Guest Preacher: Eppie Fahigal Encabo
Moderator, Pacific Islander & Asian American Ministries (PAAM)
Summary
In this guest sermon on Matthew 20:1–16, Eppie Fahigal Encabo reflects on the surprising generosity of God revealed in the parable of the workers in the vineyard. The story challenges our instinct to calculate who has worked hardest, who deserves more, and whether someone else has received something we believe they have not earned.
Eppie invites us to see grace differently. God’s generosity is not measured by our hours, accomplishments, or comparisons. Grace is a gift, not a wage. The vineyard owner continues returning for those who have been overlooked and left waiting, reminding us that God sees those whom others may pass by.
Through gratitude, generosity, and compassion, we can loosen our grip on comparison and learn to rejoice when grace reaches someone else. Rather than keeping score, we are invited to receive God’s goodness with open hands and allow that same generosity to shape the way we live with one another.
Key Points
- Grace is a gift, not a wage. God’s generosity cannot be reduced to what we believe we have earned.
- God continues looking for those who have been overlooked. The workers hired late in the day are not forgotten or dismissed.
- Comparison makes grace difficult to celebrate. When we measure ourselves against others, another person’s blessing can begin to feel like our loss.
- Gratitude changes the way we see. Giving thanks helps us recognize God’s generosity before focusing on what someone else received.
- Grace should make us generous. Those who recognize themselves as recipients of grace are invited to extend welcome, generosity, and compassion to others.
