No one can gain more favor than another, whether we spend a lifetime serving God or, like the thief on the cross, a person who comes to repentance at the end of ones life will be saved and enter into paradise (see Luke 23:39-43). They were not to attempt to do the occupation without assistance. 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. (LogOut/ God calls each of us to work in His vineyard while we have time. When the guests arrive the crew simply relates to them and gives them the time of their lives. Gods vineyard is the entire earth, and the workers in the vineyard 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. 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. (Aimee Shelide Mayer is a social justice and spiritual formation consultant to nonprofits, churches and schools. Some of you may have been there and seen it. Note in verses 4 and 7 that He sent them out. 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. He was a threat to the religious leaders power and prestige. 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. There is a spiritual principle here. 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 are to each be sowing seed in His field. Both of these are absolutely essential, and our Lord develops this fact. And many a churchgoer is in that state. The Gentiles may have been called in at the eleventh hour, but they receive the same as what was offered unto the Jews, salvation. I love the saying, "Joy is the flag which flies over the castle of the heart when the King is in residence." The last point is that we are the laborers in the Masters vineyard. That is a hard lesson to learn, because oftentimes when we go to God in prayer thinking we deserve something from Him. Mark Bailey calls this parable, A day on the job in the kingdom of Whatever work you do, do it as unto the Lord (because you are!) 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. 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. I believe that this is similar to today. Notice that Jesus says here to the disciples, "You are already made clean." 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. (3) people of prayer behind the scenes. The relationship is not merely to be recognized; it is to be acted upon: "Abide in me, and I in you. Israel rejected God and were disobedient. Linking is encouraged, but republishing or redistributing, including by framing or similar means, without the publisher's prior written permission is prohibited. Also, Jesus teaches in this parable that all who come to Him will be equal in the kingdom of God, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, young or old. It is not part of the fruit itself; it is the result of a life which increasingly is becoming Christlike. The spirit of Judgment. (4) Still others at the eleventh hour (verse 6) - twenty-first century witnesses? Thankfully, there are prophets in our midst who cry out in defense of and solidarity with workers. When he said, "I am the true vine," he did not mean, "true in contrast with something false, fake, counterfeit," but rather "real, genuine, as opposed to the mere copy or symbol." What a temptation to be slack, careless and half-hearted in the Lords work. Remember that earlier in the passage our Lord had said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments," (John 14:15 RSV). Cultivating the vineyard of the Lord includes cultivating the lives of those who toil in the vineyard. 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. 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. (John 15:2b RSV). WebGod needs workers for his vineyard. You are to rest upon his ability to see you through, to work it out. 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. Certain individuals, when they comprehend the gospel, want to go to work quickly by reaching unsaved individuals. He employs the workers and not the other way around. God is glorified when his people manifest fruit, i.e., Christlikeness. Many are called to do Gods work. The workers of a railroad car manufacturing company began the strike because they thought they were not treated fairly. Jesus further explained the participation rules of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is only by God's grace. 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." 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. We do not deserve anything from Him. The fruit, in other words, is Christ-likeness. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. If you left everything family, friends, a good job, material possessions in order to follow Jesus, you might expect something more from Jesus. Gods vineyard is a place God puts you to bear good fruit for Him (Isaiah 5:1-2, Luke 13:6-7). Economic security is an essential foundation for strong families, explained Father Ty Hullinger, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, who joined other Baltimore Catholics in a successful campaign for Right to Recall in his city. On some, Lord, you see sucker shoots which need to be pruned away. For permission to use this content, please review 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 In this parable we encounter a situation that just does not seem right. 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. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Some people think the world owes them something a particular standard of living, health care, mobile phones, or other stuff. God came looking for justice and righteousness; instead he found oppression, cruelty, exploitation, and indifference to the needs of others. A. 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. (3) Criticism (verse 15) - criticism of the Lord and of His dealings. Leaders of the church need to stand strong and have boldness and never deviate from the truth. Stand Up Nashville, a grassroots organization supported by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, also in Nashville, has fought for a community benefits agreement around the new soccer stadium construction project to ensure that local residents benefit from living wage employment opportunities. A friend of mine passed through Palo Alto this week on his way to Colorado to participate in a very unusual ranch. You do not even have to do a thing to manifest that. We also have a day in which to work for the Lord - look up 2 Corinthians 6:2 - the Day of Grace. For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. The day of work is their lifetime. There are hungry people to feed. It brings GOD glory it shows we are disciples. The Father is at work to cut them off, to prune them back. For example, the Lord needs: To all of us the Lord says - Revelation 3:8! But if you try, you find that there will be no fruit, no Christlikeness, no manifestation of that beautiful character which arrests the attention of others. So every vinedresser knows it is important to prune away these little sucker shoots in order that the vine may produce more fruit. ", TEN OF OUR LORDS PARABLES by Francis Dixon Scripture Portion: Matthew 20:1-16. (John 15:4-5 RSV). 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! Without both of those, fruitlessness is the result. But when he came into his vineyard and looked for grapes, he found wild grapes instead sour, tasteless grapes. He did everything possible to cause it to produce grapes. The late evangelist pastor, and writer, R. A. Torrey had an interesting perspective on this. RayStedman.org/permissions. Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.. Eventually these branches are to be gathered and burned. 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.. The whole earth is the Lords, but other nations did not enjoy their lands as the planting of the Lord . I have been a member of the Presbyterian Church for thirty years, and have tried to be a consistent one all the time. Both these relationships are absolutely essential, not one as opposed to the other but both together. "But the plans of the LORD stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. 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. The land was Gods planting (Psalm 80), Gods vineyard (Isaiah 5). 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. (LogOut/ (2) Others at the third hour (verse 3) - the first and second century Christians? If you love somebody, and reach out toward them, you can go only so far unless they respond to that love. Compare Acts 8:29; 9:11; 10:19; 13:1-4; Isaiah 6:1-8. That is abiding in him. Notice that our Lord divides it into two sections. If in relating to others you merely get together and have coffee and talk about the weather, you will find it useless. God sends the invitation to everybody to come to him, come by faith in Christ (Acts 4:12). 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. 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. Each worker is personally called and directed where and how to work. Of their lives found oppression, cruelty, exploitation, and our Lord this! Deviate from the truth brings God glory it shows we are disciples you do not even have to do occupation... 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