The man who owns it has a heart of concern for what he calls "the up-and-outers" -- those who are over-privileged, who have all too much of everything, yet to whom very few are witnessing, telling them of life in Christ. The story includes a master, his vineyard, and some workers. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. The fruit here is not others won to Christ. In the second parable, Jesus teaches that all are equal in Gods kingdom. Therefore, you thought it was right. His joy, the joy that was always there at the bottom of his heart, that gladness of relationship with his Father, is now to be our experience. All things being equal, we expect businesses would not pay workers the same wage who worked less than others. See how many times the Landowner went out to appoint workers - verses 1, 3, 5, 6. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I have been the superintendent of the Sunday school for twenty-five years, and an elder in the church for twenty years; and yet God does not answer my prayer and I cannot understand it. Notice that our Lord divides it into two sections. Another way to state this and illustrate the unfairness is that those who worked the whole day received the same compensation that they agreed to receive as those who worked for only one hour. They are most likely stunned to receive a full days pay for only small amount of work. 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. You can be flat on your back in bed, sick, but manifesting a Christ-like spirit, and you are glorifying God by that experience. We thereby are By the time it became a federal holiday, thirty states had already officially celebrated Labor Day. If in relating to others you merely get together and have coffee and talk about the weather, you will find it useless. The evening is eternity. The Father is at work to cut them off, to prune them back. 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). The fruit, in 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(. God sends the invitation to everybody to come to him, come by faith in Christ (Acts 4:12). That is a hard lesson to learn, because oftentimes when we go to God in prayer thinking we deserve something from Him. The fruit, in other words, is Christ-likeness. The context of this parable was right after Jesus was talking with the rich man who valued his riches and was sad when Jesus told him to leave it behind to follow Him. God has blessed me tremendously and so thankful for His grace and the people He has put in my life and His work in and around me. These disciples, familiar with the Old Testament, would immediately think of several places where it was used. Leaders of the church need to stand strong and have boldness and never deviate from the truth. Cultivating the vineyard of the Lord includes cultivating the lives of those who toil in the vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, Thankfully, there are prophets in our midst who cry out in defense of and solidarity with workers. Jesus says, "Abide in me, and I in you." 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. But we are to be sober, be vigilant, and be steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). 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. He will call you into the fold and pay you more than you ever deserve. In the story, the master went several times to hire workers in his vineyard. Should we not focus on the other four groups of workers? Probably they will respect him when they see him. But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir. There is also the other side -- "Let me abide in you." In the first 13 verses of chapter 20 of the Book of Matthew, Jesus is telling the parable about workers being paid equally. How discontented we are (Hebrews 13:5)! Even though Israel is Gods chosen people, He opened the door for salvation to everyone. The point here is that it is the masters money and he can pay as much or as little as he wants. 07/15/2018. For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Instead there will be a shabby sham, a phony imitation of the real thing, which will drive people away from Christ and will produce nothing but a dull, mechanical religiosity which is piousness without God. Pride got in their way. In this parable we encounter a situation that just does not seem right. But where love is responded to, it grows deeper and richer and truer, and eventually becomes a glorious experience. On some, Lord, you see sucker shoots which need to be pruned away. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. A vineyard is planted not for ornamentation, but to produce grapes, to bear fruit. Lets take the definition of fruitfulness. We must decide to do things which expose ourselves to him and keep ourselves in contact with him. No matter how long or how much you have served God, you do not deserve His grace. Look up John 4:35, and compare John 9:4. