(LogOut/ I have been praying for a long time for something that I am confident is according to Gods will, but I do not get it. We thank you for your faithfulness in being at work to do that. But this man seems to have had a large vineyard that was supposed to make him a lot of money. 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. 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. Somebody might vocally protest that "those individuals did not function or work as hard as I did." 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. And he included in that vine not only the branches but the stem and root. God owns the vineyard! In this instance, we should mobilize people to first pray, then gather a band of prayer warriors. They mistakenly believe that they own whatever they possess. In this parable, I recognized three reasons why we fail to walk in Gods grace and how to overcome them. Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our conc Probably at the time Jesus spoke this parable, the latecomers to Gods vineyard, to Gods Kingdom, were the tax collectors and sinners. In a broader context the Gentiles would be the eleventh hour workers who heard Gods Word later than Jews. Labor Day was first recognized nationally in the United States in 1894 following a massive railroad strike. So it is a complete cycle which keeps producing deeper and deeper experiences of love. Notice that Jesus says here to the disciples, "You are already made clean." 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. This is what Bible study and prayer are all about. In this role, she serves as the local representative of the national Catholic Labor Network in Nashville, Tennessee. -Serving The story includes a master, his vineyard, and some workers. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." We know that your work with us is to the end that we may produce more fruit, that all of us here in this vineyard will be so fruit-laden, that it will be a fruitful place which will make the world around us drool with desire to learn the secret of such fruit. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Both these relationships are absolutely essential, not one as opposed to the other but both together. (John 15:7 RSV), Answered prayer is one of the first signs of a fruitful life. More information about Good Hope may be found at the following site: www.GoodHopeBC.org. They continually were seeking ways to quiet Him or destroy Him. In agriculture theres a sowing season, then a reaping season. We find that the master of the vineyard has a rather strange way of rewarding his workers. Jesus told a couple parables that deals with the heart of those who are called to do Gods work. What is that fruit? God graciously gives according to His will, as He so chooses. The parable is about a master calling people to work for Him. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. This is a picture of those church members who, despite attending church, never have any manifestation of truth, never have any sign in their lives of that quality of love and forgiveness and understanding and compassion which is born of the Holy Spirit, but are rigid and narrow and hard and harsh and condemning and difficult -- even though they say and do the "right" thing. 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. 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. This is the work of the Father. Vineyards were especially evocative as they produced wine, to gladden their hearts (Ps 104:15). He decides who does what and who receives what from working in his vineyard. 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. Because it is large, many workers are needed. The Father is the vinedresser. There was no fruit. Apprenticeship graduate Joseph Kenyiawa, who was resettled through Catholic Charities in Nashville from Sudan 20 years ago, is a pillar of the Sudanese Catholic community. Then He began to tell the people this parable: A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. 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 ? But many who are first will be last, and the last first.. 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. But if you share where you are spiritually, what your struggles are, what you are going through, and if you bear one another's burdens and love each other in the Lord, it becomes a delightful, marvelous, strengthening experience. Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.. Not one of us deserves anything from God.. The parable occurs between two very similar statements in Matthew: The first will be last, and the last first. He may have been eager to make sure people had work. 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. This is an extremely helpful passage! (John 15:9-10 RSV). For example, the Lord needs: To all of us the Lord says - Revelation 3:8! The point was to not hang on to your possessions too tightly. This gift is for everyone. All they hear is, "Do as you please." Its a place where to keep you from being idle, to ensure you dont live a A friend of mine passed through Palo Alto this week on his way to Colorado to participate in a very unusual ranch. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/BenGoode. Jerry Tu. 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. That is a hard lesson to learn, because oftentimes when we go to God in prayer thinking we deserve something from Him. 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. They mistakenly believe that they are the ones in charge and can call the shots in Gods Kingdom. When we do, we are abiding in him and letting him abide in us. 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). You can make it run well. Was it unfair for them to receive what they received from the master of the vineyard? In Gods vineyard, people have no anxiety at all. Instead of worrying they pray with thanksgiving, [making] their requests known to God. In this, they can be utterly But he will answer your prayers when they grow out of this relationship. What Does it Mean That We Are Co-Workers with God? WebFor we are Gods servants, working together; you are Gods field, Gods building. It is not activity which glorifies God; it is character, it is what you are, and the way you react to a situation. The life which is in the vine produces fruit which Paul describes in Galatians5 as: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 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. Jesus told the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard to illustrate the point that no one deserves Gods grace and each of us should joyfully serve Him with the time we are given. Working in Gods Vineyard Many are called to do Gods work. The point here is that it is the masters money and he can pay as much or as little as he wants. 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.. He sovereignly rules over all of creation and none of us have a legitimate claim on it. 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. Who Are the Workers in the Parable of the Vineyard? When we think of its size, how few workers there are! We are to each be working to make more disciples of Jesus Christ while we have time. The other aspect was that the Jews figured they were Gods people and were the only ones that had the right to heaven. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Here is the process in which the branch is cut off, and then it withers -- grows dry and dull and dead. The denarius was a standard minimum days wage at that time and the workers had agreed to it. Pingback: Laborers in Gods Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) | Good Hope Baptist Church. I am always amazed to find people who read this as though the fruit were others won to Christ. He built a tower; he protected the vineyard and cared for it, Isaiah 5:2(. Needless to say, such behavior doesnt impress God at all. What a temptation to be slack, careless and half-hearted in the Lords work. 53). The result will be, "Ask what you will". (John 15:4-5 RSV). We believe they deserved more. Many people in Jesus day had a small personal vineyard on their own small plot of land that they worked for themselves. 