But when he came into his vineyard and looked for grapes, he found wild grapes instead sour, tasteless grapes. "Without me you can do nothing.". 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." What we receive from God is a gift and undeserved. They are mistaken! This is an extremely helpful passage! But where love is responded to, it grows deeper and richer and truer, and eventually becomes a glorious experience. What Does it Mean That We Are Co-Workers with God? He was the vine from which true life is received. But I have learned that the only young people who can ever stand up to this grueling demand, and can meet it with an unvarying spirit of joy and gladness, with the kind of attitude that has so impressed you, are those who have learned to love Jesus.". Cultivating the vineyard of the Lord includes cultivating the lives of those who toil in the vineyard. For example, the Lord needs: To all of us the Lord says - Revelation 3:8! 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 when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. The purpose of this vine, obviously, is to bring forth fruit. Web-Working in the vineyard involves work! He is really praying in his own name, and God will not hear our prayers when we approach Him in that way. It might be something seemingly insignificant that may be behind the scenes or a small task or it might Too many want to fit in to society instead of following what they were called to do. 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! You suddenly were confronted with what you were doing to yourself and to others -- you felt it and heard it and saw it. (2) Christian authors and teachers who use the printed word. 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). [Jesus said to the people:] Listen to another parable. (1) Idleness (verse 6). 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. He is responsible to see that the purpose of the vine is fulfilled. 3 About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. (5) Discouragement. Do you want to be known as a disciple of Jesus? He said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Many are called to do Gods work. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. How vast the field of service is which the Lord calls us into! The Gentiles may have been called in at the eleventh hour, but they receive the same as what was offered unto the Jews, salvation. 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. If we did, then it would not be grace. 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. A vineyard is planted not for ornamentation, but to produce grapes, to bear fruit. How discontented we are (Hebrews 13:5)! 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. Not one of us deserves anything from God.. Jesus further explained the participation rules of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is only by God's grace. Look up John 4:35, and compare John 9:4. Listen to godly advice. The figure of the vine is used many times in the Scriptures. They prove to be his disciples. There will be a harvest and we need to work until that time. Change). If you are not feeling the depth of love you would like to experience, one of the reasons may be that you are not responding to the love which is already reaching out to you. You see, you can do many things without depending on Christ. Our Father, as you have been walking through your vineyard this morning, you have been looking at various vines growing here. Let us remember that God is in control, not us. And many a churchgoer is in that state. 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. On the way they undoubtedly passed through the vineyards which surrounded the city. When you love God, then all that you do is touched and controlled by love, and love is the fulfilling of the Law. And leave pride out of it. Note in verses 4 and 7 that He sent them out. The other aspect was that the Jews figured they were Gods people and were the only ones that had the right to heaven. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. (John 15:6 RSV). I am the vine, you are the branches. He owns everything. If we do that we are fulfilling this active, necessary decision of the will to obey his Word, to do what he says, and to stay in touch with him. The laborers are believers, people who come into the service of the King. Thankfully, there are prophets in our midst who cry out in defense of and solidarity with workers. 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. No matter who a person is or what they have done in their life, or how late in life they repent and trust in Jesus, they will be saved and we should rejoice in their salvation, not grumble about it. You do not even have to do a thing to manifest that. None of us deserve Gods grace. Here is the process in which the branch is cut off, and then it withers -- grows dry and dull and dead. (4) Murmurings (verse 11). I struggled for a while with this word prunes because in the Greek it is really "cleanses." We must think about what is important eternally. 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. It was so in the parable; it is so today. Catholic social teaching upholds the dignity of work and the rights of workers. 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. Second, "and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." Doors of opportunity are closing in many parts of the world - look up 1 Corinthians 7:29. 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? Christ then becomes real to you. 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. In this parable the period for service was twelve hours. In this role, she serves as the local representative of the national Catholic Labor Network in Nashville, Tennessee. Was it unfair for them to receive what they received from the master of the vineyard? You are God's field, God's building. These wicked workers in their masters vineyard decided the workers that came late didnt deserve a full days wage. 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. Gods grace is there for anyone at any time? We are laborers in His vineyard and He is calling the shots. 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. Many people in Jesus day had a small personal vineyard on their own small plot of land that they worked for themselves. (Aimee Shelide Mayer is a social justice and spiritual formation consultant to nonprofits, churches and schools. 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. 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 But when that call comes at the eleventh hour, they cannot say that they had not been called. He will interview perhaps 300 young people and from them select only 30. Copyright 2023 Catholic News Service, Inc. All rights reserved. and do it wholeheartedly. And he tells them about the three questions he asked: Do you love work? 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. Does it seem fair to our standards that this is the case? Pride got in their way. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. On others you see luscious, tempting, delicious fruit which gladdens and delights your heart, glorifies you, and we thank you for that. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. He or she may not have sung in a choir, never taught a Sunday School class, nor been a part of a church committee. The Lord requires faithfulness and not necessarily (as judged by human standards) success. Jesus told a couple parables that deals with the heart of those who are called to do Gods work. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Matthew Henrys Commentary tells us that the immediate object of this parable is, to show that the Jews were first called into the vineyard, finally, the gospel should be spread to the Gentiles, and that they are to be conceded to the same advantages and benefits with the Jews. In the first 13 verses of chapter 20 of the Book of Matthew, Jesus is telling the parable about workers being paid equally. But you learned from the Word that it was wrong. You cannot tell him how to answer your prayers. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. The fact of the matter is that God does not work that way. I am sure you have all had the experience of being confronted with a word of Scripture and learning from it that something you had been doing all your life, and which you thought was right, was actually wrong. In making claims of unfairness, we forget who the boss isand it is not us! He has served as a Sunday School teacher, a youth director along with his wife, a music director, an associate pastor, and an interim pastor. Would we demand fairness for the first group, for the first Christians? You cannot tell him when to answer your prayers. The Father is the vinedresser. What the owner does is to go throughout the country and interview young people for the crew to work on this ranch. No, they are means by which we know him. Those who focus on that are really focusing on the material reward for their efforts whats in it for them. None are self-appointed. We must, if we would have God answer our prayers, give up any thought that we have any claim upon God. I will send my beloved son. Compare Acts 8:29; 9:11; 10:19; 13:1-4; Isaiah 6:1-8. And on the third evening the owner of the ranch sits down and says, "Many of you have been asking about our crew. By this he meant to illustrate the wonderful truth that when we are united with Christ we are one with him, we are identified with him. Gods desire is that we are all saved and that we are all filled with joy. 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). The traditional site of the Upper Room in Jerusalem is on the western side of the Old City, on the slopes of Mount Zion. Maybe the master was trying to keep the unemployment rate low during that time. What is that? Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[ a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard. Jesus tells us in Verse3: "You are already made clean [pruned] by the word which I have spoken to you." What Is a Parable in the Bible? When God sent someone to give a message, they would not listen. 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. 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. What is that fruit? These are signs of human dignity being upheld, of people being placed over profit. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 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. This is the glory of Christian liberty. Notice that Jesus says here to the disciples, "You are already made clean." Today there is a manpower shortage in the Kingdom of Heaven! We would be foolish to appeal to God for justice rather than grace, for if we really received justice, we would all be condemned. (5) stewards of the Lords money, seeking to extend His work. There is a world to evangelize. None of us are worthy to be there, but Jesus paid for our sins and died for us, so that all who believe may enter into heaven. 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. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Aside from the first group of workers who were hired at sun up, the master promises to pay the workers what is right. These workers might have expected to receive a fraction of a days wage, but the master of the vineyard never specifies what he will pay. This is the work of the Father. Probably they will respect him when they see him. But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir. But that was not the end of it; there was to be more as they went on. (3) Criticism (verse 15) - criticism of the Lord and of His dealings. That is abiding in him. 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. The Collect. In many ways it constitutes the most needy mission field in the world today. Bible Meaning and Text. The workers of a railroad car manufacturing company began the strike because they thought they were not treated fairly. Choose from news (Monday), leisure (Thursday) or worship (Saturday) or get all three! 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. Again, let God be your guide. (2) Jealousy (verse 10) - the Devils master-stroke among the Lords workers! 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. All things being equal, we expect businesses would not pay workers the same wage who worked less than others. They mistakenly believe that they are the ones in charge and can call the shots in Gods Kingdom. I have been a member of the Presbyterian Church for thirty years, and have tried to be a consistent one all the time. Perhaps you were manifesting or defending some attitude. And he included in that vine not only the branches but the stem and root. When the Landowner went out at the eleventh hour and asked, Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing? (verse 6), they replied, Because no-one has hired us (verse 7). The whole plant was the vine. All rights reserved. What a wonderful relationship our Lord taught us here by this lesson of the vine! Do you love Jesus? Jesus needs laborers (Matthew 9:38) who know how to function and manage individuals' concerns. 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. This parable is about the masters generosity His grace. Pingback: Laborers in Gods Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) | Good Hope Baptist Church. God sends the invitation to everybody to come to him, come by faith in Christ (Acts 4:12). 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. 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. Your whole family had done it; it had been a family characteristic. Web8 This is to my Fathers glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. This illustration is particularly for the individuals who might feel privileged due to their heritage or by the alleged position of authority that they may hold. 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. We trade the Giver for His gifts. So from this point on we properly should no longer call this passage of Scripture the Upper Room Discourse. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. The relationship is not merely to be recognized; it is to be acted upon: "Abide in me, and I in you. At the close of Chapter14 our Lord said to his disciples, "Rise, let us go hence." WebMatthew Chapter 20. But Jesus explains that salvation is for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. This is the point our Lord makes in the story. What Is the Significance of Not the Letter but of the Spirit? 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