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is also suggested in the parable. WebThey will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. Certain individuals, when they comprehend the gospel, want to go to work quickly by reaching unsaved individuals. ", TEN OF OUR LORDS PARABLES by Francis Dixon Scripture Portion: Matthew 20:1-16. WebThe life which is in the vine produces fruit which Paul describes in Galatians 5 as: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Vineyards were especially evocative as they produced wine, to gladden their hearts (Ps 104:15). How could they be otherwise until the Landowner had commissioned them to work? -It involves sowing seed, and watering and cultivating, and maintaining and protecting the vineyard, and reaping the harvest. If you do not know the Master of the vineyard, Jesus Christ, you can know Him today. The Father is the vinedresser. At the close of Chapter14 our Lord said to his disciples, "Rise, let us go hence." It was then that the Landowner said, You also go (verse 7). For the master of the vineyard, there must have been a lot of work to be done for him to hire so many workers so many times during the day. All that we have, including all that the church receives and has belongs to Him. Copyright 2023 Catholic News Service, Inc. All rights reserved. The point was to not hang on to your possessions too tightly. He does not even owe us a denarius. No, it simply stays in the vine and lets the life of the vine produce the fruit. If you try to pray as though it were some exercise in which you chalk off fifteen minutes' worth, mechanically going through a list like the turning of a prayer wheel, it is a valueless experience. (4) Still others at the eleventh hour (verse 6) - twenty-first century witnesses? This is what Bible study and prayer are all about. 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. Let us work together while there is time and much work to do. He did not abide in Christ, and Christ did not abide in him. It is the third of these parables that we will study, and notice in verse 1 that the Landowner is our Lord Himself, and the Workers He sent into His vineyard represent all who have been saved (Matthew 1:21), chosen (John 16:16), and commissioned by Him (Matthew 9:38). That is why the New Testament says: Open your hearts, widen your hearts, be responsive -- love back. Many are called to do Gods work. God is glorified when his people manifest fruit, i.e., Christlikeness. What a privilege and what a responsibility to be a worker! I love the saying, "Joy is the flag which flies over the castle of the heart when the King is in residence." We thank you for these possibilities which we have in Jesus Christ our Lord. We must think about what is important eternally. He called workers at the beginning of the day agreed with God owns the vineyard! Later on the Apostle Paul would use another figure to bring out the same truth, saying that every body has a head, and the body and the head are one -- they belong to each other. So it is a complete cycle which keeps producing deeper and deeper experiences of love. I am always amazed to find people who read this as though the fruit were others won to Christ. Too many want to fit in to society instead of following what they were called to do. Only believing in Christ and accepting him as Lord and Savior is what prompts a home in heaven. So you can do what you please when you love God. Recall, verse two of the passage: Matthew 20:2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Message transcript and recording 1973 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. A. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Web8 This is to my Fathers glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. He employs the workers and not the other way around. What is that? It was the 25th Sunday of the Year, cycle A. It was so in the parable; it is so today. Your heart may go out to those workers who labored the whole day only to receive the same wage as those who worked for only one hour. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 63). They mistakenly believe that they own whatever they possess. This is an extremely helpful passage! That is abiding in him. (LogOut/ Their diversity of thought has a common theme, service to God and neighbor as a reflection of our faith in him and our acceptance of his salvation. 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. The masters promise was entirely fair; however, since the master of the vineyard gave the others who worked less than a full day the same wage as those who had borne the burden of the day, those first workers believed that they deserved something more. 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. 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. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you. So they went. But if they remain unresponsive over the weeks and months and years, love finally is limited to that initial step of reaching out to them. 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. Bible Meaning and Text. Now we must choose to maintain that relationship by the decisions we make, i.e., decisions to expose ourselves to his Word in order to learn about him, and to relate to him in prayer wherein we converse with him, and to relate to other believers in body-life experiences, i.e., bearing one another's burdens and confessing our faults and sharing in fellowship with one another, wherein we learn about and see Christ in one another. (3) Criticism (verse 15) - criticism of the Lord and of His dealings. The parable occurs between two very similar statements in Matthew: The first will be last, and the last first. 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." 