1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: The Bible Study Podcast, episode 992. Today, the Bible Study 2 00:00:04,059 --> 00:00:07,020 Speaker 1: Podcast is going to have a sermon that I gave 3 00:00:07,100 --> 00:00:19,329 Speaker 1: recently at Bethel Lutheran Church in Cupertino, California. Welcome to 4 00:00:19,350 --> 00:00:22,250 Speaker 1: the Bible Study Podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen. The 5 00:00:22,290 --> 00:00:26,930 Speaker 1: sermon that I gave was based on two texts. One 6 00:00:26,970 --> 00:00:39,780 Speaker 1: was Jonah chapter 3, verse 10. My name is Chris Christensen, 7 00:00:39,820 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: for those of you who don't know me, and for 8 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,860 Speaker 1: those who do. I am not a pastor. I have 9 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,220 Speaker 1: been going to Bethel for 42 years, since we're keeping 10 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,100 Speaker 1: track this morning, apparently. And I am, these days, a 11 00:00:52,470 --> 00:00:57,530 Speaker 1: full-time travel journalist and podcaster. But when I am in 12 00:00:57,650 --> 00:01:00,790 Speaker 1: the town, I am occasionally asked to preach, and I 13 00:01:00,890 --> 00:01:03,930 Speaker 1: thank you for the opportunity this morning. But we have 14 00:01:03,950 --> 00:01:06,430 Speaker 1: a lot to cover, so let's jump into our Old 15 00:01:06,530 --> 00:01:11,420 Speaker 1: Testament lesson first, which is this unfamiliar chapter of a 16 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: very familiar story, the story of Jonah. Now, some of 17 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,220 Speaker 1: you may have learned this as I did in Sunday 18 00:01:18,260 --> 00:01:19,860 Speaker 1: school years ago, and so let me see if I 19 00:01:19,900 --> 00:01:22,270 Speaker 1: can tell you the rest of the story that we 20 00:01:22,310 --> 00:01:25,790 Speaker 1: didn't hear this morning from memory. Here, Jonah is a 21 00:01:26,190 --> 00:01:28,510 Speaker 1: prophet who is sent by God to the city of 22 00:01:28,569 --> 00:01:31,330 Speaker 1: Nineveh to tell them to repent or he's going to 23 00:01:31,370 --> 00:01:35,089 Speaker 1: destroy the city. Jonah doesn't want to. He's afraid. And 24 00:01:35,170 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: so he runs away, grabs a ship heading to the 25 00:01:38,140 --> 00:01:41,100 Speaker 1: far corners of the world. God sends a storm that 26 00:01:41,180 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: tosses this tiny ship. The people on the ship say, oh, 27 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: somebody must have really offended the gods. Jonah says, yep, 28 00:01:48,060 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: it's me. And they try and get out of it. 29 00:01:50,900 --> 00:01:52,940 Speaker 1: They try and row. But finally, they have to throw 30 00:01:52,980 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: him over the side. for the storm to stop, and 31 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: he is swallowed by a whale. He sits inside the 32 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: whale for three long days and nights until he changes 33 00:02:00,820 --> 00:02:03,530 Speaker 1: his mind. He's spewed up on the land. He runs 34 00:02:03,570 --> 00:02:06,450 Speaker 1: to Nineveh. He preaches for a few days, and they 35 00:02:06,670 --> 00:02:11,010 Speaker 1: all repent, and everybody lives happily ever after. That is 36 00:02:11,070 --> 00:02:14,900 Speaker 1: the story I learned in Sunday school. I got at 37 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,900 Speaker 1: least two things wrong from the biblical account. Can you 38 00:02:19,940 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: tell me what two things I got wrong in the 39 00:02:21,620 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 1: story of Jonah? First of all, it wasn't a whale. 40 00:02:28,139 --> 00:02:34,060 Speaker 1: It was a fish. But more importantly, the Bible never 41 00:02:34,220 --> 00:02:37,030 Speaker 1: says that Jonah was afraid, which was why he ran away. 42 00:02:37,090 --> 00:02:40,230 Speaker 1: But that was what we always assumed. Because if you 43 00:02:40,370 --> 00:02:43,370 Speaker 1: asked me, Chris, I want you to go preach in 44 00:02:43,470 --> 00:02:45,650 Speaker 1: San Francisco. I want you to be a street preacher. 