The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
1"For the kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in the vineyard. 2He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3About the third hour he went out and say others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' 5So they went. "He went out again about the sixth and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked then, 'Why here you been standing here all day long doing nothing?" 7Because no one has hired us, they answered, "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' 8"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denaruis. 10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more, But watch one of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said. 'And you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' 13But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and do. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
This series
The nature of parables
The red letter edition - Jesus only Christians
The nature of Jesus teachings - basic, simple, clear
Often parables have multiple layers - multiple lessons
So let's begin...tell the story
the landowner hires at 6am, 9am, noon, 3pm and 5pm...
Each time, idle laborers are employed and sent out to work
agree to work for 1 denarius - a day's wage $87@min 12 hours
In verse 8, the second half of this parable begins.
The vineyard owner gives instructions for paying all the workers pay the last-hired first, then the next, and so on. All get one denarius
those hired first are frustrated. They complain
the vineyard owner explains his rights
In the kingdom the last shall be first, the first is last.
obvious to our human hearts there is a theme of unfairness
They boldly complain - they are righteously indignant.
They complain directly to the vineyard owner - pretty bold...
We understand their complaint
equal pay for equal work
- multinational corporations lay of thousands of workers, while handling out million dollar bonuses and stock options to the CEOs.
- a young man leaves college early to make millions because he can toss a round ball through a hoop, while a third-grade elementary teacher is awarded $30,000.
- we worked longer
- we bore the heat of the day
- w showed up on time
- it's not fair that
Response to unfairness, Jesus seems to offer this
God is God - and we are not
the landowner is free to do what he chooses with what belongs to him.
If he wants to be generous, he is certainly entitled to be generous.
People can't control God
this is one of the most basic kindergarten lesson in spiritually is this: "God is God...and we are not."
In John 1, priests come to ask him who he was...
19Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20He sis not fail to confess, but confessed freely. "I am not the Christ."
Are you the messiah? are you the Christ?
but do we line like we are in charge?
Instead of "have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). we put all kinds of things before him...
- God Supports my cause
- I have God's perspective
- my nation is the nation blessed by God
- God blesses my spending habits he wants me to prosper
- no one questions my children - not even God
- and sports, don't even go there God
But only God is God, and we are not.
An issue floating around in this story is the role of Good Works
Bob Tuttle says that the roads back into the law are legion
Mark 5 story of the Gerasene demonic...my name is legion, there are many ways you can earn your salvation
We can never do enough good in this life to earn everlasting retirement, whether we start our Christian service at six in the morning or at fie in the evening.
Our Individual Righteous Accounts will simply never be fat enough to fully fund a failure in God's eternal kingdom.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - 9not by works, sot hat no one can boast.
we're all in need of God's grace and forgiveness
we should be grateful that God chooses to be generous
There is nothing that you can do to make God love you more
And there is nothing that you will ever do that will make God love you less
2 positive themes in this parable.
Team work - co workers
we know that we are supposed to be the body of Christ
But we live in a very selfish, me centered world.
Sometimes in churches we sit in the pews and watch the staff do the work
As is they are the paid Christians...
Yet we are in this thin together.
We are all in God's vineyard
in God's service, we do not all have the same work to do
Some of us can teach, sing, cook, organize, visit the sick, server the poor, care of children
Like the workers in the vineyard, we have different tasks to perform, with different time frames, energy levels and abilities
We may work on a different facet, but all of us are to be in mission
Together, the mission of the church is not what the missions people do t is what all o us do.
In the kingdom, all people are equal - rich and poor, wealthy and destitute, righteous and sinners, powerful and powerless - all people are equal because all people are loved by God.
And since this is true in the kingdom, it should also be true in the life of the church,
We need each other, and e are all in this together...
Then there is this Grace thing
The economy of the kingdom of God. God's grace is unmerited.
God says a full day's wages - regardless
Unto Peter, unto John, unto the thief on the cross.
Jesus gave all people value
Movie "the express" Ernie Davis 1960 Cotton Bowl
There are not "less" people in the vineyard
Even the last one to arrive at the table is given a full course meal.
But Jesus' parable reminds us that we can never point the finger at another.
We need to focus on our work in the vineyard, not one another.
We can't celebrate his grace when we are deciding who is good and who is bad and what is fair and what is not.
So what? So do the master's business...
What is the vineyard business?
Pick grapes so that we can make wine...
Those that spend their time complaining about others, will find themselves in the back of the line
Those who focus on our purpose, our mission,
They are not pushing others around, they are not demanding power
They are simply doing the mater's work
Love the Lord you God with all your heart soul mind and strength
Love you neighbor as yourself
Describe it...it comes in and it goes out...that's all
When we focus on what's wrong, nothing is right in our world
When we focus on the mission of the kingdom as well.
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