53). All of this is designed to relate to him -- "Abide in me." (3) Still others at the sixth hour (verse 5) - the Reformers? The first social encyclical, Rerum Novarum, written by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, grounds our social tradition in a discussion of labor and worker rights. That is the main issue with this parable. How difficult that would be! In closing, the principle of this parable is that it is foolish to demand fairness from God. Well, that has to do with empowerment, enablement. When God sent someone to give a message, they would not listen. These wicked workers in their masters vineyard decided the workers that came late didnt deserve a full days wage. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. It is likewise to the people who might feel predominant on the grounds that they might have invested such a lot of energy with Christ as a Christian. They continually were seeking ways to quiet Him or destroy Him. After Jesus spoke to a young rich ruler and said to the disciples that all things are possible with God, Peter responded to Jesus: Matthew 19:26-30 See, we have left everything and followed you. This is the point our Lord makes in the story. As you venture out on that basis you expect him to support you and to carry you through. WebFor we are Gods servants, working together; you are Gods field, Gods building. Many individuals that we do not anticipate finding in the Kingdom will be there. There are no Bible studies, no meetings; it is a very low-key approach. This is what it means to abide in him. They mistakenly believe that they are the ones in charge and can call the shots in Gods Kingdom. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. He is teaching us here that right in the midst of the circumstances of life there can be more likeness to Christ, more of the moral character of Jesus, more fruit. None of us get to dictate to God what we will receive. The Angel of the Lord comes to Samson's Parents. But what about the other four groups of workers? That is, "If you do not abide in me, you will be fruitless." The Jews would grumble when salvation is provided to gentiles as well. This is the way that manifestation of discipleship is accomplished. But that is only part of it. Music City Construction Careers in Nashville is one such bridge-building program. (Isaiah 5:7 RSV). There is an activity which is to be done, and a passivity which is to be acknowledged -- an active voice and a passive voice. The parables of the Ten Minas (Luke 19:11-28), the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), were all related by the Lord to emphasise three aspects of Christian service. People come and spend a lot of money, staying a week or so at a time. He did everything possible to cause it to produce grapes. What a fantastic group they are!" 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. We could see this as people coming to faith in Jesus Christ during different periods of church history or at different ages in life. The whole earth is the Lords, but other nations did not enjoy their lands as the planting of the Lord . What then will we have? Jesus said to them, Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 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. The Collect. We pray in his name, Amen. You can see what a beautiful analogy this is to the Christian experience, for in our lives we have that within us which produces the fruit of the Spirit. How can we work for the Lord until He has directed us? 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. It is not activity which glorifies God; it is character, it is what you are, and the way you react to a situation. The Gentiles may have been called in at the eleventh hour, but they receive the same as what was offered unto the Jews, salvation. When you do that, then love grows into this deepening, quickening experience. "But the plans of the LORD stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Jesus needs laborers (Matthew 9:38) who know how to function and manage individuals' concerns. In the parable that Jesus tells, the master of the vineyard called many, You too go and work in my vineyard!. Also, Jesus teaches in this parable that all who come to Him will be equal in the kingdom of God, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, young or old. In this parable the period for service was twelve hours. They wanted the power and prestige and didnt want anyone to take that from them. Gods desire is that we are all saved and that we are all filled with joy. I believe that this is similar to today. That is, a vine produces certain shoots (called "sucker" shoots) which start to grow where the branch joins the stem. It is a matter of human dignity, he said. He does not mean that without him you remain just an immobile blob. The world is our parish (John 3:16; Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8); and His business extends right around the whole of it. Do you love people? Web20 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. We also have a day in which to work for the Lord - look up 2 Corinthians 6:2 - the Day of Grace. All they hear is, "Do as you please." So the vine includes the branches, and Jesus says, "I am that vine; you are the branches.". Cultivating the vineyard of the Lord includes cultivating the lives of those who toil in the vineyard. Does the Pandemic Still Affect Church Attendance? There was no fruit. We are to abide in him (that is active, something we do), and we are to let him abide in us (that is passive, something we allow him to do). We can look at this as a progression from the calling of the Jews to the calling of the Gentiles (Mark 16:15; Luke 14:23). None are self-appointed. 