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? New Heart English Bible For we are God's fellow workers. 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). Doors of opportunity are closing in many parts of the world - look up 1 Corinthians 7:29. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. On the other hand, our Lord gives us the results of fruitbearing -- four beautiful manifestations. Eventually these branches are to be gathered and burned. They continually were seeking ways to quiet Him or destroy Him. When our Lord says "Abide in me," he is talking about the will, about the choices, the decisions we make. God sent prophets to Israel to tell them to get right with God, but they were ignored, beaten, and/or killed. 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. Workers in the Vineyard Gods Extravagant Grace PBCC. When God sent someone to give a message, they would not listen. In a vineyard the vines are pruned not just once in their lifetimes; the process is repeated every spring. Unless otherwise noted, all material copyright 2023, Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. They mistakenly believe that they own whatever they possess. because they are going to have to work sometimes from seven in the morning until ten or eleven at night. 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 or she may not have sung in a choir, never taught a Sunday School class, nor been a part of a church committee. The Father is at work to cut them off, to prune them back. The withering process was very short in his case. 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. Jerry Tu. And though you are responsible to make the decisions and make the choices, you are not responsible for the power to carry them out. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. That is what Jesus is talking about. Compare Acts 8:29; 9:11; 10:19; 13:1-4; Isaiah 6:1-8. 1. Message transcript and recording 1973 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. Jesus further explained the participation rules of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is only by God's grace. WebFor we are Gods servants, working together; you are Gods field, Gods building. 3 About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. There is also the other side -- "Let me abide in you." More information about Good Hope may be found at the following site: www.GoodHopeBC.org. 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. Our Father, as you have been walking through your vineyard this morning, you have been looking at various vines growing here. 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. (LogOut/ Surely, Israel was that vine. RayStedman.org/permissions. The truth is that the master gave them exactly what they had contracted to receive. I have been a member of the Presbyterian Church for thirty years, and have tried to be a consistent one all the time. All through this account his emphasis is upon the fruit. And on the third evening the owner of the ranch sits down and says, "Many of you have been asking about our crew. They are mistaken! The denarius represents eternal life. But if they remain unresponsive over the weeks and months and years, love finally is limited to that initial step of reaching out to them. This is an extremely helpful passage! (1) The need for labourers is great in the continent of Europe. In this parable we encounter a situation that just does not seem right. Probably everyone feels that a person ought to be compensated fairly for his or her work. Then the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I struggled for a while with this word prunes because in the Greek it is really "cleanses." All things being equal, we expect businesses would not pay workers the same wage who worked less than others. God came looking for justice and righteousness; instead he found oppression, cruelty, exploitation, and indifference to the needs of others. What a temptation to be slack, careless and half-hearted in the Lords work. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. Furthermore, it is added to any new believers as a consolation of the grace of God. Maybe the master was trying to keep the unemployment rate low during that time. That is also true for God. They prove to be his disciples. God owns His vineyard. The relationship is not merely to be recognized; it is to be acted upon: "Abide in me, and I in you. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. He was a threat to the religious leaders power and prestige. Christ then becomes real to you. 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). Just come to Him and place your trust in Jesus Christ. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. If He gives you a denarius for a days worth of work, then you ought to be grateful for that. But we are to be sober, be vigilant, and be steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). It seemed to me a far cry from cleansing away debris to pruning back the branches -- until I learned that, in the usual practice of viticulture (i.e., the care of vines), the branches are pruned back each year in order to cleanse them. Their Right to Recall campaign ensures that when businesses do reopen at full capacity, they call back furloughed workers at their former wages and benefits. 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. (John 15:11 RSV). But that is only part of it. Millions live and die in Europe without a true knowledge of the love of God and of the way of salvation. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. All of us have learned, one way or another, that love demands a response if it is to grow. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. All that we have, including all that the church receives and has belongs to Him. It is His vineyard and He chooses to do with it as He sees fit. