The Kingdom of Heaven Is Given by Grace Alone

Septuagesima Sunday| Matthew 20:1-16| Pastor James Preus| Trinity Lutheran Church| February 1, 2026

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works. So that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) This is one of the most familiar passages of Scripture, especially among Lutherans. We are saved by grace, not by our works. That is what our Gospel lesson today is about. Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like a vineyard where the master pays those who work one hour the same as those who labor for twelve hours. Why does he do this? Because he does not pay them based on their work but based on his own generosity. That is what grace is. Grace is God’s undeserved love for us. Grace does not depend on our works, but it depends solely on God’s love and mercy for us. As St. Paul says in Romans 11, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.” If it depends on works, then it is not grace. Grace is a free gift, as St. Paul again writes in Romans 3, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace, as a gift.” (vs. 23)

Some laborers worked twelve hours for their denarius, but when others came who had worked only one hour, they received the same denarius. This is because their wages did not depend on their work, but on the generosity of the master. Yet how can God be generous to us and grant us His kingdom and salvation when we are so sinful and have not earned it? Because Christ has won His Kingdom for us. Christ Jesus did the work. We do not believe in so-called “cheap grace,” but in expensive grace, in priceless grace, which spends the very blood of Christ for our salvation. And since the very blood of Christ is paid, so that we may be saved by grace, our works must not be added to it. As St. Paul writes in Galatians 2, “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” (vs. 21)

And so, it is no doubt good news that we are saved by grace! Our sins do not condemn us! We must not doubt our salvation because of our faulty works. Our salvation is made sure by the merits of Christ Jesus, who died for our sins and rose again and who grants us free salvation as a gift. And yet, people grumble at this good news. Like those laborers who labored for twelve hours in the burden of the day and the scorching heat, who grumble that the idle laborers were paid the same, so people who labor in the Lord’s vineyard here on earth grumble that others are welcomed into God’s kingdom without doing their fair share. They grumble that God would rescue such sinners, who are not sufficiently sorry for what they have done, who have not produced the necessary fruits of repentance, who do not deserve to be saved.  

People grumble against God’s grace for three reasons. a) Because they underestimate how bad their own sin is. b) Because they overestimate how good their works are. c) And because they undervalue God’s love and mercy in Christ.

First, people underestimate how bad their sin is. They do this, because they compare themselves to others. “I’m not like those adulterers and tax-collectors; I’m not like those child predators and murderers; I’m not like the men of Sodom or the guy who beats his wife and kids.” And so, by constantly looking for worse sinners than themselves, they convince themselves that their sins are small and insignificant, easy to overcome and forgive. But that is not how judgment before God works. If you want to be judged by your works, then you must be judged by the standard of the Law, not the standard of your neighbor. Scripture says, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” (Galatians 3:10; Deut. 27:26) The standard you will be judged by is God Himself, as Jesus says, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) And so, God does not give you the Law in order for you to earn your salvation by your works, but rather to prove you to be a sinner in need of a savior, as St. Paul writes in Romans 3, “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human beingwill be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (vss. 19-20)

And so, since we fall so far from the standard of the law, our sins are much greater than we think they are. However, some still think that their sins are not so bad, because they do not understand their own sinful nature. St. Paul confesses in Romans 7, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” (vs. 18) The Prophet Jeremiah says of the human heart, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” And our Lord Jesus declares, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” (Matthew 15:19) And so, even when we try to do what is right, evil always lies close at hand. Even our good deeds are riddled with sin. And so, we must repent daily.

This brings us to the second reason people grumble against God’s grace. They overestimate their good works. This is part and parcel to underestimating sin. People think their good works are not riddled with sin. They think their motives are pure. They think they are doing God a favor or profiting Him in some way. But the Prophet Isaiah says of our good works, “All our righteous deeds are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) And even if we keep from sinning when we do good works, Jesus tells us to say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have only done what was our duty.” (Luke 17:10) For this reason, St. Paul concludes after listing off his righteous qualifications, “For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” (Philippians 3:8-9)

Those who try to earn their way to heaven by their works only keep digging themselves a deeper hole. Apart from faith, it is impossible to please God, so works done to earn salvation only put us farther away. It is like taking out loans to pay off debt. It doesn’t work.

The third reason people grumble against God’s grace is because they undervalue God’s love and mercy in Christ. They often think they are being pious. They don’t want God to pay their whole way. They want to do some of it themselves. They question whether God could forgive such great sinners, so they deny that they are great sinners. But this does not honor Christ as all! To be saved, you must recognize that Christ Jesus is true God, who has power to defeat sin, Satan, and death, who has the power to take away all sins and to grant everlasting life. To be saved, you must believe that God desires to forgive sins for Christ’s sake, that it is to His glory to rescue sinners from sin and hell and grant them salvation.

St. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” As the master desires to give his denarii away to laborers who didn’t earn them, so it is our God’s pleasure to save sinners who deserve to be punished. St. Paul writes in Romans 5, “God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” So, be quiet anyone who will say that God does not love sinners or desire to forgive them and save them! We cannot put into words the magnitude of God’s love and mercy for sinners, because He gave His own Son into death to save them!

Time does not permit us today to go through all the passages of Scripture where God speaks through His prophets and apostles His great desire to rescue sinners, to forgive them, and to grant them everlasting life! (Isaiah 1:18 and Micah 7:18-19 and Psalm 103:9-12) Those who grumble at God’s grace despise God’s clear declaration that He takes pleasure in saving sinners.

Trusting in your works instead of God’s grace not only fails to obtain the righteousness required for Salvation, but it dishonors Christ, who has made full satisfaction for our sins. The workers grumbled against the Master’s generosity. We grumble against Christ when we begrudge Him for forgiving the sins of other and when we try to get into His kingdom by our own merits. God’s love and mercy cannot be overvalued. God purchased our salvation with the very blood of Christ, which is more precious than heaven and earth.

But for those who trust in God’s grace and mercy, they have great comfort. Even though their sins are great, God’s desire to forgive sins is greater. Those who trust in God’s grace and mercy have great comfort, for though their works are imperfect, God does not judge them based on their works, but according to His generosity in Christ. Those who trust in God’s grace have great comfort, because God’s love for us is boundless, as shown in His Son our Savior Christ Jesus, who died for us.

For those who insist on earning their salvation and despise God’s grace, working in the Lord’s vineyard is heavy labor in the heat of the day. They toil and struggle and grow bitter toward their neighbors. But for those who trust in God’s grace and mercy for Christ’s sake, working in the Lord’s vineyard is easy and light, like working but an hour in the cool of the day. As Jesus says, “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

It is not that we should not work or that we should be lazy, but rather we should not trust in our own works. Those who trust in their own works become slaves and grow bitter. But those who trust in God’s grace prosper in their work and grow to love and forgive others instead of begrudging them for God’s grace shown to them, because they too are recipients of God’s grace.

This is what Jesus means when He says that the last will be first and the first last. Those who place themselves first by trusting in their own works and thinking that they deserve a reward will be put last. But those who do not consider their own works at all, but with St. Paul, consider them rubbish, are found in Christ having a righteousness not their own. Those who trust in God’s grace place themselves last, because they trust in God to put them first. And in this way, they give all glory and honor to God for Christ’s sake.

By Grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;

In Jesus’ promise I rejoice;

For though I know my heart’s condition,

I also know my Savior’s voice.

My heart is glad, all grief has flown

Since I am saved by grace alone. (LSB 566:6; Christian Ludwig Scheidt)

Amen.