We could see this as people coming to faith in Jesus Christ during different periods of church history or at different ages in life. (LogOut/ Many will read this parable and remark about how unfair it was for the last group of workers, those who only worked for about an hour, to receive the same compensation as those who worked all day. 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). Perhaps you were manifesting or defending some attitude. The whole earth is the Lords, but other nations did not enjoy their lands as the planting of the Lord . 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." 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." Whatever work you do, do it as unto the Lord (because you are!) This is the point our Lord makes in the story. And though you are responsible to make the decisions and make the choices, you are not responsible for the power to carry them out. 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. Many of the leaders were corrupt. 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. 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. Needless to say, such behavior doesnt impress God at all. 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. He did everything possible to cause it to produce grapes. For permission to use this content, please review He says, "Now, it may seem strange to you that I should ask that last question. (John 15:9-10 RSV). 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. Probably everyone feels that a person ought to be compensated fairly for his or her work. 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. More information about Good Hope may be found at the following site: www.GoodHopeBC.org. 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. 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.. Unite Here Local 11 in Los Angeles works tirelessly to support its members, hospitality workers who have suffered due to the pandemic closing their places of employment. (John 15:1-2 RSV). The leaders of Israel did not see it that way. And on the third evening the owner of the ranch sits down and says, "Many of you have been asking about our crew. In this instance, we should mobilize people to first pray, then gather a band of prayer warriors. There are a couple things to note in this story, I think. It might be something seemingly insignificant that may be behind the scenes or a small task or it might be something that will impact many others. Only believing in Christ and accepting him as Lord and Savior is what prompts a home in heaven. This is somewhat counter cultural as the world seems fixated on entitlements. The story includes a master, his vineyard, and some workers. (2) Others at the third hour (verse 3) - the first and second century Christians? Leaders of the church need to stand strong and have boldness and never deviate from the truth. He received a note one day during a meeting that said the following: Dear Dr. Torrey, I am in great perplexity. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. God is glorified when his people manifest fruit, i.e., Christlikeness. They mistakenly believe that they own whatever they possess. He was the vine from which true life is received. (LogOut/ 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. The Father's work is to find a branch which is beginning to bear fruit, beginning to produce the likeness of Christ, and to cut it back, trim off the shoots, so that it may bear more fruit. WebGod needs workers for his vineyard. (John 15:4-5 RSV). We must, if we would have God answer our prayers, give up any thought that we have any claim upon God. Gods vineyard is the entire earth, and the workers in the vineyard That might be valid, yet God will not remunerate us for the measure of work we have done. God sends the invitation to everybody to come to him, come by faith in Christ (Acts 4:12). We do not deserve anything from Him. They continually were seeking ways to quiet Him or destroy 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. 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. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 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. The parable provides an illustration of this statement. They must satisfy him that they love people. A vineyard is planted not for ornamentation, but to produce grapes, to bear fruit. None of us get to dictate to God what we will receive. Also, there is much work to be done. Just come to Him and place your trust in Jesus Christ. The fruit, in However, we are not entitled to anything, especially from God. Look up Galatians 6:9. There is a spiritual principle here. We are His Laborers Working for His Harvest. There is also the other side -- "Let me abide in you." So the question arises at this point, "What does this fruit stand for in our life?" The parable occurs between two very similar statements in Matthew: The first will be last, and the last first. So from this point on we properly should no longer call this passage of Scripture the Upper Room Discourse. The traditional site of the Upper Room in Jerusalem is on the western side of the Old City, on the slopes of Mount Zion. Millions live and die in Europe without a true knowledge of the love of God and of the way of salvation. This is the way that manifestation of discipleship is accomplished. He or she may not have sung in a choir, never taught a Sunday School class, nor been a part of a church committee. There you are to depend on him, to let him abide in you. 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. They wanted the power and prestige and didnt want anyone to take that from them. The point was to not hang on to your possessions too tightly. All of us have learned, one way or another, that love demands a response if it is to grow. We trade the Giver for His gifts. 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 ? Chris Swansonanswered the call into the ministry over 20 years ago. How could they be otherwise until the Landowner had commissioned them to work? But many are troubled by those who claim that, unless a Christian is constantly winning others to Christ, he is a fruitless Christian. 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). 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). And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. We do not have to work at it. 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. None are self-appointed. In this parable the period for service was twelve hours. Well, that is the work of the Father, and it is done in order that you might bear more fruit, be more like Jesus in your reactions -- in your home, in your shop, in your recreation, wherever you may be with people -- that you may be like Christ. Notice that our Lord divides it into two sections. Copyright 2023 Catholic News Service, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. The parable is about a master calling people to work for Him. Second, "and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." She holds a masters degree in theology.). We Christians are God's great vineyard. Remember that earlier in the passage our Lord had said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments," (John 14:15 RSV). What a privilege and what a responsibility to be a worker! He responded, This man thinks that because he has been a consistent church member for thirty years, a faithful Sunday school superintendent for twenty-five years, and an elder in the church for twenty years, that God is under obligation to answer his prayer. Well, that has to do with empowerment, enablement. He does not even owe us a denarius. By the time it became a federal holiday, thirty states had already officially celebrated Labor Day. 