45 00:02:45,669 --> 00:02:47,630 Speaker 1: I want you to tell everybody to repent or I'm 46 00:02:47,650 --> 00:02:50,550 Speaker 1: going to destroy the city. I would be afraid. I'd 47 00:02:50,570 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: be afraid I would not be received well. And so 48 00:02:54,340 --> 00:02:59,549 Speaker 1: we always assume that that's the reason why Jonah didn't go. 49 00:03:00,410 --> 00:03:03,769 Speaker 1: But then we get to chapter 4 and find out, no, 50 00:03:04,830 --> 00:03:11,450 Speaker 1: Jonah was afraid he would be successful. That he would preach, 51 00:03:12,270 --> 00:03:16,210 Speaker 1: that they would repent, and that God would relent. And 52 00:03:16,370 --> 00:03:21,310 Speaker 1: he is angry at God that God is a merciful God. 53 00:03:23,230 --> 00:03:25,190 Speaker 1: Did you catch that in our lesson today? He is 54 00:03:25,389 --> 00:03:28,470 Speaker 1: angry at God that God is a merciful God. We 55 00:03:28,510 --> 00:03:31,290 Speaker 1: need some context here because that's a little weird if 56 00:03:31,330 --> 00:03:35,110 Speaker 1: you're a prophet. The city of Nineveh is the capital 57 00:03:35,230 --> 00:03:39,730 Speaker 1: of the Assyrian Empire. And if you've read anything from 58 00:03:39,770 --> 00:03:43,550 Speaker 1: the Old Testament, if the Assyrians come up in the story, 59 00:03:43,650 --> 00:03:47,820 Speaker 1: they are the bad guys. At one point in the 60 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: time of the divided kingdom, the kingdom of Judah and Israel, 61 00:03:51,500 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 1: Assyria will sweep down and they will take all of 62 00:03:54,820 --> 00:03:58,690 Speaker 1: the people of Israel away. They will capture that part 63 00:03:58,950 --> 00:04:03,550 Speaker 1: of Palestine, and those lost ten tribes will never be 64 00:04:03,630 --> 00:04:09,390 Speaker 1: heard from again. During the time of King Hezekiah, they 65 00:04:09,490 --> 00:04:12,350 Speaker 1: come and they take all of Judah, the rest that 66 00:04:12,430 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: are left, away. except for the city of Jerusalem, they 67 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,740 Speaker 1: pen the people up in Jerusalem, and they're taunting them 68 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,089 Speaker 1: on the walls of Jerusalem, saying, what makes you think 69 00:04:21,190 --> 00:04:24,570 Speaker 1: your God will save you? Did the gods of any 70 00:04:24,610 --> 00:04:29,150 Speaker 1: of those other places we have captured save them? Now, fortunately, 71 00:04:29,450 --> 00:04:34,470 Speaker 1: God saves them. But to Jonah, the people of Assyria 72 00:04:34,610 --> 00:04:38,100 Speaker 1: are his enemy. So it's not like being asked to 73 00:04:38,130 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: preach in San Francisco. It's maybe closer to being asked 74 00:04:41,339 --> 00:04:46,070 Speaker 1: to preach in Tehran. or someplace that you don't want 75 00:04:46,550 --> 00:04:53,090 Speaker 1: those people, not those guys, to receive the mercy of God. 76 00:04:55,070 --> 00:04:59,529 Speaker 1: So Jonah is pissed off that God does not destroy 77 00:04:59,570 --> 00:05:03,589 Speaker 1: the city. And so like a petulant child, he goes 78 00:05:04,010 --> 00:05:06,810 Speaker 1: and sits on a hill next to Nineveh. Why is 79 00:05:06,850 --> 00:05:09,370 Speaker 1: he sitting on the hill? He is hoping that either 80 00:05:09,450 --> 00:05:12,780 Speaker 1: they will screw up, and that God will destroy them, 81 00:05:12,860 --> 00:05:15,720 Speaker 1: or God will change his mind, and that God will 82 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: destroy them. He is on smite watch. He is basically 83 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,630 Speaker 1: hoping that God will smite them, that there will be 84 00:05:22,670 --> 00:05:26,550 Speaker 1: some good Old Testament wrath of God, destruction of the 85 00:05:26,589 --> 00:05:31,430 Speaker 1: city of Nineveh. And while he is there, sitting in 86 00:05:31,450 --> 00:05:37,609 Speaker 1: the hot sun, it is uncomfortable, so God sends a plant. 87 00:05:38,290 --> 00:05:40,110 Speaker 1: It's a cute little part of the story. God sends 88 00:05:40,130 --> 00:05:43,420 Speaker 1: a plant, grows up in a single day, he's now 89 00:05:43,460 --> 00:05:47,460 Speaker 1: got shade. In case you like your prophets like you 90 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,110 Speaker 1: like your coffee, hot and bitter, now we have Jonah, 91 00:05:51,170 --> 00:05:54,089 Speaker 1: who is at least not as hot. And then God 92 00:05:54,130 --> 00:05:57,150 Speaker 1: the next day sends a worm to destroy the plant. 