's amazing grace! And that response includes sharing that grace freely - even with those whom we might feel don't deserve it...
When the first disciples started sharing God's message of grace, a response was expected. After a crowd heard Peter's message, we see this in Acts 2:37-39 (NIV)...
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (38) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call."
How does God desire we respond to grace? By humbling ourselves, putting His will first in our lives and submitting to Him in baptism. Does that make baptism something we do to earn God's grace? No - we've already seen that there's nothing we can do to earn salvation. Baptism is not a work, but a response to grace. And baptism is a one time event - repentance, that's an ongoing way of life. We're to show our gratitude of God's grace by living out our faith in this world and by sharing God's grace with others - who don't really deserve it either.
So What?
Are we ambassadors of God's generous grace, or do we communicate that grace is only given to those in an 'exclusive club'? Are we messengers of hope or do we see ourselves as protectors who guard the door to salvation?
Don't misunderstand, we are to defend the faith and stand for God's truth. God does still call sin 'sin'. But anyone who humbles themselves before God can receive His gift of grace! There is only One way to God - Jesus - but He decides who receives grace, not us. Anyone can respond to the gift of grace because Jesus will call who He will call for His purposes. And I am eternally grateful, and humbled, that He called me.
Will Jeffrey Dahmer be in Heaven? For what he did, I know that he deserves Hell. But so do I...
God's grace defies logic. God's grace is not fair in a very real sense - because it goes beyond fair, it's loving and it's generous! For those who have not accepted Jesus yet, or for all of us who know someone who hasn't - it is never too late to accept the offer. For those of us who have accepted God's grace, live a life of gratitude and consider yourself the most blessed person in the world to be chosen by the God of the universe!