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? We could see this as people coming to faith in Jesus Christ during different periods of church history or at different ages in life. Look up Psalm 126:6; Matthew 25:21; 1 Corinthians 4:2. 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. Given the circumstances, we should center around God's benevolence toward us, and be grateful for what we have. (4) Murmurings (verse 11). Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? God calls each of us to work in His vineyard while we have time. Perhaps you were manifesting or defending some attitude. This is also suggested in the parable. In between, theres not a lot of work to do. Notice the workers were called at different times:-. 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." There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. 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. Certain individuals, when they comprehend the gospel, want to go to work quickly by reaching unsaved individuals. They mistakenly believe that they are the ones in charge and can call the shots in Gods Kingdom. He will compensate us as indicated by our devotion to do the work that he has called us to do. There are seven fundamental lessons relating to our service. By the third evening the guests are all asking, "Where did you ever get this tremendous crew of young people? The fact of the matter is that God does not work that way. In verses four-six, the householder went out each time the workers went out, compelling those to come and work in the vineyard. And, as Jesus goes on to point out, he has a two-fold work: First, "Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away;" (John 15:2a RSV). Can you explain it to me?, Dr. Torrey said it was easy to explain. 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. I want to reassure you that this is not the case. This fact leaves us all without excuse, because there is some valuable job of work we can all do. When we do, we are abiding in him and letting him abide in us. 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. All they hear is, "Do as you please." Fruitfulness shows that we are in partnership with GOD. This anecdote is not about remunerations, yet it is about salvation. He was the vine from which true life is received. We thank you for your faithfulness in being at work to do that. Leaders of the church need to stand strong and have boldness and never deviate from the truth. No, it simply stays in the vine and lets the life of the vine produce the fruit. Should we not celebrate the grace extended to them? Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. He even shared in the experience of ministry with the other disciples. Both of these are necessary in the Christian experience. Then God the Father sent His only Son. Now remain in my love. 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. People come and spend a lot of money, staying a week or so at a time. If you are called to lead, be the shepherd God has called you to be and follow what the Holy Spirit tells you. 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." Its a place where to keep you from being idle, to ensure you dont live a 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. I will send my beloved son. The purpose of this vine, obviously, is to bring forth fruit. (2) Others at the third hour (verse 3) - the first and second century Christians? No matter how long or how much you have served God, you do not deserve His grace. There are no Bible studies, no meetings; it is a very low-key approach. 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. 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. 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. Cultivating the vineyard of the Lord includes cultivating the lives of those who toil in the vineyard. Second, "and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." How that can be deduced from this parable is difficult to understand, because there is nothing in it which suggests that at all. It is the third of these parables that we will study, and notice in verse 1 that the Landowner is our Lord Himself, and the Workers He sent into His vineyard represent all who have been saved (Matthew 1:21), chosen (John 16:16), and commissioned by Him (Matthew 9:38). For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Several biblical passages describe the grape harvest as a time of What Is a Parable in the Bible? This parable is about the masters generosity His grace. He does not show favoritism. We are workers of the eleventh hour! They must satisfy him that they love people. 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. For many are called, but few chosen.. Pingback: Laborers in Gods Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) | Good Hope Baptist Church. (5) Discouragement. Rather, they were to ask God for additional helpers. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. Chris Swansonanswered the call into the ministry over 20 years ago. We do not deserve anything from Him. 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.. In verse three, the householder went out about the third hour into the marketplace and found others standing idly by. In closing, the principle of this parable is that it is foolish to demand fairness from God. God sends the invitation to everybody to come to him, come by faith in Christ (Acts 4:12). You see, you can make choices but you cannot fulfill them. 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 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. None are self-appointed. It is also a holiday that is observed to celebrate those who labor. When you love God, then all that you do is touched and controlled by love, and love is the fulfilling of the Law. The figure of the vine is used many times in the Scriptures. 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