From Matthew 20:1-16. You might remember the Parable of the Vineyard and a Generous Landowner who generously hired servants to work in his vineyard.  While he hired them at different times of the day, he paid them all the same. 

This caused some of them who worked all day to feel ‘ripped off’, because they got paid the same as those who worked an hour. 

They forgot that they were given a gift to be chosen to work in the rich mans vineyard.  It somehow meant less to them when they found out how generous he was to others.

The parable’s main point is that God’s people possess an equal inheritance of the new creation, a right that does not ultimately depend upon how much we done or sacrificed.

It also causes us to ponder—both ours and God’s. The script we’re typically given is straightforward and insistent: “You’ve got to chase your dreams.” It’s a rallying cry echoed in motivational quotes, viral memes, and graduation speeches.

Yet Jesus introduces a paradox that disrupts this mindset, hinting that chasing our dreams might not lead us to the fulfillment we expect. “How do I chase my dreams?” The script we’re given shouts, “Go for it—chase them with all you’ve got.” The paradox whispers back, “Not everything is so dreamy; it doesn’t always work out.”

But Jesus flips it entirely: Our dream isn’t something we chase—it’s a gift from a generous God. It’s a gift we receive with open hands, a dream far bigger than our own, and one that God himself pays for through his sacrifice. 

Chasing my dream, or doing what I want seems good, and there’s freedom in that. But sometimes what’s true, wise, good, and beautiful is even better.  To work his vineyard is a wonderful privilege

We’re told to pursue whatever we desire, and that’s a fine starting point. Yet Jesus offers something greater—God’s dream for us: life with him, the forgiveness of sins, a brand-new heart, a fresh start, and a place in his vineyard, his kingdom, his family. It’s a dream that’s true, wise, good, and beautiful, and it’s a gift we can simply receive with gratitude.

This is the wonderful story we call the gospel, the good news.  It is the reason we are doing the LIFE series on Wednesday nights.  We are reminding each other of this good news that brings us LIFE to the full.  Life with purpose and meaning.  LIFE which in itself is a good thing, and is freely given to us – although at great cost to our LORD.