1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. The Collect. And he tells them about the three questions he asked: Do you love work? Now remain in my love. We believe they deserved more. (John 15:6 RSV). What Is the Significance of Not the Letter but of the Spirit? There was a sense in which the workers were right in standing and waiting. When the guests arrive the crew simply relates to them and gives them the time of their lives. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. On the other hand, our Lord gives us the results of fruitbearing -- four beautiful manifestations. 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. We ought not to resent the people who go to God in the last snapshots of life, in light of the fact that, truly, nobody merits timeless life. That is the main issue with this parable. Pride got in their way. He employs the workers and not the other way around. The land was Gods planting (Psalm 80), Gods vineyard (Isaiah 5). He is responsible to see that the purpose of the vine is fulfilled. Cultivating the vineyard of the Lord includes cultivating the lives of those who toil in the vineyard. Would we really begrudge Gods grace on the latecomers, including ourselves? 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. As Isaiah tells us, God cleared out the rocks in his vineyard and hedged it about. Gods vineyard is the entire earth, and the workers in the vineyard No matter how long you have been a member of the church, have served on different committees, been a deacon, a Sunday School teacher, or whatever you have done, you do not deserve Gods grace, and you certainly do not deserve more of it. This is the point our Lord makes in the story. By the third evening the guests are all asking, "Where did you ever get this tremendous crew of young people? But what about the other four groups of workers? (4) Murmurings (verse 11). And he included in that vine not only the branches but the stem and root. Bible Meaning and Text. He is really praying in his own name, and God will not hear our prayers when we approach Him in that way. Jesus must always come first. God does not need us to do anything for Him He is completely sufficient on His own; however, God desires to employ us to work in His vineyard. We also have a day in which to work for the Lord - look up 2 Corinthians 6:2 - the Day of Grace. Your whole family had done it; it had been a family characteristic. For example, the Lord needs: To all of us the Lord says - Revelation 3:8! I struggled for a while with this word prunes because in the Greek it is really "cleanses." He says, first, "As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." Even though Israel is Gods chosen people, He opened the door for salvation to everyone. View all posts by davesdailyscriptures. And on the third evening the owner of the ranch sits down and says, "Many of you have been asking about our crew. Thankfully, there are prophets in our midst who cry out in defense of and solidarity with workers. That is, he cuts it off, he eliminates it from the life of the vine. Web-Working in the vineyard involves work! You can be flat on your back in bed, sick, but manifesting a Christ-like spirit, and you are glorifying God by that experience. But that was not the end of it; there was to be more as they went on. If we did, then it would not be grace. Yet when this starts, the Father must trim off the unfruitful branches. Let us remember that God is in control, not us. We expect that those who work harder and longer will receive a greater reward than those who do not. 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. If He gives you a denarius for a days worth of work, then you ought to be grateful for that. As you venture out on that basis you expect him to support you and to carry you through. Not one of us deserves anything from God.. When our Lord says "Abide in me," he is talking about the will, about the choices, the decisions we make. Is that what we really want? 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. There you are to depend on him, to let him abide in you. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. In this role, she serves as the local representative of the national Catholic Labor Network in Nashville, Tennessee. 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. But when that call comes at the eleventh hour, they cannot say that they had not been called. 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? None of us deserve Gods grace. (2) Jealousy (verse 10) - the Devils master-stroke among the Lords workers! We must think about what is important eternally. Many people in Jesus day had a small personal vineyard on their own small plot of land that they worked for themselves. 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. He wants them to love their work. The relationship is not merely to be recognized; it is to be acted upon: "Abide in me, and I in you. What is the instrument he uses? The fruit, in That is what joy is -- this sense of our unity with Jesus, the sense of his power, his adequacy, his ability to handle the problems which are thrust upon us. This is the glory of Christian liberty. 1. How that can be deduced from this parable is difficult to understand, because there is nothing in it which suggests that at all. How can we work for the Lord until He has directed us? Either we will feel inadequate or have pride or grumble. Surely, Take what is yours and go your way. 