93 00:05:58,330 --> 00:06:04,310 Speaker 1: And Jonah is ready to die. I just spent some 94 00:06:04,350 --> 00:06:08,180 Speaker 1: time with our four-year-old grandson, and sometimes he might take 95 00:06:08,210 --> 00:06:13,450 Speaker 1: things very seriously. that you think shouldn't be taken so seriously. 96 00:06:13,490 --> 00:06:19,540 Speaker 1: And God says to Jonah, Jonah, it's a plant. Do 97 00:06:19,580 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: you really have such cause to be upset? And Jonah says, yes. Oh, yes. 98 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,860 Speaker 1: I wish I could die because this plant died. And 99 00:06:31,940 --> 00:06:37,170 Speaker 1: God says, do you think that I should have more 100 00:06:37,250 --> 00:06:45,050 Speaker 1: compassion for this city of 120,000 people than you have 101 00:06:45,150 --> 00:06:48,390 Speaker 1: for the plant. That is unfortunately where the story of 102 00:06:48,430 --> 00:06:51,130 Speaker 1: Jonah ends. We don't know what Jonah says next or 103 00:06:51,170 --> 00:06:56,130 Speaker 1: what he thinks or does. Jonah doesn't want God to 104 00:06:56,180 --> 00:06:58,600 Speaker 1: be merciful to the city of Nineveh, to the people 105 00:06:58,700 --> 00:07:03,460 Speaker 1: of the Assyrian Empire. And he's right. He is absolutely right. 106 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:08,890 Speaker 1: They have not, they do not deserve mercy. the mercy 107 00:07:09,230 --> 00:07:14,650 Speaker 1: of God, not those guys. And that is why it's mercy. 108 00:07:16,810 --> 00:07:19,910 Speaker 1: Mercy is when we don't get from God the punishment 109 00:07:19,970 --> 00:07:25,620 Speaker 1: we do deserve. And grace is its flip side. Grace 110 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: is when we get something wonderful from God that we 111 00:07:28,900 --> 00:07:36,510 Speaker 1: also do not deserve. What Jonah got wrong is Jonah 112 00:07:36,550 --> 00:07:40,270 Speaker 1: thinks that he and his people do deserve the grace 113 00:07:40,350 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: and mercy of God, and none of us do. That's 114 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:50,700 Speaker 1: why they're grace. That's why it's mercy. Now, I've been 115 00:07:50,740 --> 00:07:52,940 Speaker 1: coming to Bethel, as I said, for 42 years. Right now, 116 00:07:52,980 --> 00:07:55,140 Speaker 1: we're in a situation where we're calling a pastor. We 117 00:07:55,180 --> 00:07:59,300 Speaker 1: have been there many times before, eight, ten times since 118 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,020 Speaker 1: I've been here. I'm not really sure. We'll be here again. 119 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: But twice during the time that I've been here, I've 120 00:08:05,540 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: had the opportunity, the privilege to be on a call 121 00:08:07,780 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: committee for Pastor Jim and then also for Pastor Rick. 122 00:08:12,690 --> 00:08:15,110 Speaker 1: And for Pastor Rick, I had the opportunity to be 123 00:08:15,190 --> 00:08:17,810 Speaker 1: the chairman of the call committee. And I bring that 124 00:08:17,890 --> 00:08:23,150 Speaker 1: up because as the chairman, it was my responsibility to 125 00:08:23,330 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: introduce Rick to the congregation. I don't know if anybody 126 00:08:26,390 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: was here or anybody remembers how I introduced him. I 127 00:08:29,460 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: know what you're supposed to say. For the record, I 128 00:08:33,340 --> 00:08:35,180 Speaker 1: know what you're supposed to say. You're supposed to say, 129 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: I'd like to introduce you to Rick Sherrill. He's a 130 00:08:37,660 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: man of God. He's got wonderful gifts. He's a good preacher. 