It’s easy to become resentful toward God when your relationship with him is defined by your unfulfilled expectations.
Talking Points:
- We will not understand God’s generosity as long as we carry false expectations of him. The parable points out three errors in our view of God that, if not corrected, will surely lead to dissatisfaction. Matthew 20:1-16
- We create expectations of God based on what we think he should do, rather than on what he said. The workers hired early in the day thought the landowner should act a certain way (v10). When he didn’t, they accused him of being unfair (v13). Yet they got everything the owner promised them (v14).
- Everything God gives us is a result of his generosity. But we often assume that what we get from God is a result of our hard work or worthiness. This “transactional” approach assumes that God is obligated to us because of what we do for him. Like the workers hired early in the day (v11), when God doesn’t give us what we think he owes us, we turn against him.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Have you ever felt that God is unfair, or have you known someone else obsessed with the idea of God’s fairness (or lack thereof)? What happened?
- What are some false expectations of God you once held that have changed?
- Read Numbers 23:19. What does this teach us about God’s promises? And if something we think is promised goes differently than we expect, what should be the takeaway?
- Read Matthew 20:11-14. Does God give us what we deserve? Explain why or why not.
- Read Matthew 20:15-16. The Jews of Jesus’s day believed God’s promises were only for them. What is Jesus teaching here through this parable?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
This is part 3 in the Perplexing Parables series. Find this and other pursueGOD.org sermons on YouTube here.
Ministry Tools:
