It is a solid education about the grace of God and his generosity toward humanity. WebThey will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 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 In between, theres not a lot of work to do. 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. Does it Matter That I Didn't Keep My Goals for Lent? 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! But he will answer your prayers when they grow out of this relationship. 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. In verse three, the householder went out about the third hour into the marketplace and found others standing idly by. And our Lord is indicating that the very purpose of the vine is to produce such fruit. In the parable that Jesus tells, the master of the vineyard called many, You too go and work in my vineyard!. It might be something seemingly insignificant that may be behind the scenes or a small task or it might The religious leaders of the day knew that Jesus was speaking of them. 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. Pride got in their way. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. We pray in his name, Amen. But it is conceivable that the master had a lot of work to do and wanted all the workers he could find to do it. This is the point our Lord makes in the story. For example, the Lord needs: To all of us the Lord says - Revelation 3:8! 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. So you can do what you please when you love God. This is the way that manifestation of discipleship is accomplished. 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? Jesus must always come first. 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. We must be willing to give up anything and everything for Christ. In the first 13 verses of chapter 20 of the Book of Matthew, Jesus is telling the parable about workers being paid equally. Jerry Tu. 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. (John 15:1-2 RSV). In agriculture theres a sowing season, then a reaping season. Many people have a problem with this. But we are to be sober, be vigilant, and be steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). On some, Lord, you see sucker shoots which need to be pruned away. It is typically a time for families and friends to get together to enjoy food, fun and football. He asks them only three questions: First, "Do you love work?" There is a world to evangelize. Change). Our Father, as you have been walking through your vineyard this morning, you have been looking at various vines growing here. I love the saying, "Joy is the flag which flies over the castle of the heart when the King is in residence." 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. One of the delights of life is to spend time in that kind of prayer. 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." And though you are responsible to make the decisions and make the choices, you are not responsible for the power to carry them out. When our hearts are moved by love it is easy to obey his word, for we obey the one we love. and do it wholeheartedly. He adds here the ingredient that when we obey his word, keep his commandments, we will abide in his love. Let me tell you why they are the way they are." One is in Isaiah5: "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house [the nation] of Israel," (Isaiah 5:7a). A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. Unless otherwise noted, all material copyright 2023, Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. There was no fruit. After Jesus spoke to a young rich ruler and said to the disciples that all things are possible with God, Peter responded to Jesus: Matthew 19:26-30 See, we have left everything and followed you. The figure of the vine is used many times in the Scriptures. 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. Many religious leaders are more interested in their fame and fortune than they are at leading people to the truth. He said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. He decides who does what and who receives what from working in his vineyard. 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. Your whole family had done it; it had been a family characteristic. God sent prophets to Israel to tell them to get right with God, but they were ignored, beaten, and/or killed. The result will be, "Ask what you will". In our churches and Sunday schools, the need for born again, soul-winning workers is very great. (LogOut/ What Is a Parable in the Bible? Copyright 2023 Catholic News Service, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Look up Galatians 6:9. Given the circumstances, we should center around God's benevolence toward us, and be grateful for what we have. He built a tower; he protected the vineyard and cared for it, Isaiah 5:2(. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. The denarius was a standard minimum days wage at that time and the workers had agreed to it. 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. Giving. 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. 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. More information about Good Hope may be found at the following site: www.GoodHopeBC.org. They prove to be his disciples. If you open your Bible and begin to read it without the conscious expectation that it is going to tell you something about him, you will read in vain. Do you want to be known as a disciple of Jesus? The laborers in this parable were hired to do a work for the master of the vineyard. 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. And do not compare yourself to others. What is the instrument he uses? When our Lord says "Abide in me," he is talking about the will, about the choices, the decisions we make. (2) Others at the third hour (verse 3) - the first and second century Christians? We do not have to work at it. That is the Father's pruning knife cutting off the sucker shoots of the old life within us, so that we might produce more of the Christlikeness, the fruit of the Spirit. 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. 1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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. In Verses4 and5 our Lord goes on to set forth, in the most helpful way I know of in all of Scripture, what might be called the law of fruitfulness: "Abide in me, and I in you." We expect that those who work harder and longer will receive a greater reward than those who do not. What a privilege and what a responsibility to be a worker! (John 15:4-5 RSV). The spirit of Judgment. 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 almost certain that Jesus stopped in the midst of a vineyard, took a vine, and used it as a means of illustrating to his disciples the great secret he had been seeking to impart to them in his whole discourse there in the Upper Room, the most fundamental and basic secret of Christian life -- the secret which lay at the heart of his own experience and ministry, "I am in the Father, and the Father is in me" John 14:10(, and now the secret of their lives by the Spirit when he would come, "You in me, and I in you," (John 14:20b RSV(. As you venture out on that basis you expect him to support you and to carry you through. This is somewhat counter cultural as the world seems fixated on entitlements. We are to each be working to make more disciples of Jesus Christ while we have time. We do not have to agonize and struggle to produce these qualities or characteristics; they are brought about naturally by the vine. You see, you can make choices but you cannot fulfill them. None of us deserve Gods grace. He was the true vine. Well then, manifest fruit in your life by abiding in him, and he in you. The Gentiles may have been called in at the eleventh hour, but they receive the same as what was offered unto the Jews, salvation. The leaders of Israel did not see it that way. 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. 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. In Luke 10:2, Jesus was conveying 35 groups of two each to go out to others, the multitudes. So it is with the church: we need all the workers we can get to accomplish all that God has called us to do. In making claims of unfairness, we forget who the boss isand it is not us! They are mistaken! 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. As Isaiah tells us, God cleared out the rocks in his vineyard and hedged it about. No, they are means by which we know him. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. 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. WebFor we are Gods servants, working together; you are Gods field, Gods building. What Is the Significance of Not the Letter but of the Spirit? He not only does this, but he does it repeatedly. Would we demand fairness for the first group, for the first Christians? If you put in a certain amount of time and effort it only seems right to be fairly compensated for it. You can operate your business without Christ. This sermon was delivered at Good Hope Baptist Church in Wake Forest, NC. When God sent someone to give a message, they would not listen. I suspect not! -Serving 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. None of us get to dictate to God what we will receive. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[ a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard. There is also the other side -- "Let me abide in you." The story includes a master, his vineyard, and some workers. You may believe that the master of the vineyard owes those workers more. Here is the process in which the branch is cut off, and then it withers -- grows dry and dull and dead. We think of God as some sort of vending machine where we can deposit a prayer or two and get a specific result. "Without me you can do nothing.". What a fantastic group they are!" He will compensate us as indicated by our devotion to do the work that he has called us to do. He wants them to love their work. 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. 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. 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. Then God the Father sent His only Son. Then the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? In verse three, the master of the vineyard owes those workers.! 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