At the close of Chapter14 our Lord said to his disciples, "Rise, let us go hence." Fruit, here, is that which is produced by the vine and is the natural outflow of the life of the vine. The strike and a boycott shut down much of the nations freight and passenger traffic west of Detroit, Michigan. What a privilege and what a responsibility to be a worker! Jesus told the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard to illustrate the point that no one deserves Gods grace and each of us should joyfully serve Him with the time we are given. We must, if we would have God answer our prayers, give up any thought that we have any claim upon God. There are seven fundamental lessons relating to our service. 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. If you are called to lead, be the shepherd God has called you to be and follow what the Holy Spirit tells you. You are to rest upon his ability to see you through, to work it out. (1) Idleness (verse 6). In the first 13 verses of chapter 20 of the Book of Matthew, Jesus is telling the parable about workers being paid equally. This ranch is owned and operated by a mutual friend and is designed as a guest-ranch for wealthy and affluent people. She holds a masters degree in theology.). In the parable that Jesus tells, the master of the vineyard called many, You too go and work in my vineyard!. It is also a holiday that is observed to celebrate those who labor. WebFor we are Gods servants, working together; you are Gods field, Gods building. He called workers at the beginning of the day agreed with If indeed this is the location, they then took their way down across the Tyropoeon Valley, which separated the Temple from the rest of the city, around the wall skirting the Temple area, down into the Kidron Valley, across the brook, and then up the slope of the Mount of Olives to the garden. When you love God, then all that you do is touched and controlled by love, and love is the fulfilling of the Law. That is a hard lesson to learn, because oftentimes when we go to God in prayer thinking we deserve something from Him. In order to appease the union workers, the government recognized Labor Day. Is that what we really want? You can make it run well. The fruit here is not others won to Christ. The whole earth is the Lords, but other nations did not enjoy their lands as the planting of the Lord . Catholic Labor Network has also supported local Catholic Charities agencies around the country that are exploring partnerships with North Americas Building Trades Unions Multi-craft Core Curriculum (MC3) Apprenticeship Readiness Program to channel Catholic Charities clients, low-income Catholic parishioners, and referrals from local St. Vincent de Paul conferences into stable and fiscally solvent careers in the union construction trades. 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 God graciously gives according to His will, as He so chooses. 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. Upon graduation, Kenyiawa said that joining the Laborers International Union is his opportunity to leave a firm foundation for (his) family.. 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. 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! Pingback: Laborers in Gods Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) | Good Hope Baptist Church. Can we or will we be able to say, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Jesus told a couple parables that deals with the heart of those who are called to do Gods work. (LogOut/ But Jesus explains that salvation is for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. Today there is a manpower shortage in the Kingdom of Heaven! St. Augustine once gathered up this very truth in a beautiful way: That frightens some people. I love the saying, "Joy is the flag which flies over the castle of the heart when the King is in residence." Let us remember that God is in control, not us. On the way they undoubtedly passed through the vineyards which surrounded the city. We trade the Giver for His gifts. Do you love people? 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). Then, "Do you love people, do you like to be with people and relate to them?" 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. This is the way that manifestation of discipleship is accomplished. We are only stewards of what God has graciously allowed us to use. His beautiful analogy has helped a great many Christians to understand the relationship God wants them to know. [Jesus said to the people:] Listen to another parable. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? Many of the leaders were corrupt. The point is that God owes us nothing. Because the field is so great, the variety of workers needed is also great. 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. 63). 5"I am the vine; you are the branches. Does it Matter That I Didn't Keep My Goals for Lent? 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. We do not have to agonize and struggle to produce these qualities or characteristics; they are brought about naturally by the vine. In Luke 10:2, Jesus was conveying 35 groups of two each to go out to others, the multitudes. We are to each be working to make more disciples of Jesus Christ while we have time. A. Many religious leaders are more interested in their fame and fortune than they are at leading people to the truth. 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? The third question is, "Do you love Jesus?". I lived in the far corner of Northeastern Washington with my beautiful wife, but now live in Wisconsin while I look for work. He decides who does what and who receives what from working in his vineyard. I am always amazed to find people who read this as though the fruit were others won to Christ. (John 15:1-2 RSV). They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, 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. Music City Construction Careers in Nashville is one such bridge-building program. 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. Jesus was teaching things that were contrary to religious tradition. 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." The Progression: Chronological - The parable emphasizes the times that the laborers were hired. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[ a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard. We thank you for your faithfulness in being at work to do that. 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. And he included in that vine not only the branches but the stem and root. What a wonderful relationship our Lord taught us here by this lesson of the vine! The hurt was too severe. Again, He is the Master of the vineyard, not us. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. I will send my beloved son. He employs the workers and not the other way around. We must decide to do things which expose ourselves to him and keep ourselves in contact with him. Needless to say, such behavior doesnt impress God at all. Millions live and die in Europe without a true knowledge of the love of God and of the way of salvation. We believe He owes us something. In verse three, the householder went out about the third hour into the marketplace and found others standing idly by. 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. Similar efforts are underway in cities across the country. In between, theres not a lot of work to do. Linking is encouraged, but content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed including, but not limited to such means as framing or other digital copying and/or distribution method, in whole or in part without the publisher's written consent. Working in Gods Vineyard Many are called to do Gods work. He will interview perhaps 300 young people and from them select only 30. 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. Perhaps you were manifesting or defending some attitude. If you left everything family, friends, a good job, material possessions in order to follow Jesus, you might expect something more from Jesus. No, it simply stays in the vine and lets the life of the vine produce the fruit. We pray in his name, Amen. 1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. (4) Murmurings (verse 11). Then the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? Doors of opportunity are closing in many parts of the world - look up 1 Corinthians 7:29. The traditional site of the Upper Room in Jerusalem is on the western side of the Old City, on the slopes of Mount Zion. In this illustration, God is the householder, and believers are the workers. The steward, perhaps, represents Jesus Christ, to whom has been committed all judgment. On others you see luscious, tempting, delicious fruit which gladdens and delights your heart, glorifies you, and we thank you for that. But what about the other four groups of workers? 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). Here is the case our Lord mentioned earlier when he said, of one aspect of the Father's work, "every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away." Lets take the definition of fruitfulness. 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. The late evangelist pastor, and writer, R. A. Torrey had an interesting perspective on this. (John 15:6 RSV). They were not to attempt to do the occupation without assistance. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. 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. In making claims of unfairness, we forget who the boss isand it is not us! I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 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. 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. "But the plans of the LORD stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. He is the boss in charge. In many ways it constitutes the most needy mission field in the world today. The vineyard is the kingdom, the sphere of Gods rule. Suffice it to say, the Lord will someday reward the person who may have been a member of a small church. Yet when this starts, the Father must trim off the unfruitful branches. 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. 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. He was with the Lord -- spent three and a half years with him. I believe that this is similar to today. Did you ever see a bunch of grapes struggling to hang onto the vine, trying to grow larger? God owns His vineyard. What is that? He committed suicide within a few days, and he was burned -- eternally lost. We thereby are They mistakenly believe that they are the ones in charge and can call the shots in Gods Kingdom. What we receive from God is a gift and undeserved. All that we have, including all that the church receives and has belongs to Him. And then we must rest on him, count on him to see us through, to supply that enabling power which makes us able to love and forgive and rejoice and give thanks, even when everything is going wrong. And from that we saw that obedience grows out of love. (LogOut/ The evening is eternity. 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." Several times, he found people standing idle in the marketplace, which may just mean that were unemployed, not that they were lazy. I have been a member of the Presbyterian Church for thirty years, and have tried to be a consistent one all the time. Bible Meaning and Text. What Is a Parable in the Bible? All things being equal, we expect businesses would not pay workers the same wage who worked less than others. The last point is that we are the laborers in the Masters vineyard. Israel rejected God and were disobedient. He or she may not have sung in a choir, never taught a Sunday School class, nor been a part of a church committee. 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. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." That is what joy is -- this sense of our unity with Jesus, the sense of his power, his adequacy, his ability to handle the problems which are thrust upon us. 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. The invitation has been given, many will accept it and work, many will not. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.. Should we not focus on the other four groups of workers? In a vineyard the vines are pruned not just once in their lifetimes; the process is repeated every spring. Giving. (LogOut/ This huge story represents a vital truth: it is not the measure of time, which we serve nor the unmistakable quality or significance of our position, which decides our reward. 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. Whatever work you do, do it as unto the Lord (because you are!) And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day. But he answered one of them and said, Friend, I am doing you no wrong. 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. 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). Now remain in my love. 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. 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. 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 Certain individuals, when they comprehend the gospel, want to go to work quickly by reaching unsaved individuals. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Meaning and 10 Examples, What Is the Parable of the Sower? Who Are the Workers in the Parable of the Vineyard? Second, "and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." To uphold the dignity of work and the rights of workers means to question unjust systems that violate human dignity by not paying a fair wage, withholding wages or preventing workers from their right to organize and bargain collectively for their safety, livelihood and protections on the job. In this parable we encounter a situation that just does not seem right. We would be foolish to appeal to God for justice rather than grace, for if we really received justice, we would all be condemned. 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. A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. He is responsible to see that the purpose of the vine is fulfilled. 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. 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. And many a churchgoer is in that state. Many employees look forward to this day as another paid day off from work. 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." But when he came into his vineyard and looked for grapes, he found wild grapes instead sour, tasteless grapes. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. What a temptation to be slack, careless and half-hearted in the Lords work. He asks them only three questions: First, "Do you love work?" (John 15:7 RSV), Answered prayer is one of the first signs of a fruitful life. Message transcript and recording 1973 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. This is what it means to abide in him. 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? The fruit, in other words, is Christ-likeness. 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. 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. 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." Only believing in Christ and accepting him as Lord and Savior is what prompts a home in heaven. The parable occurs between two very similar statements in Matthew: The first will be last, and the last first. You can raise your family without Christ. And our Lord is indicating that the very purpose of the vine is to produce such fruit. 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). Take what is yours and go your way. God calls each of us to work in His vineyard while we have time. Unless otherwise noted, all material copyright 2023, Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. 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