History records that 2000 years ago Jesus came to earth and claimed to be God, undercover. He came and dwelt among us. \u00a0He watched and examined mankind. \u00a0He was horrified to see how the love, message, and grace of God had been distorted. The religious community of his day had distorted His character, His message, and the whole way to connect with God. \u00a0So he began to go around talking to anyone who would listen about the incredible and powerful truth about God. His goal was to Uncover What Had Gone Wrong, But More Importantly to UNCOVER Who God is.<\/p>\n
One of the fundamental problems Jesus stumbled upon -over and over- was the belief that Relating to God is Like a Paycheck<\/strong>. \u00a0\u00a0He discovered that the Paycheck Mentality had taken over. The religious system of the day taught that if you are good enough… If you follow the rules… If you try to be a good person by doing your best and living wholesome lives, you will get a nice paycheck from God: His blessing.<\/p>\n His ticket to heaven was one hard day’s work away. If you don\u2019t follow the rules and the guidelines, you end up having your pay docked. They taught that you would lose His favor and God. They taught that God would reward you with a big fat \u201cYou\u2019re Fired\u201d pink slip at the end of your life.<\/p>\n The Paycheck Mentality is alive and well today. \u00a0The problem with this belief is that it made (and makes) religious people incredibly arrogant, proud, and judgmental -thinking that they had \u201cearned more than others.\u201d \u00a0It made them presumptuous thinking they could \u201cdemand of God\u201d what \u201cthey deserved.\u201d It created a constant sense of fear in daily living, wondering if you had done enough<\/strong><\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n If you had clocked in often enough, perhaps you could earn favor with God. \u00a0 \u00a0And to those who weren\u2019t church goers, \u00a0they felt constantly shunned, fearful of God\u2019s wrath, rejection, and being disowned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So Jesus Uncovered A PAYCHECK Mindset that left His people both proud, distant from God, and thinking God is a boss to negotiate with. \u00a0So into this Jesus decides to tell a story. His goal was to Uncover this PAYCHECK MIndset that was going on and to Reveal a MERCY Mindset that could change their hearts.<\/p>\n In Order to Uncover How We Approach God, we must contrast the Paycheck Mentality from the Mercy Mentality.<\/p>\n I. Uncover the \u201cPaycheck Mentality\u201d<\/p>\n 1 \u201cFor the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, \u2018You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.\u2019 So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, \u2018Why have you been standing here idle all day?\u2019 7 They said to him, \u2018Because no one hired us.\u2019 He said to them, \u2018You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.\u20198 \u201cSo when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, \u2018Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.\u2019 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, \u2018These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.\u2019 13 But he answered one of them and said, \u2018Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?\u2019 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n So, what is \u00a0going on here? \u00a0Maybe you like me, are as upset at the landowner -as the laborers are. They worked harder, therefore, they should be paid more, right? This seems so unfair… And yet, the landowner seems justified in saying, \u201cYou agreed to a denairus, why are you complaining?\u201d \u00a0\u00a0What is Jesus trying to teach us? What is he trying to Uncover about God? There is a tension here between fairness and justice between the employer and the employee… Jesus is trying to uncover something about This Paycheck Mentality.<\/p>\n Jesus tells this story right after two of his disciples approach him and said, \u201cCan we sit at your right hand and left when we all get to heaven? \u00a0After all we gave up a lot for you. They said, \u201c\u201cSee, we have left all that we had and followed You. Therefore what shall we have? Can we have the \u201cbig seats\u201d \u00a0it was then that Jesus launched into this story. \u00a0And in this story, he was teaching them about \u201cHOW TO APPROACH GOD.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0Every time Jesus told them a story, someone represented God, and someone represented the wrong religious way to approach God, and someone represented the correct way to approach God. Jesus wanted to Uncover the right way to approach God<\/p>\n The Paycheck Mentality: \u00a0The first laborers approached God using the \u201cpaycheck mentality.\u201d: \u00a0They said, God we will do \u201cx\u201d amount of work. If you pay us \u201cy\u201d for it. \u00a0Right. So they worked all day, thinking they had received a great deal. Their whole approach was one of works\u2014and payment: Effort vs Reward. \u00a0\u00a0But what happened? \u00a0At the end of the day, when they \u201cgot what they deserved,\u201d they were angry. They complained against the landowner. \u00a0\u00a0They said, “Why is this?” \u00a0The boss\u2019s answer was this: When you approach God with the paycheck mentality, you will be very disappointed, both in this life and the next. \u00a0So, what do I mean when I say this? If you have lived a basically \u201cgood life\u201d and done basically some \u201cgood things\u201d then I promise you that you will struggle with frustration at God more than your younger brother or sister who has been more of the rebel. When bad things happen to you, you get angry at God… You say hey \u201cWe had a deal! I live a moral life… you keep bad things from happening to me. Right!? \u00a0\u00a0You find yourself complaining a lot. Trying to use God as a paycheck \u00a0a dispensor to make him do what you \u201cdeserve\u201d. \u00a0And often we take that mindset into our marriages and our families. We work hard and expect a \u201cpaycheck from our spouse… our kids.\u201d And when they don\u2019t give us what we deserve.. we get angry, ane end up in self-pity, etc.<\/p>\n