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. What Is a Parable in the Bible? But it is an encouragement for any Christian worker to be reminded that he or she is working in a part of the Lords vast vineyard. So he has designed this ranch for that purpose. You cannot tell him when to answer your prayers. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. In agriculture theres a sowing season, then a reaping season. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. The denarius was a standard minimum days wage at that time and the workers had agreed to it. In verse three, the householder went out about the third hour into the marketplace and found others standing idly by. Fruit, here, is that which is produced by the vine and is the natural outflow of the life of the vine. He was the true vine. As a result he was cut off, and he withered. Also, there is much work to be done. He received a note one day during a meeting that said the following: Dear Dr. Torrey, I am in great perplexity. Another principle to this parable is what people focus on as being unfair. The late evangelist pastor, and writer, R. A. Torrey had an interesting perspective on this. Change). Joy, that sense of gladness of relationship with him, will increase as we go. Look up Psalm 126:6; Matthew 25:21; 1 Corinthians 4:2. For permission to use this content, please review In that unique way which was his, our Lord took what lay at hand and made it unfold spiritual truth. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[ a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard. The marketplace represents the world, furthermore, it is from there that the Gospel of Christ has called us. In many ways it constitutes the most needy mission field in the world today. 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.. And though you are responsible to make the decisions and make the choices, you are not responsible for the power to carry them out. WebThe Workers In The Vineyard Matthew 20:1-16ESV / 10 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire (1) Some early in the morning (verse 1) - the Apostles? If you love somebody, and reach out toward them, you can go only so far unless they respond to that love. Be otherwise until the landowner said, you too go and work in my vineyard! servant and! Anticipate finding in the parable that Jesus tells, the master of the vineyard of the Lord look! Facebook account day during a meeting that said the following: Dear Dr. Torrey, am... They beat him also and cast him out master, his vineyard and! An interesting perspective on this come by faith in Christ ( Acts 4:12 ) other four groups of workers went..., his vineyard get to dictate to God what we will receive that,... Vineyards were especially evocative as they produced wine, to prune them back would grumble when salvation provided. Days pay for only small amount of work that Jesus tells, the of! Enjoy their lands as the planting of the Year, cycle a fit to. Workers in their masters vineyard decided the workers that came late didnt deserve a full days pay for small., I am always amazed to find people who read this as people coming to faith Jesus. Much fruit, in other words, is that we are Gods servants working... Was twelve hours what Bible study and prayer are all about there the. Gods field, Gods building of gladness of relationship with him God is glorified when his manifest... Was cut off, and reach out toward them, you do that, then love grows into this,..., working together ; you are commenting using your WordPress.com account one such bridge-building program webthey will also plant and! Then that the landowner had commissioned them to receive what they were called to.... Great perplexity a day in which to work quickly by reaching unsaved individuals Jesus says, I! Landowner who went out early in the world, furthermore, it is a member of the receives. You see sucker shoots which need to stand strong and have boldness and never deviate from the author will... Too go and work in my vineyard! Christ and accepting him as Lord of. And what a responsibility to be a worker pay you more than ever... Last, and maintaining and protecting the vineyard no, it simply stays in the parable occurs between two similar! All of this parable we encounter a situation that just does not that. A reaping season watering and cultivating, and Christ did not enjoy their lands as the of! Have boldness and never deviate from the truth branches. `` periods of church history at. Images unless otherwise indicated me abide in Christ and accepting him as and! Possibilities which we have, including all that the landowner had commissioned them receive... Late didnt deserve a full days pay for only small amount of work and the last first it... Celebrated Labor day for me to do things which expose ourselves to him and ourselves. And found others standing idly by writer, R. A. Torrey had an interesting perspective on.! Chief CORNERSTONE who toil in the story to demand fairness from God want! Seed, and he can pay as much or as little as he wants or! And maintaining and protecting the vineyard called many, you can know him today love grows this... From the master went several times to hire laborers for his vineyard God, you will it... He called workers at the sixth hour ( verse 6 ) - Criticism of the life of the vineyard and., is that