131 00:08:40,500 --> 00:08:42,140 Speaker 1: He's got a sense of humor. He's going to be 132 00:08:42,179 --> 00:08:45,590 Speaker 1: a blessing to this church. And all of those things 133 00:08:46,190 --> 00:08:50,370 Speaker 1: would have been true. That wasn't what I said. Does 134 00:08:50,410 --> 00:08:56,430 Speaker 1: anybody remember? Do you actually? He's very young. Rick is 135 00:08:56,970 --> 00:08:58,930 Speaker 1: a sinner who does not deserve the grace of God. 136 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:02,660 Speaker 1: which I'm told is not how you're supposed to introduce 137 00:09:02,700 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: a pastor. But it is theologically accurate for every pastor 138 00:09:08,900 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 1: we've ever called, every pastor we will ever call, and 139 00:09:12,340 --> 00:09:17,060 Speaker 1: for all of us. For you and me also, that 140 00:09:17,100 --> 00:09:20,150 Speaker 1: we are sinners that don't deserve the grace of God. 141 00:09:21,270 --> 00:09:25,850 Speaker 1: And that is why it's grace. And we get to 142 00:09:26,130 --> 00:09:30,719 Speaker 1: the next lesson, the gospel lesson today. and we have 143 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:34,459 Speaker 1: a man who has a vineyard. And we assume some 144 00:09:34,500 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: things about him. We assume he is a rich man, 145 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:40,660 Speaker 1: because he's certainly paying a lot of people in this story, 146 00:09:40,710 --> 00:09:42,610 Speaker 1: and he has this vineyard, and he has people who 147 00:09:42,650 --> 00:09:46,150 Speaker 1: work for him, we're told. And we assume he has 148 00:09:46,190 --> 00:09:49,829 Speaker 1: some work he wants done in the vineyard. Granted, it 149 00:09:49,910 --> 00:09:53,170 Speaker 1: never says that, but we assume that. And so he 150 00:09:53,230 --> 00:09:56,429 Speaker 1: does what you do if you need some temporary labor. 151 00:09:57,059 --> 00:09:59,850 Speaker 1: he goes down to what in those days was the 152 00:09:59,870 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: place you would find a day laborer, which is the 153 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,599 Speaker 1: town square. Now these days we might go to the 154 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,660 Speaker 1: Home Depot parking lot. But he basically goes to the 155 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: Home Depot parking lot and he goes down there multiple times, 156 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,730 Speaker 1: starting at the very first when the sun comes up. 157 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:17,850 Speaker 1: So he starts at about 6 o'clock in the morning 158 00:10:17,870 --> 00:10:20,660 Speaker 1: and And he hires some people and he says, come 159 00:10:20,700 --> 00:10:23,100 Speaker 1: work in my vineyard and I will pay you a denarius. 160 00:10:24,380 --> 00:10:27,979 Speaker 1: And then we're told he keeps going back, 9 o'clock, noon, 161 00:10:27,980 --> 00:10:31,830 Speaker 1: 3 o'clock, and then an hour before closing at 5 o'clock. 162 00:10:32,510 --> 00:10:34,690 Speaker 1: And says, each of those times, come work in my 163 00:10:34,710 --> 00:10:39,150 Speaker 1: vineyard and I'll pay you what you deserve. Doesn't make 164 00:10:39,190 --> 00:10:44,610 Speaker 1: a specific verbal contract with them. And We need to 165 00:10:45,010 --> 00:10:48,030 Speaker 1: understand a few things about this situation here. So I 166 00:10:48,070 --> 00:10:54,010 Speaker 1: was recently in the Peruvian Amazon, as one does if 167 00:10:54,030 --> 00:10:56,260 Speaker 1: you do what I do, and we were walking through 168 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:58,740 Speaker 1: the marketplace and we were seeing all the different things 169 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,820 Speaker 1: they were selling there. And our guide says a lot 170 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 1: of the people who are shopping in this marketplace are 171 00:11:05,100 --> 00:11:10,410 Speaker 1: day laborers. And the way it works there is if 172 00:11:10,470 --> 00:11:17,500 Speaker 1: you don't work today... You don't eat today. And that 173 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: is true in our day and age as well. It's 174 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: true for some of the people in the Home Depot 175 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: parking lot, and it was certainly true of the people 176 00:11:24,850 --> 00:11:30,250 Speaker 1: in first century Israel. And you need to understand, for 177 00:11:30,290 --> 00:11:32,890 Speaker 1: those of you who are not familiar with First Testament money, 178 00:11:32,950 --> 00:11:36,590 Speaker 1: what a denarius is. A denarius is a decent day's 179 00:11:36,690 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: wage for a laborer. If you get paid a denarius, 180 00:11:41,620 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: you and your family can eat. And so the people 181 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: who he hires early in the morning are pleased to 182 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 1: be hired. They know they've got a lot of work 183 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: ahead of them, but they're going to eat today. They're 184 00:11:56,300 --> 00:12:00,689 Speaker 1: going to get a decent wage for what they're doing. Okay? 185 00:12:00,870 --> 00:12:03,670 Speaker 1: Follow me so far? So he comes to pay them 186 00:12:03,710 --> 00:12:06,490 Speaker 1: at night, and he pays them in reverse order. He 187 00:12:06,550 --> 00:12:08,770 Speaker 1: starts with the people who just showed up an hour 188 00:12:08,830 --> 00:12:14,490 Speaker 1: before closing, and he pays them a denarius. And then 189 00:12:15,390 --> 00:12:17,750 Speaker 1: through on through the day, he pays people the same 190 00:12:17,790 --> 00:12:22,030 Speaker 1: amount is what we're assuming here. And at first, probably 191 00:12:22,090 --> 00:12:24,670 Speaker 1: the people who started at the beginning of the day, 192 00:12:24,750 --> 00:12:26,860 Speaker 1: when they hear that the people who got just worked 193 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 1: for an hour get paid a denarius, they're probably thrilled. Right? 194 00:12:31,620 --> 00:12:35,580 Speaker 1: Because if he's paying them a denarius for an hour's work, 195 00:12:35,860 --> 00:12:39,679 Speaker 1: we worked 12 hours. How much are we going to 196 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,380 Speaker 1: get paid? And he comes to them and he pays 197 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:47,990 Speaker 1: them what he agreed on, a denarius. Now, when he 198 00:12:48,070 --> 00:12:53,010 Speaker 1: paid the people that worked one hour, a day's wage, 199 00:12:53,980 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: the people from finance came down and they said, boss, 200 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: this is not a good idea because this is a 201 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:06,820 Speaker 1: very poor return on your investment. This is not the 202 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: way you should run your business. This is bad ROI. 203 00:13:10,620 --> 00:13:12,420 Speaker 1: When he goes down and he pays the people who 204 00:13:12,470 --> 00:13:16,100 Speaker 1: worked there all day the same amount, now the HR 205 00:13:16,140 --> 00:13:21,349 Speaker 1: people are involved. There are some complaints. There are, you know, 206 00:13:21,650 --> 00:13:23,830 Speaker 1: did you think about what's going to happen tomorrow? Is 207 00:13:23,870 --> 00:13:25,610 Speaker 1: anybody going to show up at 6 o'clock? They're not 208 00:13:25,630 --> 00:13:28,810 Speaker 1: going to go down until 4. You know, this is 209 00:13:28,870 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 1: not the way you want to run your vineyard. This 210 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:38,199 Speaker 1: is not, help me finish this, this is not fair. 211 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: It's not. It's not fair. They worked a lot harder. 212 00:13:42,950 --> 00:13:44,349 Speaker 1: As they point out, they worked through the heat of 213 00:13:44,370 --> 00:13:48,530 Speaker 1: the day, and those other people just showed up. Now, 214 00:13:48,590 --> 00:13:51,090 Speaker 1: I do have to wonder at this point in the story, 215 00:13:51,110 --> 00:13:54,969 Speaker 1: I said we assumed that the man was hiring people 216 00:13:55,050 --> 00:13:57,449 Speaker 1: because he had work he needed to get done in 217 00:13:57,490 --> 00:14:04,200 Speaker 1: the vineyard. That may not have been his motivation. The 218 00:14:04,290 --> 00:14:07,540 Speaker 1: most important words understanding the story are the very first words. 219 00:14:07,580 --> 00:14:10,430 Speaker 1: What are the very first words in the story? the 220 00:14:10,550 --> 00:14:16,140 Speaker 1: kingdom of God is like. The kingdom of God is like. 221 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: So there were no finance people, there were no HR 222 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 1: people who were complaining. And the person who owns the 223 00:14:22,060 --> 00:14:27,090 Speaker 1: vineyard in this story represents God. I think we all 224 00:14:27,130 --> 00:14:32,090 Speaker 1: got that, right? Now, the people who were hired the 225 00:14:32,130 --> 00:14:35,830 Speaker 1: first thing in the morning, if they had been paid 226 00:14:35,850 --> 00:14:40,170 Speaker 1: a denarius, and the people who got there at noon... 227 00:14:40,770 --> 00:14:42,610 Speaker 1: would have been paid half a denarius, and the people 228 00:14:42,630 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: who got there at, say, 5 o'clock, would have been 229 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:47,780 Speaker 1: paid a twelfth of the denarius. Do you think they 230 00:14:47,820 --> 00:14:52,580 Speaker 1: would have complained? No, that would have been fair, right? 231 00:14:53,140 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: Everybody earns basically what you've done based on how many 232 00:14:56,620 --> 00:14:59,380 Speaker 1: hours you work. That would have been fair. They would 233 00:14:59,420 --> 00:15:04,690 Speaker 1: have been okay with that. Now, we have to understand, though, 234 00:15:04,710 --> 00:15:12,470 Speaker 1: that what they're saying is... I would be okay if 235 00:15:12,590 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: you and your families went hungry as long as I 236 00:15:18,670 --> 00:15:23,460 Speaker 1: get what I'm due. If I get paid what I'm 237 00:15:23,540 --> 00:15:26,540 Speaker 1: supposed to get paid, you and your family can go 238 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:33,450 Speaker 1: to hell. But this is a story about the kingdom 239 00:15:33,510 --> 00:15:40,930 Speaker 1: of God, and God's standards are higher than fair God's 240 00:15:40,980 --> 00:15:48,940 Speaker 1: standards are love and grace and mercy. And he points out, 241 00:15:49,460 --> 00:15:53,700 Speaker 1: this rich man points out, I can do what I 242 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:58,540 Speaker 1: want with what I have. Who are you to say 243 00:15:58,580 --> 00:16:01,550 Speaker 1: that I can't be generous? Now, usually when a rich 244 00:16:01,610 --> 00:16:03,210 Speaker 1: man is complaining, I can do what I want with 245 00:16:03,250 --> 00:16:05,630 Speaker 1: my money, they're not complaining because people, people aren't complaining 246 00:16:05,670 --> 00:16:09,300 Speaker 1: because they're too generous. Is that fair to say? But 247 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,130 Speaker 1: in this story, that's the complaint is you're too generous. 248 00:16:12,350 --> 00:16:17,730 Speaker 1: It's not fair. But God's standards are higher than fair. 249 00:16:19,570 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 1: The cross is not fair. We don't deserve the grace 250 00:16:27,980 --> 00:16:32,460 Speaker 1: and mercy of God. No more so than the people 251 00:16:32,500 --> 00:16:35,780 Speaker 1: of Nineveh. No more so than the people who only 252 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:42,110 Speaker 1: worked an hour. But thanks be to God that his 253 00:16:42,150 --> 00:16:46,250 Speaker 1: standards are higher and they're based on love and grace 254 00:16:46,730 --> 00:16:50,370 Speaker 1: and mercy. And the question we have to ask then is, 255 00:16:51,290 --> 00:16:58,100 Speaker 1: if that's God's standards, how should we then live? And 256 00:16:58,140 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 1: I will leave that question with you to think about 257 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:12,420 Speaker 1: this week. And with that, amen. I want to take 258 00:17:12,460 --> 00:17:14,780 Speaker 1: just a second to thank the team at Life Audio 259 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: for their partnership with us on this podcast. If you 260 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:22,700 Speaker 1: go to lifeaudio.com, you'll find dozens of other faith-centered podcasts 261 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:27,369 Speaker 1: in their network. They've got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, 262 00:17:27,830 --> 00:17:28,150 Speaker 1: and more.