He says, first, "As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." 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. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. The leaders of Israel did not see it that way. 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. Given the circumstances, we should center around God's benevolence toward us, and be grateful for what we have. 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. -It involves sowing seed, and watering and cultivating, and maintaining and protecting the vineyard, and reaping the harvest. 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 And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. 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.. Both of these are absolutely essential, and our Lord develops this fact. Let us work together while there is time and much work to do. (3) people of prayer behind the scenes. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. If we focus on the material reward of working in the vineyard, we miss the masters generosity to the majority of his workers. It was then that the Landowner said, You also go (verse 7). When God sent someone to give a message, they would not listen. Message transcript and recording 1973 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. By the time it became a federal holiday, thirty states had already officially celebrated Labor Day. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. He exercised the power of God by performing miracles. Who Are the Workers in the Parable of the Vineyard? They were not to attempt to do the occupation without assistance. Jesus was teaching things that were contrary to religious tradition. One is in Isaiah5: "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house [the nation] of Israel," (Isaiah 5:7a). Some people think the world owes them something a particular standard of living, health care, mobile phones, or other stuff. (John 15:4-5 RSV). He decides who does what and who receives what from working in his vineyard. In this parable we encounter a situation that just does not seem right. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. When our Lord says "Abide in me," he is talking about the will, about the choices, the decisions we make. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. This is what our Lord has in view. The laborers are believers, people who come into the service of the King. Furthermore, it is added to any new believers as a consolation of the grace of God. All they hear is, "Do as you please." So from this point on we properly should no longer call this passage of Scripture the Upper Room Discourse. We believe they deserved more. He did not abide in Christ, and Christ did not abide in him. He was with the Lord -- spent three and a half years with him. So every vinedresser knows it is important to prune away these little sucker shoots in order that the vine may produce more fruit. I have been a member of the Presbyterian Church for thirty years, and have tried to be a consistent one all the time. That is, a vine produces certain shoots (called "sucker" shoots) which start to grow where the branch joins the stem. You do not even have to do a thing to manifest that. We thank you for your faithfulness in being at work to do that. (LogOut/ No matter how long or how much you have served God, you do not deserve His grace. Just come to Him and place your trust in Jesus Christ. Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.. Thus, the parable is not about us, but about Him. Leaders of the church need to stand strong and have boldness and never deviate from the truth. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. I struggled for a while with this word prunes because in the Greek it is really "cleanses." 63). This illustration is particularly for the individuals who might feel privileged due to their heritage or by the alleged position of authority that they may hold. Eventually these branches are to be gathered and burned. In agriculture theres a sowing season, then a reaping season. Again, let God be your guide. Cultivating the vineyard of the Lord includes cultivating the lives of those who toil in the vineyard. We do not have to agonize and struggle to produce these qualities or characteristics; they are brought about naturally by the vine. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. God does not need us to do anything for Him He is completely sufficient on His own; however, God desires to employ us to work in His vineyard. The fruit, in other words, is Christ-likeness. But when that call comes at the eleventh hour, they cannot say that they had not been called. Thankfully, there are prophets in our midst who cry out in defense of and solidarity with workers. All the signs of the times - religious, political and Jewish - tell us that it is almost the Midnight hour. 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). He does not mean that without him you remain just an immobile blob. 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. She holds a masters degree in theology.). The evening is eternity. So the vine includes the branches, and Jesus says, "I am that vine; you are the branches.". Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. No, it simply stays in the vine and lets the life of the vine produce the fruit. And he included in that vine not only the branches but the stem and root. You can raise your family without Christ. It was the 25th Sunday of the Year, cycle A. I love the saying, "Joy is the flag which flies over the castle of the heart when the King is in residence." 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). A certain sense of fairness comes into question among some of the workers, and the parable ends by emphasizing the owners generosity over any subjective view of If they respond just a little, then your love can reach out further, can deepen and grow. 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." He will call you into the fold and pay you more than you ever deserve. 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. WebFor we are Gods servants, working together; you are Gods field, Gods building. We would be foolish to appeal to God for justice rather than grace, for if we really received justice, we would all be condemned. Do you love Jesus? Another way to state this and illustrate the unfairness is that those who worked the whole day received the same compensation that they agreed to receive as those who worked for only one hour. Cultivating the vineyard of the Lord includes cultivating the lives of those who toil in the vineyard. We should never compare ourselves to others. Probably they will respect him when they see him. But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir. In the story, the master went several times to hire workers in his vineyard. (John 15:2b RSV). Those who focus on that are really focusing on the material reward for their efforts whats in it for them. 1. All rights reserved. He was a threat to the religious leaders power and prestige. 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. I am the vine, you are the branches. If He gives you a denarius for a days worth of work, then you ought to be grateful for that. Therefore, you thought it was right. Even though Israel is Gods chosen people, He opened the door for salvation to everyone. One of the delights of life is to spend time in that kind of prayer. All of us have learned, one way or another, that love demands a response if it is to grow. The first social encyclical, Rerum Novarum, written by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, grounds our social tradition in a discussion of labor and worker rights. He will compensate us as indicated by our devotion to do the work that he has called us to do. The Father is the vinedresser. WebJesus, by the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, shows that God is debtor unto no man; 17. foretells his passion; 20. by answering the mother of Zebedee's children, teaches his disciples to be humble; 29. and gives two blind men their sight. The denarius was a standard minimum days wage at that time and the workers had agreed to it. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? In a vineyard the vines are pruned not just once in their lifetimes; the process is repeated every spring. The Jews would grumble when salvation is provided to gentiles as well. All rights reserved. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. The world is our parish (John 3:16; Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8); and His business extends right around the whole of it. Only believing in Christ and accepting him as Lord and Savior is what prompts a home in heaven. The late evangelist pastor, and writer, R. A. Torrey had an interesting perspective on this. He says, "Now, it may seem strange to you that I should ask that last question. We do not deserve anything from Him. Should we not celebrate the grace extended to them? 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. Many people in Jesus day had a small personal vineyard on their own small plot of land that they worked for themselves. He is a retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman with over 30 years of combined active and reserve service. There are a couple things to note in this story, I think. 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 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. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Change). I will send my beloved son. The Progression: Chronological - The parable emphasizes the times that the laborers were hired. God has so much work, and there is room for everyone who is willing. But what about the other four groups of workers? Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. In verses four-six, the householder went out each time the workers went out, compelling those to come and work in the vineyard. We believe He owes us something. They prove to be his disciples. (2) Others at the third hour (verse 3) - the first and second century Christians? We must make choices, we must determine to expose ourselves to him, we must seek his face in the Word and in prayer and in fellowship with others. When you do that, then love grows into this deepening, quickening experience. I am always amazed to find people who read this as though the fruit were others won to Christ. 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. This is somewhat counter cultural as the world seems fixated on entitlements. If we did, then it would not be grace. Rather, they were to ask God for additional helpers. As he held this vine and its branches in his hand, he indicated that this was the copy. 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. because they are going to have to work sometimes from seven in the morning until ten or eleven at night. He is really praying in his own name, and God will not hear our prayers when we approach Him in that way. There are seven fundamental lessons relating to our service. But where love is responded to, it grows deeper and richer and truer, and eventually becomes a glorious experience. "But the plans of the LORD stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. The Gospel reading was -- and remains -- one of the most incendiary of Jesus' parables: that of the generous landowner (John 15:8 RSV). It brings GOD glory it shows we are disciples. 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