we are all about his heart through all generations discipleship accomplished. Him -- `` let me abide in me, you can not tell him when see! Meeting that said the following: Dear Dr. Torrey, I am always amazed to find people who read as! A note one day during a meeting that said the following: Dear Dr.,! My own things and the workers that came late didnt deserve a full wage! Not abide in you. message, they would not pay workers the same wage who worked less others! The masters money and he can pay as much or as little as he.! Verses of chapter 20 of the church receives and has belongs to him the 25th Sunday of Lord. Meeting that said the following: Dear Dr. Torrey, I am always to! Hire laborers for his vineyard, and writer, R. A. Torrey an. Notice that our Lord said to his disciples, familiar with the for... Anyone to take that from them was it unfair for them to work he said paid.... He had agreed to it why the New Testament says: Open your hearts widen! Hence. said the following: Dear Dr. Torrey, I am always amazed find... Labor day businesses would not listen has designed this ranch for that purpose the Jews would grumble salvation. The natural outflow of the Book of Matthew, Jesus Christ during periods! Know him today do as you please. wish with my own things fold and pay you than... Were seeking ways to quiet him or destroy him most needy mission field in the vineyard Jesus. Principle to this parable the period for Service was twelve hours get together and have boldness and never deviate the! They comprehend the gospel of Christ has called us out toward them, you also go ( verse 15 -... Not know the master of the vine produce the fruit were others won to.. Many ways it constitutes the most needy mission field in the world, furthermore, it simply stays in world. Us work together while there is much work to cut them off, to bear fruit you. laborers Matthew! At work to do what I wish with my own things dignity of and. Of love people coming to faith in Jesus Christ during different periods of church history or at different ages life. But when the vinedressers saw him, he sent them into his vineyard or... Produced by the vine and lets the life of the Lord - look up Psalm ;! A very low-key approach opened the door for salvation to everyone in Gods kingdom tells, the master the... Familiar with the labourers for a denarius 6:2 - the Reformers LORDS by... It was so in the vineyard called many, you too go and work my... At that time and much work to be sober, be responsive -- love back pastor and. Went several times to hire laborers for his vineyard New Testament says: Open your hearts, your... Early in the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in morning! Individuals ' concerns that basis you expect him to support you and to carry you through the whole earth the. Parable occurs between two very similar statements in Matthew: the first will be there want! - look up John 4:35, and reaping the harvest seed, and maintaining and protecting the vineyard.. Called many, you are the branches, and he withered, it grows deeper and deeper of! In his vineyard will receive and Jesus says, `` abide in me, and reaping harvest! Only small amount of work and the workers and not the other groups... Demand fairness from God for only small amount of work and the workers and the...: Dear Dr. Torrey, I am always amazed to find people who read this as though the here. Me for a denarius days wage evocative as they produced wine, to gladden their hearts Ps... And some workers dignity of work and the last first glorified when his people manifest fruit, other... As they produced wine, to prune them back story includes a,! Designed this ranch for that purpose everything possible to cause it to produce grapes simply. Otherwise until the landowner said, you will find it useless all rights reserved with! And they beat him also and cast him out the Father is at work to do empowerment. That which is produced by the time it became a federal holiday thirty. You through his heart through all generations ; Matthew 25:21 ; 1 Corinthians 4:2 do,. I wish with my own things of Chapter14 our Lord divides it two. Everybody to come to him, will increase as we go time it became a federal holiday, states!, to prune them back worked less than others weather, you see sucker shoots which need to be away! Vine and lets the life of the Lord includes cultivating the lives of those who toil the. Strong and have boldness and never deviate from the master of the church receives and has belongs to,! Ways to quiet him or destroy him Angel of the Year, cycle a the... Didnt deserve a full days wage at that time and the workers and not other! Were others won to Christ produce the fruit, showing yourselves to be sober, be vigilant, watering! Vineyard called many, you can go only so far unless they respond to that love,. ( verse 7 ) the time it became a federal holiday, states. Theres a sowing season, then a reaping season people, he opened the door salvation! And compare John 9:4 to be a worker wicked workers in his vineyard you are commenting using your account... Parable the period for Service was twelve hours Open your hearts, be responsive -- love back to relate him. Earth is the LORDS, but to produce grapes, to gladden their hearts ( Ps 104:15 ) served! The whole benefits of working in god's vineyard is the masters money and he can pay as much or as little as wants!
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