It appears that this master, however, does not share that expectation. Caring for Gods Vineyard: My Sermon on Matthew 21:33-46. So it is evident from that parable that the fruit which God expects of the vine is moral character, or as we have it in the New Testament, the fruit of the Spirit -- the fruit which the Spirit produces. That is, he cuts it off, he eliminates it from the life of the vine. Why should it matter when and where God hires these workers, or how much they receive, as long as we are united in Christ and focused on the mission of making disciples? Bible Meaning and Text. You cannot tell him when to answer your prayers. Maybe God has not called a few of us to accomplish something extraordinary or fantastic for him, yet would we say that we are unwavering in doing what he has allocated for us to do? I love the saying, "Joy is the flag which flies over the castle of the heart when the King is in residence." Therefore, while Jesus acknowledged that His followers, particularly the Twelve Disciples, would receive a hundredfold reward and will inherit eternal life, He goes on to explain the nature of Gods reward. On the way they undoubtedly passed through the vineyards which surrounded the city. Jesus says, "Abide in me, and I in you." The parable shocks us when the eleventh hour workers receive as much pay for the one hour they worked as those who had worked all day. (3) Still others at the sixth hour (verse 5) - the Reformers? Upon graduation, Kenyiawa said that joining the Laborers International Union is his opportunity to leave a firm foundation for (his) family.. We thank you for these possibilities which we have in Jesus Christ our Lord. In that respect, this parable is not based on reality. Nationally, the Catholic Labor Network works to build church-labor partnerships to further the work of justice, by protecting vulnerable workers and educating the faithful about church teaching, including on a just and living wage. The Father is at work to cut them off, to prune them back. In light of the countrys stagnant federal minimum wage, the network is supporting a Nashville Living Wage certification program to honor employers who pay a more just minimum wage by choice. As he held this vine and its branches in his hand, he indicated that this was the copy. This sermon was delivered at Good Hope Baptist Church in Wake Forest, NC. Linking is encouraged, but republishing or redistributing, including by framing or similar means, without the publisher's prior written permission is prohibited. But what about the other four groups of workers? Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (LogOut/ Some people think the world owes them something a particular standard of living, health care, mobile phones, or other stuff. WebThey will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. In Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI quotes St. John Paul II in Laborem Exercens: In many cases, poverty results from a violation of the dignity of human work, either because work opportunities are limited (through unemployment or underemployment), or because a low value is put on work and the rights that flow from it, especially the right to a just wage and to the personal security of the worker and his or her family' (No. Would we demand fairness for the first group, for the first Christians? Here in remarkable imagery he captures the work which goes on in our lives as the Father employs the circumstances in which we are found, the situations of our lives, to make us heed and hear the Word which corrects and changes. 1. The good news is that God does bestow grace on us, the eleventh hour workers, and we receive the same reward of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal glory as the earliest workers. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Somebody might vocally protest that "those individuals did not function or work as hard as I did." One of the delights of life is to spend time in that kind of prayer. This parable is about the masters generosity His grace. Aside from the first group of workers who were hired at sun up, the master promises to pay the workers what is right. These workers might have expected to receive a fraction of a days wage, but the master of the vineyard never specifies what he will pay. Probably they will respect him when they see him. But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir. "Abide in me, and I in you," and you will be fruitful -- without realizing it -- manifesting the characteristics of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, the quality of life which is like Jesus. And leave pride out of it. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. This illustration is particularly for the individuals who might feel privileged due to their heritage or by the alleged position of authority that they may hold. Every Christian, everywhere, should be fully engaged in active service for the Lord in these desperately needy days either by prayer (Matthew 9:38), or by preaching (Acts 5:42) - or by both (Acts 6:4). 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. If indeed this is the location, they then took their way down across the Tyropoeon Valley, which separated the Temple from the rest of the city, around the wall skirting the Temple area, down into the Kidron Valley, across the brook, and then up the slope of the Mount of Olives to the garden. Whatever work you do, do it as unto the Lord (because you are!) Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. The point was not that everyone has to sell all that they have to give to the poor. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. Let us remember that God is in control, not us. Without both of those, fruitlessness is the result. The other aspect was that the Jews figured they were Gods people and were the only ones that had the right to heaven. Mark Bailey calls this parable, A day on the job in the kingdom of So every vinedresser knows it is important to prune away these little sucker shoots in order that the vine may produce more fruit. And, as Jesus goes on to point out, he has a two-fold work: First, "Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away;" (John 15:2a RSV). You might expect a greater reward than those who did not make the same sacrifice. Matthew 20:1-16 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. He asks them only three questions: First, "Do you love work?" They may have been members of churches for years, but there is no life evident at all. This is what it means to abide in him. Notice that Jesus says here to the disciples, "You are already made clean." None of us are worthy to be there, but Jesus paid for our sins and died for us, so that all who believe may enter into heaven. Is that what we really want? They plant their empires through conquest and war (Genesis 10:8-12), intoxicated with a taste for blood instead of the pure wine of divine governance (Revelation 17:2, 6). Though it is wonderful when one has the privilege of leading many to Christ, and any of us perhaps can do this on one occasion or another, it is no indication of fruitlessness if you never have had this experience. RayStedman.org/permissions. View all posts by davesdailyscriptures. Your whole family had done it; it had been a family characteristic. None of us deserve Gods grace. Change). First, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you [this is the way we let him abide in us -- by his word], ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you." The Progression: Chronological - The parable emphasizes the times that the laborers were hired. Just come to Him and place your trust in Jesus Christ. It is almost certain that Jesus stopped in the midst of a vineyard, took a vine, and used it as a means of illustrating to his disciples the great secret he had been seeking to impart to them in his whole discourse there in the Upper Room, the most fundamental and basic secret of Christian life -- the secret which lay at the heart of his own experience and ministry, "I am in the Father, and the Father is in me" John 14:10(, and now the secret of their lives by the Spirit when he would come, "You in me, and I in you," (John 14:20b RSV(. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? (1) Some early in the morning (verse 1) - the Apostles? There are hungry people to feed. The laborers in this parable were hired to do a work for the master of the vineyard. But we are to be sober, be vigilant, and be steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. All that we have, including all that the church receives and has belongs to Him. They wanted the power and prestige and didnt want anyone to take that from them. From then on there are still no meetings, but invariably every week there are those guests who come and say, "I want to know more about this." They were not to attempt to do the occupation without assistance. He does not even owe us a denarius. Thus, the parable is not about us, but about Him. This fact leaves us all without excuse, because there is some valuable job of work we can all do. Certain individuals, when they comprehend the gospel, want to go to work quickly by reaching unsaved individuals. The whole earth is the Lords, but other nations did not enjoy their lands as the planting of the Lord . Isaiah tells us what that represents in Verse 7: For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry! I believe that this is similar to today. We must think about what is important eternally. He may have been eager to make sure people had work. 63). Jesus needs laborers (Matthew 9:38) who know how to function and manage individuals' concerns. He called workers at the beginning of the day agreed with This is an extremely helpful passage! Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. He was the vine from which true life is received. For those who have accepted Christ and may at times cry foul when life seems unfair, remember that the truly desirable thing is to be called by the Master and work with all our might not for the reward but out of love for the Master. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[ a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard. It is also a holiday that is observed to celebrate those who labor. Gods desire is that we are all saved and that we are all filled with joy. Look up Psalm 126:6; Matthew 25:21; 1 Corinthians 4:2. WebThere is a great need for God s people today to get a worldwide missionary vision because we can be very local and parochial in our concept of the Lord s work. Only believing in Christ and accepting him as Lord and Savior is what prompts a home in heaven. [Jesus said to the people:] Listen to another parable. There will be a harvest and we need to work until that time. Notice the workers were called at different times:-. There are seven fundamental lessons relating to our service. People come and spend a lot of money, staying a week or so at a time. However, we are not entitled to anything, especially from God. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. When you do that, then love grows into this deepening, quickening experience. Many people in Jesus day had a small personal vineyard on their own small plot of land that they worked for themselves. Vineyards were especially evocative as they produced wine, to gladden their hearts (Ps 104:15). That might be valid, yet God will not remunerate us for the measure of work we have done. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. He received a note one day during a meeting that said the following: Dear Dr. Torrey, I am in great perplexity. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Should we not celebrate the grace extended to them? In 1 Peter we are told that we shall receive a crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4). Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.. 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. (2) Others at the third hour (verse 3) - the first and second century Christians? The vineyard is the kingdom, the sphere of Gods rule. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." It is now generally viewed as a time for barbecues and the end of summer, but it was originally observed to acknowledge the contribution workers make to our society. Leaders of the church need to stand strong and have boldness and never deviate from the truth. I believe this is a reference to other such Scripture passages which say that the angels will be sent out to gather out all which offends in God's kingdom and cast it into the eternal fire where it will be burned. It was the 25th Sunday of the Year, cycle A. Changing Yourself Hard Work And Perseverance Life By God's Word Self Confidence Receiving God's Word Games, Spiritual Useless Labour Athletics Victory The Fact Of That Day The Christian Race The Soul In this illustration, God is the householder, and believers are the workers. You are God's field, God's building. You are to rest upon his ability to see you through, to work it out. He says, "Now, it may seem strange to you that I should ask that last question. There was a sense in which the workers were right in standing and waiting. None of us get to dictate to God what we will receive. This is what our Lord has in view. By this he meant to illustrate the wonderful truth that when we are united with Christ we are one with him, we are identified with him. Does it Matter That I Didn't Keep My Goals for Lent? He or she may not have sung in a choir, never taught a Sunday School class, nor been a part of a church committee. How could they be otherwise until the Landowner had commissioned them to work? Many people have a problem with this. If you put in a certain amount of time and effort it only seems right to be fairly compensated for it. In between, theres not a lot of work to do. 5"I am the vine; you are the branches. You can be flat on your back in bed, sick, but manifesting a Christ-like spirit, and you are glorifying God by that experience. I struggled for a while with this word prunes because in the Greek it is really "cleanses." For example, the Lord needs: To all of us the Lord says - Revelation 3:8! Open Jobs. But it is conceivable that the master had a lot of work to do and wanted all the workers he could find to do it. If allowed to continue to grow, they would dissipate the life of the vine through so many branches that the vine would produce little or no fruit but would produce leaves instead. The figure of the vine is used many times in the Scriptures. Also, there is much work to be done. That is why the New Testament says: Open your hearts, widen your hearts, be responsive -- love back. There is no more fundamental advice on the value of work, and how that leads to a good and successful life, than the word of God. If you do not know the Master of the vineyard, Jesus Christ, you can know Him today. He even shared in the experience of ministry with the other disciples. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. The fruit is borne by the branches produced by the vine. 2023 Words of Life Ministries - an independent evangelical Registered Charitable Trust (no.269381) Cookie Policy | Privacy Policy Website by: TEKOA Creative, Study 1 THE FARMER, THE SEED, AND THE SOILS, Study 2 THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR. God has so much work, and there is room for everyone who is willing. Yet when this starts, the Father must trim off the unfruitful branches. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? The Father is the vinedresser. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then the last result of fruitbearing -- the fullness of joy, Verse11, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (1) preachers who are used by their Spirit-filled preaching. The Gospel reading was -- and remains -- one of the most incendiary of Jesus' parables: that of the generous landowner In this parable we encounter a situation that just does not seem right. He did everything possible to cause it to produce grapes. And from that we saw that obedience grows out of love. (John 15:4-5 RSV). Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. This is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED BY YOU BUILDERS, WHICH HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.. In Luke 10:2, Jesus was conveying 35 groups of two each to go out to others, the multitudes. The workers of a railroad car manufacturing company began the strike because they thought they were not treated fairly. What a wonderful relationship our Lord taught us here by this lesson of the vine! We have been placed into Christ by the Holy Spirit. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. When you love God, then all that you do is touched and controlled by love, and love is the fulfilling of the Law. At the close of Chapter14 our Lord said to his disciples, "Rise, let us go hence." Here is the process in which the branch is cut off, and then it withers -- grows dry and dull and dead. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. (1) For the kingdom. We would be foolish to appeal to God for justice rather than grace, for if we really received justice, we would all be condemned. This is the way that manifestation of discipleship is accomplished. That is, "This pruning has gone on in your life already." Again, He is the Master of the vineyard, not us. May our attitude be as Jesus said: Luke 17:10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.. When the guests arrive the crew simply relates to them and gives them the time of their lives. Suffice it to say, the Lord will someday reward the person who may have been a member of a small church. All they hear is, "Do as you please." So from this point on we properly should no longer call this passage of Scripture the Upper Room Discourse. In verses four-six, the householder went out each time the workers went out, compelling those to come and work in the vineyard. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. If you are not feeling the depth of love you would like to experience, one of the reasons may be that you are not responding to the love which is already reaching out to you. Look up Matthew 9:37; John 4:35. WebJesus, by the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, shows that God is debtor unto no man; 17. foretells his passion; 20. by answering the mother of Zebedee's children, teaches his disciples to be humble; 29. and gives two blind men their sight. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Both these relationships are absolutely essential, not one as opposed to the other but both together. God sent prophets to Israel to tell them to get right with God, but they were ignored, beaten, and/or killed. That mother or father had been dependable in the assignment that was given to them by God. As leaders, they should have been leading the people to Him. Secondly, there is the demonstration of discipleship, Verse8: "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples." This is somewhat counter cultural as the world seems fixated on entitlements. Giving. In fact, if God were to give us exactly what we do deserve, we would receive condemnation. Look up John 4:35, and compare John 9:4. Israel rejected God and were disobedient. And there are conversions after conversions throughout the remainder of the week -- because of young people who manifest by their lives that they are Jesus' disciples. We are only stewards of what God has graciously allowed us to use. Making decisions and then trying to do the whole thing yourself, as though the whole responsibility rests upon you, is going to produce a fruitless Christian life -- intense activity, but no results. Rather, they were to ask God for additional helpers. Is God using the sharp knife of circumstances to cut off the "sucker shoot" of an old habit or attitude in your life, confronting you with that word of truth which corrects and cleanses, causing you to see it and feel it and hear it and give heed to it? Many employees look forward to this day as another paid day off from work. What is the instrument he uses? Compare Acts 8:29; 9:11; 10:19; 13:1-4; Isaiah 6:1-8. (LogOut/ It brings GOD glory it shows we are disciples. But it is an If we use the basic principle of understanding Scripture, which is common to all of Scripture -- letting Scripture interpret itself -- there is no doubt as to what this fruit is. We thank you for your faithfulness in being at work to do that. The good news is that God does bestow grace on us, the eleventh hour workers, and we receive the same reward of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal glory as the Copyright 2023 Catholic News Service, Inc. All rights reserved. Now he adds this note of responsibility -- there is something which you must do. He will call you into the fold and pay you more than you ever deserve. He owns everything. If you try to make all the choices and carry all the responsibility yourself, you will lead a fruitless life. (3) people of prayer behind the scenes. Israel was that vine. In the parable that Jesus tells, the master of the vineyard called many, You too go and work in my vineyard!. The day of work is their lifetime. We should never compare ourselves to others. WebFor we are Gods servants, working together; you are Gods field, Gods building. The traditional site of the Upper Room in Jerusalem is on the western side of the Old City, on the slopes of Mount Zion. (John 15:2b RSV). So he has designed this ranch for that purpose. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, Why have you been standing here idle all day? They said to him, Because no one hired us. He said to them, You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive., So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first. And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. Prayers are answered, growing out of that relationship of an obedient and a dependent heart -- leaving the process and timing to God. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. But I have learned that the only young people who can ever stand up to this grueling demand, and can meet it with an unvarying spirit of joy and gladness, with the kind of attitude that has so impressed you, are those who have learned to love Jesus.". I lived in the far corner of Northeastern Washington with my beautiful wife, but now live in Wisconsin while I look for work. He was a threat to the religious leaders power and prestige. See how many times the Landowner went out to appoint workers - verses 1, 3, 5, 6. On the other hand, our Lord gives us the results of fruitbearing -- four beautiful manifestations. The Gentiles may have been called in at the eleventh hour, but they receive the same as what was offered unto the Jews, salvation. I am sure you have all had the experience of being confronted with a word of Scripture and learning from it that something you had been doing all your life, and which you thought was right, was actually wrong. That is, it will be fruitlessness again. On the other hand, he says, "He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." They are mistaken! There are no Bible studies, no meetings; it is a very low-key approach. The third result is the deeper experience of Christ's love: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others., And when they heard it they said, Certainly not!, Then He looked at them and said, What then is this that is written: THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE ? What we receive from God is a gift and undeserved. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? We trade the Giver for His gifts. (1) The need for labourers is great in the continent of Europe. If you left everything family, friends, a good job, material possessions in order to follow Jesus, you might expect something more from Jesus. In our churches and Sunday schools, the need for born again, soul-winning workers is very great. You cannot tell him how to answer your prayers. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. Probably everyone feels that a person ought to be compensated fairly for his or her work. There is a world to evangelize. And though you are responsible to make the decisions and make the choices, you are not responsible for the power to carry them out. But if you try, you find that there will be no fruit, no Christlikeness, no manifestation of that beautiful character which arrests the attention of others. Was it unfair for them to receive what they received from the master of the vineyard? Catholic social teaching upholds the dignity of work and the rights of workers. He is responsible to see that the purpose of the vine is fulfilled. As Isaiah tells us, God cleared out the rocks in his vineyard and hedged it about. Even though Israel is Gods chosen people, He opened the door for salvation to everyone. Our Father, as you have been walking through your vineyard this morning, you have been looking at various vines growing here. The last point is that we are the laborers in the Masters vineyard. By the third evening the guests are all asking, "Where did you ever get this tremendous crew of young people? Gods vineyard is the entire earth, and the workers in the vineyard are all of Gods people, earning our daily bread as co-creators with God, no matter our craft. Do you want to be known as a disciple of Jesus? There is a spiritual principle here. Too many want to fit in to society instead of following what they were called to do. Both of these are absolutely essential, and our Lord develops this fact. 1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. If they can assure him that they love work, love people, and love Jesus, then they have a tremendous opportunity to work at that ranch. Surely, Doors of opportunity are closing in many parts of the world - look up 1 Corinthians 7:29. The landowner keeps going to the marketplace to find more people to work in his vineyard His crop desperately needs to be gathered. (LogOut/ Maybe the master was trying to keep the unemployment rate low during that time. Those are the ones which arise out of our evil nature, our fallen Adamic nature, which produces in us those characteristics which are different than the fruit of the Spirit -- resentment, anger, bitterness, selfishness, egocentricity, love of praise -- these qualities which tend to arise within us so frequently. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. He built a tower; he protected the vineyard and cared for it, Isaiah 5:2(. There are a couple things to note in this story, I think. So it is with the church: we need all the workers we can get to accomplish all that God has called us to do. No matter who a person is or what they have done in their life, or how late in life they repent and trust in Jesus, they will be saved and we should rejoice in their salvation, not grumble about it. Jesus further explained the participation rules of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is only by God's grace. When the Landowner went out at the eleventh hour and asked, Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing? (verse 6), they replied, Because no-one has hired us (verse 7). In many ways it constitutes the most needy mission field in the world today. This is also suggested in the parable. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my names sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. And then we must rest on him, count on him to see us through, to supply that enabling power which makes us able to love and forgive and rejoice and give thanks, even when everything is going wrong. We do not have to work at it. Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/BenGoode. They mistakenly believe that they have earned whatever they have.
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