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. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. How often we grumble! I want to reassure you that this is not the case. This is the way that manifestation of discipleship is accomplished. He is responsible to see that the purpose of the vine is fulfilled. I lived in the far corner of Northeastern Washington with my beautiful wife, but now live in Wisconsin while I look for work. Or is your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first, and the first last. Too many want to fit in to society instead of following what they were called to do. That might be valid, yet God will not remunerate us for the measure of work we have done. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? What the owner does is to go throughout the country and interview young people for the crew to work on this ranch. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.. How can we work for the Lord until He has directed us? We expect that those who work harder and longer will receive a greater reward than those who do not. 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 There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. The fruit here is not others won to Christ. You can even pastor a church without Christ. Do you want to be recognized as one who follows Jesus? Should we not focus on the other four groups of workers? At the close of Chapter14 our Lord said to his disciples, "Rise, let us go hence." 63). 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. Because the field is so great, the variety of workers needed is also great. 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. All things being equal, we expect businesses would not pay workers the same wage who worked less than others. We are His Laborers Working for His Harvest. 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 first social encyclical, Rerum Novarum, written by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, grounds our social tradition in a discussion of labor and worker rights. We will see more of what that means as we go on in this account. This is the glory of Christian liberty. 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 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 says, "Now, it may seem strange to you that I should ask that last question. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. When we read this parable we are probably struck by the perceived unfairness of the master toward those who had worked the longest. For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. That is, a vine produces certain shoots (called "sucker" shoots) which start to grow where the branch joins the stem. Judas was a paramount example of this. 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? In closing, the principle of this parable is that it is foolish to demand fairness from God. Here is the case our Lord mentioned earlier when he said, of one aspect of the Father's work, "every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away." The late evangelist pastor, and writer, R. A. Torrey had an interesting perspective on this. So it is with the church: we need all the workers we can get to accomplish all that God has called us to do. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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. We are workers of the eleventh hour! The hurt was too severe. RayStedman.org/permissions. Linking is encouraged, but republishing or redistributing, including by framing or similar means, without the publisher's prior written permission is prohibited. A. But that was not the end of it; there was to be more as they went on. That is abiding in him. 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 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. 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. We must think about what is important eternally. You see, you can make choices but you cannot fulfill them. Let me tell you why they are the way they are." If we focus on the material reward of working in the vineyard, we miss the masters generosity to the majority of his workers. 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. Many of the leaders were corrupt. And many a churchgoer is in that state. The point is that God owes us nothing. He wants them to love their work. He asks them only three questions: First, "Do you love work?" What a fantastic group they are!" In Luke 10:2, Jesus was conveying 35 groups of two each to go out to others, the multitudes. As work became more industrialized, Pope Leo XIII advocated for just working conditions, the rights of workers to bargain collectively and form unions, and to earn a living wage all of which our church still supports today. There was a sense in which the workers were right in standing and waiting. The Diocese of Rochester In America 1868-1993, Catholic social teaching series 3: Human rights and responsibilities: Promoting the common good for all, Catholic social teaching series 3: Rights and responsibilities what we are owned and owe to others in justice, Catholic social teaching series 4: Developing awareness and action for the preferential option for the poor, Franciscan Center of Baltimore exemplifies the preferential option for poor. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? How difficult that would be! God sent prophets to Israel to tell them to get right with God, but they were ignored, beaten, and/or killed. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. In fact, if God were to give us exactly what we do deserve, we would receive condemnation. We trade the Giver for His gifts. The fact of the matter is that God does not work that way. We would be foolish to appeal to God for justice rather than grace, for if we really received justice, we would all be condemned. Perhaps for a while you paid no attention to that Word, as many of us don't, and went on blithely exhibiting this characteristic even though it hurt you and hurt others -- until some circumstance occurred by which the Father put you in such a place that you had to listen to the Word. If in relating to others you merely get together and have coffee and talk about the weather, you will find it useless. That is, "If you do not abide in me, you will be fruitless." It appears that this master, however, does not share that expectation. (2) In other continents the need is vast - where the darkness of heathenism, superstition and ignorance abound. Giving. 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 was the true vine. In that respect, this parable is not based on reality. They are not mere mechanical practices which every Christian ought to do in order to stay "in" with the crowd, or to maintain his "membership card," or to get "brownie points" with God! (1) Some early in the morning (verse 1) - the Apostles? 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. (LogOut/ We also have a day in which to work for the Lord - look up 2 Corinthians 6:2 - the Day of Grace. But it must be preceded by that vital phrase, "Love God." If we focus on the rewards of working in Gods vineyard, we miss the pleasure of serving the Master. Then the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? The evening is eternity. Your whole family had done it; it had been a family characteristic. (LogOut/ There is no other way to salvation but by faith in Jesus Christ. God owns His vineyard. The steward, perhaps, represents Jesus Christ, to whom has been committed all judgment. (LogOut/ 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. The Father is at work to cut them off, to prune them back. The Progression: Chronological - The parable emphasizes the times that the laborers were hired. 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." 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