This Sunday at Likewise

Kingdom Come

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

Matthew 20:1-16

Have you ever worked hard for something, only to watch someone else receive the same thing with what feels like half the effort?

Maybe you showed up early. You stayed late. You did what you were supposed to do. And then someone else walks in at the last minute and receives the same reward. It doesn’t feel “fair.”

And that’s exactly where Jesus takes us in Matthew 20.

Jesus tells a story about workers who don’t all work the same amount of time, but they all receive the same wage. When those who worked all day see that the others receive the same amount, they aren’t happy about it.

Why are they upset?

Because they stopped looking at the goodness of the master and started looking at what everyone else received. They began comparing what they had been given with what someone else had received.

And that’s where this parable challenges us. Grace doesn’t operate according to our comparison, our effort, or our sense of fairness.

This parable forces us to ask a deeper question:

Do I seek the Kingdom because I love the King—or because I think I deserve what He gives me?

Looking forward to this Sunday at Likewise, and don’t forget, we get to enjoy Breaking Bread together! Come prepared.

Pastor Josh

Live Likewise - Kingdom Living

When we read the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, it's easy to focus on how unfair the workers thought the master's generosity was.

But perhaps Jesus wants us to notice something deeper:

What happens when obedience becomes entitlement?

The workers who had been there all day weren't wrong for working.

But somewhere along the way, they began to believe their work meant they deserved more.

They stopped looking at the goodness of the Master.

They started looking at what everyone else received.

And comparison turned gratitude into resentment.

That's the heart of the Kingdom.

Grace isn't something we earn.

It's something we receive.

So here's a question to sit with this week:

Am I grateful for God's grace, or am I keeping track of what I think I deserve?

Where have you been comparing your journey with someone else's?

Have you allowed your obedience to become a reason to feel entitled?

Can you celebrate God's goodness toward someone else—even when their story looks different from yours?

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a heart that is grateful for grace, free from comparison, and joyful when others receive God's goodness.

Because Kingdom living isn't about getting what we deserve.

It's about being grateful for what we've been given.

Likewise Sermons

Kingdom Come - Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Date: Sep 27, 2026

Category: God, Bible, The Gospel, Parable

Speaker: Josh Burt

Passages: The Gospel According to Luke Luke 18:9-14

Have you ever looked at someone else and thought, “At least I’m not like them”?Maybe you’ve looked at someone else’s choices, their mistakes, or their lifestyle and thought, “I would never do that.”

And sometimes, without even realizing it, we can start measuring our relationship with God by comparing ourselves to other people.

That’s exactly what Jesus confronts in Luke 18. Two men walk into the temple to pray. One is a respected religious leader, and the other is a tax collector—someone most people would have considered a sinner, unlovable, and an outsider.

But as we get a closer look at how they pray, Jesus shows us something that is easy to miss: God isn’t impressed by how good we look on the outside. He cares about what is happening in our hearts.

God isn’t looking for people who think they’re good enough. He’s looking for people who know they need mercy.

The question isn’t, “Am I better than someone else?”

The question is, “Am I depending on Jesus?”