RayStedman.org/permissions. 63). But we are to be sober, be vigilant, and be steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). Remember that earlier in the passage our Lord had said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments," (John 14:15 RSV). As you venture out on that basis you expect him to support you and to carry you through. Is God using the sharp knife of circumstances to cut off the "sucker shoot" of an old habit or attitude in your life, confronting you with that word of truth which corrects and cleanses, causing you to see it and feel it and hear it and give heed to it? But many who are first will be last, and the last first.. ", TEN OF OUR LORDS PARABLES by Francis Dixon Scripture Portion: Matthew 20:1-16. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11 RSV). It is a solid education about the grace of God and his generosity toward humanity. Without both of those, fruitlessness is the result. 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 Even though Israel is Gods chosen people, He opened the door for salvation to everyone. But when he came into his vineyard and looked for grapes, he found wild grapes instead sour, tasteless grapes. They wanted the power and prestige and didnt want anyone to take that from them. 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. 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. You see, Peter asked Jesus what the disciples would receive because they had left everything to follow Him. We might ask that, too, if it were us. If we focus on the material reward of working in the vineyard, we miss the masters generosity to the majority of his workers. What we receive from God is a gift and undeserved. Catholic social teaching upholds the dignity of work and the rights of workers. That is, a vine produces certain shoots (called "sucker" shoots) which start to grow where the branch joins the stem. "Abide in me, and I in you," and you will be fruitful -- without realizing it -- manifesting the characteristics of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, the quality of life which is like Jesus. They mistakenly believe that they own whatever they possess. We will be compensated for our steadfastness to the errand that God has given us to perform, paying little heed to how little or how irrelevant it might show up as. 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. At the close of Chapter14 our Lord said to his disciples, "Rise, let us go hence." 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. Because the field is so great, the variety of workers needed is also great. What a fantastic group they are!" 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. As leaders, they should have been leading the people to Him. He will call you into the fold and pay you more than you ever deserve. Your whole family had done it; it had been a family characteristic. 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. Are you going through a pruning season right now? Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. Then the last result of fruitbearing -- the fullness of joy, Verse11, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." How could they be otherwise until the Landowner had commissioned them to work? The truth is that the master gave them exactly what they had contracted to receive. All that we have, including all that the church receives and has belongs to Him. 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. Given the circumstances, we should center around God's benevolence toward us, and be grateful for what we have. Several biblical passages describe the grape harvest as a time of 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. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." (LogOut/ Would we demand fairness for the first group, for the first Christians? Eventually these branches are to be gathered and burned. The laborers in this parable were hired to do a work for the master of the vineyard. Vineyards were especially evocative as they produced wine, to gladden their hearts (Ps 104:15). 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." (LogOut/ If we did, then it would not be grace. The figure of the vine is used many times in the Scriptures. It is His vineyard and He chooses to do with it as He sees fit. We must decide to do things which expose ourselves to him and keep ourselves in contact with him. WebGod needs workers for his vineyard. 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. Open Jobs. Each worker is personally called and directed where and how to work. Thus, the parable is not about us, but about Him. If you put in a certain amount of time and effort it only seems right to be fairly compensated for it. His beautiful analogy has helped a great many Christians to understand the relationship God wants them to know. 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. Today there is a manpower shortage in the Kingdom of Heaven! God owns His vineyard. That is also true for God. The whole plant was the vine. I am always amazed to find people who read this as though the fruit were others won to Christ. They mistakenly believe that they are the ones in charge and can call the shots in Gods Kingdom. Not one of us deserves anything from God.. Fruit, here, is that which is produced by the vine and is the natural outflow of the life of the vine. 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. What is that? 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 In verses four-six, the householder went out each time the workers went out, compelling those to come and work in the vineyard. 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. All rights reserved. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. There you are to depend on him, to let him abide in you. 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. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? He did not abide in Christ, and Christ did not abide in him. 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. There was a sense in which the workers were right in standing and waiting. WebFor we are Gods servants, working together; you are Gods field, Gods building. View all posts by davesdailyscriptures. Meaning and 10 Examples, What Is the Parable of the Sower? 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. Because it is large, many workers are needed. The point was to not hang on to your possessions too tightly. But many are troubled by those who claim that, unless a Christian is constantly winning others to Christ, he is a fruitless Christian. No matter how long or how much you have served God, you do not deserve His grace. In making claims of unfairness, we forget who the boss isand it is not us! There will be a harvest and we need to work until that time. There are no Bible studies, no meetings; it is a very low-key approach. A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. We thereby are How vast the field of service is which the Lord calls us into! 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. By the third evening the guests are all asking, "Where did you ever get this tremendous crew of young people? Choose from news (Monday), leisure (Thursday) or worship (Saturday) or get all three! The steward, perhaps, represents Jesus Christ, to whom has been committed all judgment. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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). WebMatthew Chapter 20. The Bible illustrates that many who start last, now and then by Gods grace, may sometimes reach a more noteworthy accomplishment in effect, biblical knowledge, and grace, than others whose entry into the faith was all the earlier. There is no other way to salvation but by faith in Jesus Christ. We find that the master of the vineyard has a rather strange way of rewarding his workers. We have been placed into Christ by the Holy Spirit. Labor Day was first recognized nationally in the United States in 1894 following a massive railroad strike. Both of these are necessary in the Christian experience. 3 About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 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. The Father is the vinedresser. In the story, the master went several times to hire workers in his vineyard. Workers in the Vineyard Gods Extravagant Grace PBCC. You can check out his work here. You cannot tell him when to answer your prayers. This anecdote is not about remunerations, yet it is about salvation. Those are the ones which arise out of our evil nature, our fallen Adamic nature, which produces in us those characteristics which are different than the fruit of the Spirit -- resentment, anger, bitterness, selfishness, egocentricity, love of praise -- these qualities which tend to arise within us so frequently. It is the love of Jesus for us, "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5 KJV), which awakens our love toward him in response. The landowner keeps going to the marketplace to find more people to work in his vineyard His crop desperately needs to be gathered. Look up Matthew 9:37; John 4:35. And though you are responsible to make the decisions and make the choices, you are not responsible for the power to carry them out. In this instance, we should mobilize people to first pray, then gather a band of prayer warriors. As Isaiah tells us, God cleared out the rocks in his vineyard and hedged it about. In closing, the principle of this parable is that it is foolish to demand fairness from God. These three vineyard texts insist that God remains in personal relationship with his people, continues to care for and preserve them and stays faithful even when the people fail to do so. I will send my beloved son. (3) Still others at the sixth hour (verse 5) - the Reformers? 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. The result will be, "Ask what you will". As he held this vine and its branches in his hand, he indicated that this was the copy. We trade the Giver for His gifts. 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. He is the vine, we are the branches. The denarius represents eternal life. 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 that was not the end of it; there was to be more as they went on. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. In verse three, the householder went out about the third hour into the marketplace and found others standing idly by. (1) Idleness (verse 6). Web-Working in the vineyard involves work! 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. The fruit here is not others won to Christ. Many of the leaders were corrupt. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. They must satisfy him that they love people. The workers of a railroad car manufacturing company began the strike because they thought they were not treated fairly. 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