PARABLES OF JESUS - THE LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD

THE LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD

As we begin week 15 of the Parables of Jesus, remember last week we looked at the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. We were also able to see how pride, left unchecked and result in a heart hardened towards others and God as well. Even in hell, the pride of the rich man was to request that Lazarus serve his needs and desires and if we leave our own pride unchecked, we in turn can become the rich man in the parable and see our wants and desires as more important that the needs of those around us. And it is important to remember that God does not send “good people” to hell. Hell is our default destination – we can choose – we can exchange our ticket to hell with Jesus’ to heaven.

Today we look at the laborers in the vineyard and

This is some confusion as to why a chapter was put here. In Matthew 19:16-24 a rich young man asks Jesus, “What good deed must I do to have eternal life?” Just tell me what I can do and I will do it.

Jesus replies with, “Why do you ask me what is Good – there is only one who is good and you must keep His commandments” and then starts at the bottom and works His way up through the commandments –

With pride the young man responded, “I have done all of these, what do I still lack?”

The young man’s riches were his god – told to go and sell everything and follow him and Jesus says these famous words in verse 23-24, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

We are not going to debate the camel or the eye of a needle but Peter responds with verse 27, “Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”

And verse 30, the last verse of chapter 19, Jesus says, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” And then He tells this parable, so it is a continuation of Jesus answering Peter’s question.

And this is where we pick up… chapter 20 verse 1.

LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD

Matthew 20:1–16 – “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”

I. The People—vv. 1–7

A. The natural truth. Five times the man went to get workers for his farm or vineyard—6:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.

Depending on the website site and exchange rate you find he promised to pay them each somewhere between $20 – $50 for the day.

This is a parable but why the urgency – why keep going back to hire more workers?

The harvest is important – the more time that elapses the closer we get the final day of harvest – there is urgency in God’s Vineyard – no one is considered an outcast or not qualified to work His vineyard!

B. The spiritual truth. God needs workers in His vineyard.

Matthew 9:37-38 – Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

1. Reason for working

a) The call—God, Himself, is calling us to work for Him.

John 15:16 – You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

b) The command— Jesus’ last sermon.

Mark 16:15 – And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation

c) The commission—Don’t give up.

2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

d) The compassion—Matthew 14:14 – When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them (and healed their sick).

Many verses showing God has compassion on His people

2. Rejection of working. Why people reject God’s call and refuse to witness:

a) Lack of vision—Proverbs 29:18a – Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,

2 Corinthians 4:4 – In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

b) Lack of victory—living a defeated life.

Hebrews 10:35-36 – Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

c) Lack of virtue—not bearing the fruit of God’s Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23).

John 15:5-6 – I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

Galatians 5:22-23 – envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

v6 – And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’

This implies there is work to done – there is a harvest that is ready

Matthew 9:37– Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few…”

How many people are sitting in spiritual idleness – being consumed with secular or worldly activities or desires?

Can we use the excuse we were not personally invited to serve? We were not personally invited to go?

God has sent His Holy Spirit calling us all to serve and testify –

Jesus commanded it –

Matthew 28:19-20 – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Here is your invitation – what are you going to do with it?

We cannot ignore the invitation nor can we judge God and His Will according to our own mindset

That takes us to the problem…

II. The Problem—vv. 8–12

My thoughts are not your thoughts – no real manager would do things this way so this owner has to represent God

A. The compensation—vv. 8–9. Everyone was paid. Christians will be rewarded by God’s standards

1 Corinthians 3:8 – He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

2 Corinthians 9:6 – The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Matthew 6:20–21 – but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

B. The complaint—vv. 10–12. Those working the whole day received the same as those working part time. They agreed to these wages

We can assume that if we do more than someone else – we will get a bigger reward – my dad told me what assume means – its three words put together –

Don’t assume – the ultimate reward is eternity with a loving God, a forgiving Savior and healing Holy Spirit

Our rewards are not on this side of heaven

Matthew 16:27 – For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

III. The Pay—vv. 13–16

A. Promise—v. 13. They agreed to a certain wage— What other people are paid is not our concern.

Notice the vineyard owner refers to them intimately,

v13 – But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

Friend – not as servant, employee or worker – but friend

Pride can creep in and say we deserve more – and when we feel God should bless us – give us more – we are more under the law and not under Grace – we are the rich ruler who said I have done every point of the law since my youth

Why does it bother us when some seem to have it better – are more blessed than us – when that feeling creeps in – we must check the condition of our heart and be honest with ourselves.

B. Pay—v. 14. He paid what he had promised. God will be just to

We need to go back to v1 – “For the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house,” not our current life

Our reward for our love devotion and obedience is not here – its coming – and its better than anything we can imagine here!

C. Power—v. 15. The owner could do with his money what he wanted. God’s way is different than ours—

Why be jealous how God blesses some and not others –

He asks why do you resent, envy NKJV says or is your eye evil because I am good

Evil eye is deep rooted envy that leads to sin

Isaiah 55:8-9 – For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

D. Promise—v. 16 – the last will be first and the first will be last – remember the Lord’s Supper

Matthew 20:26 – It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

Mark 9:35 – And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Mark 10:43 – But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

If we live this way – we are content with whatever God chooses to bless us with and with what He is not willing to bless us with.

It is said of Thomas Aquinas that while in chapel doing his devotional Jesus spoke to him saying, “Thomas you have written many good things concerning me, what reward shall I give you,” to which Thomas replied, “Nothing but yourself O’Lord.” You are enough.

When Christ is enough, we do not have the anger like the morning laborers had – we are blessed when we see others being blessed – we are ecstatic with deathbed and confessions of belief as well as youth group altar calls and kids age 7 accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. We will be happy whoever is in heaven despite the life their lived here

This parable speaks of justice versus faith. At times things happen in our lives that seem unjust. But God allows this for a reason—He is working for our good (Rom. 8:28).

God is not a debtor to man – He gives what He promises – more than deserve.

Let God do the judging and rewarding. He knows better than we. He is calling us to work – will we respond? Are we willing work and not sit idle and not complain? The Christian has no reason to complain. Did Jesus complain? Did Paul—or the other disciples? They suffered much, but they accepted God’s will.

Complaining is the first step in backsliding. Complaining about what comes into your life is questioning God’s character and His will for you and if not careful can lead to spiritual idleness.

Laziness, idleness keeps us from experiencing the Joy of the Lord –

Idle Christians seek comfort, contentment, confidence and assurance – Christ seeks laborers to plant and harvest – to be His Hands and His feet in a hurting, dying and confused world.

Are you a bee or a butterfly – but are busy flying around – but only one produces something substantial – your busyness – is it of a bee or a butterfly?

Let Us Pray!