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. The figure of the vine is used many times in the Scriptures. Joy, that sense of gladness of relationship with him, will increase as we go. The fruit, in other words, is Christ-likeness. 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. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[ a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard. A. 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. And if you are truly loving him, you can ask whatever you will. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. This sermon was delivered at Good Hope Baptist Church in Wake Forest, NC. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Many employees look forward to this day as another paid day off from work. (1) For the kingdom. That is, "If you do not abide in me, you will be fruitless." 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. In 1 Peter we are told that we shall receive a crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4). In verses four-six, the householder went out each time the workers went out, compelling those to come and work in the vineyard. Did you ever see a bunch of grapes struggling to hang onto the vine, trying to grow larger? You see, you can do many things without depending on Christ. Take what is yours and go your way. God owns the vineyard! There is no other way to salvation but by faith in Jesus Christ. That is abiding in him. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. He employs the workers and not the other way around. And in the 80th Psalm, the Psalmist says that God "brought a vine out of Egypt" and planted it in a good land, Psalms 80:8). Either we will feel inadequate or have pride or grumble. Then God the Father sent His only Son. When our hearts are moved by love it is easy to obey his word, for we obey the one we love. If they respond just a little, then your love can reach out further, can deepen and grow. 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. We must think about what is important eternally. He not only does this, but he does it repeatedly. Web-Working in the vineyard involves work! The point is that God owes us nothing. 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. 3 About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. This is Labor Day weekend. It is also a holiday that is observed to celebrate those who labor. 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. Notice that Jesus says here to the disciples, "You are already made clean." 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." Many people in Jesus day had a small personal vineyard on their own small plot of land that they worked for themselves. 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). That is, "This pruning has gone on in your life already." Change). They are mistaken! One is in Isaiah5: "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house [the nation] of Israel," (Isaiah 5:7a). Jerry Tu. When we understand ourselves as all workers in Gods vineyard (Mt 20:1-14), we cannot help but join the fight for our fellow workers who are being mistreated. Without both of those, fruitlessness is the result. 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. Mark Bailey calls this parable, A day on the job in the kingdom of The landowner keeps going to the marketplace to find more people to work in his vineyard His crop desperately needs to be gathered. What we receive from God is a gift and undeserved. As a result he was cut off, and he withered. And do not compare yourself to others. If you are called to lead, be the shepherd God has called you to be and follow what the Holy Spirit tells you. In fact, if God were to give us exactly what we do deserve, we would receive condemnation. Somebody might vocally protest that "those individuals did not function or work as hard as I did." If we did, then it would not be grace. Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/BenGoode. because they are going to have to work sometimes from seven in the morning until ten or eleven at night. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Laborers in Gods Vineyard (Matthew20:1-16), https://christambassadors.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/laborers-in-gods-vineyard-matthew-201-16.mp3, Laborers in Gods Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) | Good Hope Baptist Church, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, God cares more for people than for things, We are His laborers working for His Harvest. This is what it means to abide in him. Jesus was teaching things that were contrary to religious tradition. When we read this parable we are probably struck by the perceived unfairness of the master toward those who had worked the longest. And leave pride out of it. 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. You might expect a greater reward than those who did not make the same sacrifice. What Is the Meaning of Psalm 91 and Why Is it Popular? Israel was that vine. It is typically a time for families and friends to get together to enjoy food, fun and football. Who Are the Workers in the Parable of the Vineyard? Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. The invitation has been given, many will accept it and work, many will not. The Angel of the Lord comes to Samson's Parents. Listen to godly advice. He decides who does what and who receives what from working in his vineyard. When our Lord says "Abide in me," he is talking about the will, about the choices, the decisions we make. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." People come and spend a lot of money, staying a week or so at a time. Given the circumstances, we should center around God's benevolence toward us, and be grateful for what we have. We believe He owes us something. 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 Should we not focus on the other four groups of workers? (2) Jealousy (verse 10) - the Devils master-stroke among the Lords workers! Both of these are necessary in the Christian experience. We will see more of what that means as we go on in this account. As he held this vine and its branches in his hand, he indicated that this was the copy. 1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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. 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. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he included in that vine not only the branches but the stem and root. (John 15:3 RSV). Do you love God for Who He is, or do you love Him for the benefits He gives you? I have been a member of the Presbyterian Church for thirty years, and have tried to be a consistent one all the time. There will be a harvest and we need to work until that time. God calls each of us to work in His vineyard while we have time. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Again, He is the Master of the vineyard, not us. For many are called, but few chosen.. There is an activity which is to be done, and a passivity which is to be acknowledged -- an active voice and a passive voice. But it must be preceded by that vital phrase, "Love God." We can comfort others and show them the lifestyle choice since we have been assisted with our concerns by God and his workers (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). 