Grace, Reward, and the Vineyard: Rethinking “Treasures in Heaven”

One of the most common tensions in Jesus’ teaching appears between two ideas:

On the one hand, Jesus tells a story where everyone receives the same wage, regardless of how long or how hard they worked (Matthew 20:1-16).
On the other hand, He tells His followers to “store up treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20), and Scripture speaks repeatedly about reward.

At first glance, these seem to contradict each other. Is the kingdom pure grace, or does effort matter? Are we all equal, or are some more rewarded than others?

The answer is not either/or, it is both/and, once we see that Jesus is talking about two different things.

The Vineyard and the Gift of Belonging (Matthew 20:1-16)

In the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, workers are hired at different times of the day. Some work from early morning, others only for the last hour. Yet at the end, everyone receives the same wage.

The shock of the parable is intentional.
The point is not about fairness in economics, it is about grace in the kingdom.

Jesus is dismantling the idea that:

• belonging is earned,

• inclusion is deserved, or

• God’s generosity is proportional to human effort.

The landowner says:

“Friend, I am doing you no wrong… Is your eye evil because I am good?" (Mat 20:13-15)

The “wage” is not payment for work. It is the gift of participation in the kingdom itself, life with God.

The parable teaches that:

• Entry into the kingdom is a gift, not an achievement.

• Sonship is not graded by performance,

• and no one has a higher claim on God than anyone else.

All receive the same life. All receive the same belonging. All receive the same inheritance.

This aligns with the consistent New Testament witness:

“By grace you have been saved through faith… not by works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

and

“The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Grace establishes equality.

Then What Are ‘Treasures in Heaven’? (Matthew 6:19-21)

Jesus also says:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

Paul says our lives are like a building, and what we build with matters:

“If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones… each one’s work will become manifest.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)

Yet Paul also says:

“If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved.”        (1 Cor 3:15)

So salvation is not in question, but something meaningful can still be lost.

This tells us that “reward” is not about earning salvation or increasing God’s love for us. It is about what is formed in us because of how we live in the gift we have received.

The Key Distinction

The tension disappears when we distinguish between two categories:

Belonging is given by grace.
Becoming is shaped through lived participation.

Matthew 20 is about the equality of the gift.
Treasures in heaven are about the difference of formation.

Everyone receives the same life.
Not everyone develops the same capacity to enjoy, express, or participate in that life.

“Reward” is not God paying us for good behaviour. It is God giving us the natural fruit of what we have become.

If a person grows in Love, they become more able to enjoy love.
If a person grows in Trust (Faith), they become more able to live in peace.
If a person grows in Generosity, they become more able to receive.

This is why Jesus says:

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Treasure is not stored somewhere else; it is stored in us, as the shape of our heart.

Same House, Different Capacity

Grace gives us the house.
Formation determines how much of the house we are actually able to live in.

Grace gives us the vineyard.
Formation determines what kind of person we become while working in it.

No one is more loved.
No one is more included.
But not everyone is equally healed, free, trusting, or mature.

And that matters, not to God’s acceptance of us, but to our ability to participate in His life.

In Summary

The parable of the vineyard teaches us that:

• Life with God is a gift, not a wage,

• Belonging is not earned,

• And no one has a superior claim on grace.

The teaching on treasure teaches us that:

• What we do with this gift matters,

• Not to secure love, but to shape who we become.

Grace makes us equal.
Love makes us grow.

And growth has consequences, not punitive ones, but participatory ones.

Everyone gets the same gift.
Not everyone becomes the same person within that gift.

That is not a contradiction.
It is the beauty of grace working itself out in love.


Peace.