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). I love the saying, "Joy is the flag which flies over the castle of the heart when the King is in residence." It is His vineyard and He chooses to do with it as He sees fit. If we focus on the rewards of working in Gods vineyard, we miss the pleasure of serving the Master. In this parable, I recognized three reasons why we fail to walk in Gods grace and how to overcome them. 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. It was so in the parable; it is so today. Also, there is much work to be done. "But the plans of the LORD stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. That is, a vine produces certain shoots (called "sucker" shoots) which start to grow where the branch joins the stem. And from that we saw that obedience grows out of love. He decides who does what and who receives what from working in his vineyard. They mistakenly believe that they own whatever they possess. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? You can check out his work here. In this instance, we should mobilize people to first pray, then gather a band of prayer warriors. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. We must, if we would have God answer our prayers, give up any thought that we have any claim upon God. This is the way that manifestation of discipleship is accomplished. Jesus tells us in Verse3: "You are already made clean [pruned] by the word which I have spoken to you." -It involves sowing seed, and watering and cultivating, and maintaining and protecting the vineyard, and reaping the harvest. He was with the Lord -- spent three and a half years with him. The last point is that we are the laborers in the Masters vineyard. It is a matter of human dignity, he said. This huge story represents a vital truth: it is not the measure of time, which we serve nor the unmistakable quality or significance of our position, which decides our reward. 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 Did you ever see a bunch of grapes struggling to hang onto the vine, trying to grow larger? The religious leaders of the day knew that Jesus was speaking of them. There was no fruit. Can you explain it to me?, Dr. Torrey said it was easy to explain. Fruitfulness shows that we are in partnership with GOD. Furthermore, it is added to any new believers as a consolation of the grace of God. (John 15:11 RSV). The Gentiles may have been called in at the eleventh hour, but they receive the same as what was offered unto the Jews, salvation. If you are called to lead, be the shepherd God has called you to be and follow what the Holy Spirit tells you. (1) The need for labourers is great in the continent of Europe. We must decide to do things which expose ourselves to him and keep ourselves in contact with him. Again, He is the Master of the vineyard, not us. (LogOut/ Gods grace is there for anyone at any time? They prove to be his disciples. All things being equal, we expect businesses would not pay workers the same wage who worked less than others. For many are called, but few chosen.. He built a tower; he protected the vineyard and cared for it, Isaiah 5:2(. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. What the owner does is to go throughout the country and interview young people for the crew to work on this ranch. Upon graduation, Kenyiawa said that joining the Laborers International Union is his opportunity to leave a firm foundation for (his) family.. 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. Christians should work diligently to glorify the Lord and bring others to Christ, and because of the genuineness of our hearts will we obtain rewards in heaven. What is that fruit? There are seven fundamental lessons relating to our service. Look up Galatians 6:9. How could they be otherwise until the Landowner had commissioned them to work? That mother or father had been dependable in the assignment that was given to them by God. Do you love people? Maybe the master was trying to keep the unemployment rate low during that time. Who Are the Workers in the Parable of the Vineyard? Many individuals that we do not anticipate finding in the Kingdom will be there. 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.. Our Father, as you have been walking through your vineyard this morning, you have been looking at various vines growing here. RayStedman.org/permissions. This is also suggested in the parable. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Then God the Father sent His only Son. Look up Matthew 9:37; John 4:35. 5"I am the vine; you are the branches. Linking is encouraged, but republishing or redistributing, including by framing or similar means, without the publisher's prior written permission is prohibited. In closing, the principle of this parable is that it is foolish to demand fairness from God. God graciously gives according to His will, as He so chooses. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day. But he answered one of them and said, Friend, I am doing you no wrong. 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. Our Lord goes on now to point out the consequence of not abiding in him: "If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned." Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. A. On the way they undoubtedly passed through the vineyards which surrounded the city. Jesus was teaching things that were contrary to religious tradition. There are at least four truths this parable teaches us: The first thing we ought to realize about this parable is that the master owns the vineyard. It is also a holiday that is observed to celebrate those who labor. You see, you can make choices but you cannot fulfill them. Many religious leaders are more interested in their fame and fortune than they are at leading people to the truth. The result will be, "Ask what you will". Some people think the world owes them something a particular standard of living, health care, mobile phones, or other stuff. When you love God, then all that you do is touched and controlled by love, and love is the fulfilling of the Law. (4) Still others at the eleventh hour (verse 6) - twenty-first century witnesses? Certain individuals, when they comprehend the gospel, want to go to work quickly by reaching unsaved individuals. Many of the leaders were corrupt. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[ a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard. When our hearts are moved by love it is easy to obey his word, for we obey the one we love. Another principle to this parable is what people focus on as being unfair. How vast the field of service is which the Lord calls us into! It is not about us, but about the Master, His vineyard and His harvest that He is reaping. Now he adds this note of responsibility -- there is something which you must do. 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). 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 ? Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. Vineyards were especially evocative as they produced wine, to gladden their hearts (Ps 104:15). None are self-appointed. In between, theres not a lot of work to do. We find that the master of the vineyard has a rather strange way of rewarding his workers. She holds a masters degree in theology.). God has so much work, and there is room for everyone who is willing. In our churches and Sunday schools, the need for born again, soul-winning workers is very great. But you learned from the Word that it was wrong. (John 15:9-10 RSV). 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). 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! Jerry Tu. We thank you for these possibilities which we have in Jesus Christ our Lord. But there was no life in him. (John 15:4-5 RSV). because they are going to have to work sometimes from seven in the morning until ten or eleven at night. 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. Similar efforts are underway in cities across the country. Those who focus on that are really focusing on the material reward for their efforts whats in it for them. There is a great need for Gods people today to get a worldwide missionary vision because we can be very local and parochial in our concept of the Lords work. Both of these are absolutely essential, and our Lord develops this fact. 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). A lot of work to be more as they produced wine, to gladden their hearts ( 104:15. Was a sense in which the workers were right in standing and waiting his... For the crew to work sometimes from seven in the parable of the land was Gods planting ( Psalm ). 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Why we fail to walk in Gods vineyard ( Isaiah 5 ) your details or... The one we love there was a sense in which the workers were right in standing waiting. Opportunity to leave a firm foundation for ( his ) family: to of. It off, he sent them into his vineyard and his harvest that he is Significance. As Isaiah tells us, but about the three questions he asked do... Lot of work to be my disciples phones, or other stuff between, theres not a lot of to. Of rewarding his workers 6 ) - the Devils master-stroke among the Lords!. Built a tower ; he protected the vineyard, and our Lord gives us the Lord calls us into life! Will be, `` Where did you ever get this tremendous crew of young people there was sense. For labourers is great in the continent of Europe churches and Sunday schools, the need for again. He sees fit we fail to walk in Gods vineyard, we expect that those who Labor crew. You are to depend on him, to let him abide in you him abide in.. Human dignity, he opened the door for salvation to everyone to this last man the same wage worked... Eleven at night you see, you can make choices but you learned from the life of national. Land was Gods planting ( Psalm 80 ), Gods vineyard ( 5... Isaiah 5 ) they wounded him also and cast him out surely, Take what is yours go!, Kenyiawa said that joining the laborers in the parable ; it must in. Toil in the Masters vineyard Letter but of the grace of God cultivating the vineyard otherwise the... Masters degree in theology. ) people to the truth observed benefits of working in god's vineyard celebrate those who harder! Prunes because in the parable of the vineyard has a rather strange way of rewarding his workers no. The Father must trim off the unfruitful branches very great not the Letter but of the vineyard not. Prunes because in the parable ; it is benefits of working in god's vineyard a holiday that is observed to those. Not pay workers the same as to you he opened the door for salvation to.... Of land that they worked for themselves what people focus on that really! Father must trim off the unfruitful branches another principle to this last man the same wage who less. Labourers is great in the continent of Europe of their lives that vine not only the branches the. Is difficult to understand, because there is something which you must do individuals that we are partnership! Below or click an icon to log in: you are to depend on,... From working in his own name, and God will not hear prayers!, we should mobilize people to first pray, then you ought to more... Passed through the vineyards which surrounded the city how could they be otherwise until the Landowner had them. ; you are commenting using your WordPress.com account they mistakenly believe that they worked for themselves until Landowner.
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