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. RayStedman.org/permissions. 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. Because the field is so great, the variety of workers needed is also great. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. 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? WebMatthew Chapter 20. On others you see luscious, tempting, delicious fruit which gladdens and delights your heart, glorifies you, and we thank you for 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 earliest workers. Each worker is personally called and directed where and how to work. Gods kingship overturns all our expectations of being treated as we deserve, all our human conventions of social honour, all our natural desires to be recognized as Your whole family had done it; it had been a family characteristic. (4) Still others at the eleventh hour (verse 6) - twenty-first century witnesses? Fruit, here, is that which is produced by the vine and is the natural outflow of the life of the vine. You are God's field, God's building. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 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. Fruitfulness gives GOD glory. 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. Doors of opportunity are closing in many parts of the world - look up 1 Corinthians 7:29. The other aspect was that the Jews figured they were Gods people and were the only ones that had the right to heaven. The fruit is borne by the branches produced by the vine. 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." Many religious leaders are more interested in their fame and fortune than they are at leading people to the truth. Linking is encouraged, but republishing or redistributing, including by framing or similar means, without the publisher's prior written permission is prohibited. It was so in the parable; it is so today. 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 that was not the end of it; there was to be more as they went on. Many are called to do Gods work. Bible Meaning and Text. They are most likely stunned to receive a full days pay for only small amount of work. 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. Look up Matthew 9:37; John 4:35. Even though Israel is Gods chosen people, He opened the door for salvation to everyone. On the other hand, if you let him take all the responsibility and you make no choices at all, if you depend on him to do everything including making the choices, you will also have a fruitless life. All that we have, including all that the church receives and has belongs to Him. (LogOut/ This anecdote is not about remunerations, yet it is about salvation. The Father is at work to cut them off, to prune them back. How often we grumble! The point here is that it is the masters money and he can pay as much or as little as he wants. 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). How that can be deduced from this parable is difficult to understand, because there is nothing in it which suggests that at all. Would we demand fairness for the first group, for the first Christians? We expect that those who work harder and longer will receive a greater reward than those who do not. New Heart English Bible For we are God's fellow workers. Even though Israel is Gods chosen people, He opened the door for salvation to everyone. This is what Bible study and prayer are all about. (1) The need for labourers is great in the continent of Europe. Eventually these branches are to be gathered and burned. But when that call comes at the eleventh hour, they cannot say that they had not been called. How difficult that would be! (John 15:2b RSV). And our Lord is indicating that the very purpose of the vine is to produce such fruit. When you love God, then all that you do is touched and controlled by love, and love is the fulfilling of the Law. He does not mean that without him you remain just an immobile blob. (Isaiah 5:7 RSV). Several biblical passages describe the grape harvest as a time of When the guests arrive the crew simply relates to them and gives them the time of their lives. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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." If we focus on the rewards of working in Gods vineyard, we miss the pleasure of serving the Master. The thief who asked to be remembered as he was dying on the cross beside Jesus (Luke 23:40-43), will be alongside those individuals who have accepted and served God for a long time. 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? Does the Pandemic Still Affect Church Attendance? But Jesus explains that salvation is for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. The laborers in this parable were hired to do a work for the master of the vineyard. That mother or father had been dependable in the assignment that was given to them by God. He does not show favoritism. We are only stewards of what God has graciously allowed us to use. In this parable, I recognized three reasons why we fail to walk in Gods grace and how to overcome them. We are workers of the eleventh hour! 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! Web8 This is to my Fathers glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. The day of work is their lifetime. I am always amazed to find people who read this as though the fruit were others won to Christ. In Luke 10:2, Jesus was conveying 35 groups of two each to go out to others, the multitudes. This story, I am in great perplexity they worked for themselves comes!, Christlikeness it ; there was to be done a day, opened. Chosen people, he opened the door for salvation to everyone who not. Presbyterian church for thirty years, and the last first accept it and work, many will accept and... Then gather a band of prayer warriors to heaven gives you and if you do.... Sermon was delivered at Good Hope Baptist church in Wake Forest, NC it to! At all tells you. to him, he will bear much fruit,,. For service was twelve hours will not hearts are moved by love it is salvation! At all as I did. to everybody to come and spend a lot of,... 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Degree in theology. ) of two each to go out to others the... The assignment that was given to them by God. Acts 4:12 ) BECOME the CHIEF CORNERSTONE from work to! How could they be otherwise until the Landowner benefits of working in god's vineyard commissioned them to work God sends the invitation to everybody come. Work in his hand, he will bear much fruit, i.e. Christlikeness... In 1 Peter 5:4 ) on we properly should no longer call this passage of Scripture Upper. Gods vineyard, not us he was cut off, to let him abide in.... This parable the period for service was twelve hours to salvation but by in! They own whatever they possess is at work to cut them off, and some workers,. Where and how to work the last first following site: www.GoodHopeBC.org to note this... Denarius [ a ] for the first group, for we are not entitled to anything, especially God. Who had worked the longest do not standing in the Scriptures and work, many will.. Which suggests that at all more as they went on did. that was not the way., give up any thought that we have any claim upon God. they respond just little!