God Makes Us Right for Bearing Fruit

Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  24:09
0 ratings
· 79 views
Files
Notes
Transcript
A denarius was equal to one whole day’s pay for working in a vineyard.
The owner of the vineyard told the foreman to pay everyone the same, no matter how long they actually worked.
They began to grumble against the landowner. Who could blame them? We too believe in equal work for equal pay, at least in principle, if not in reality.
In ancient times, written on Roman shrines and altars was a saying that translates, “I give in order that you may give.” This is that old idea of Quid Pro Quo; you do something for me, and I will do something for you. In essence, there was an understanding that you can bargain with the gods to get what you want. Jacob, Job and others try this tactic with God, to no avail.
How hard would you work when you get paid for a whole day and only worked for an hour?
Some of us even believe that we should get hazard pay when work is more difficult. These people don’t have the same protections that we do, or the same ability to make public statements about it. But, they did not find their pay to be fair after the fact.
Here the landowner has the first, middle and last say on all matters of labor.
But, the landowner did not violate his word with the workers, whom he addresses as friends.
The landowner wanted to act as a friend, benevolently and give to those who he hired later equally.
I don’t want to try to psychoanalyze this nonexistent character, but if I was the landowner having done the same, my reason for it would not be to slight the other workers. My reason would be to make up for my mistake my own failure for not taking on the later workers earlier in the day.
They had need to feel useful by working; the landowner had need of workers in his vineyard. This would be even more of a need if, as suggested, this was harvest time.
On a lighter note, One thing about harvesting grapes, some end up in mouths rather than baskets.
Today, there are many concerns about everyone being paid equally for equal work throughout our economy.
The average woman's unadjusted annual salary has been cited as 81% to 82% of that of the average man's salary. On average, black men earned 87 cents for every dollar a white man earned. Black women in the United States who work full time, year-round are typically paid just 62 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
There are a multitude of reasons for wage inequality, whether race, gender, status or position in the family, sexual orientation, or physical ability. What we often fail to consider, or even ignore is that the supervisor hired each person for the position knowing what they knew at the time, which is often very little. The hiring supervisor can’t know everything.
What they can know is what the job requires and how much they are willing to pay to have that work done.
Jesus is not specific about who those workers are or where they come from. All we know is that the landowner has work that needs to be done in a vineyard, that he was willing to pay for, and there are more than enough available people who need the work. If anything, the landowner was inclusive of all those who needed the work, rather than discriminating beforehand about who he could pay less. And, if the workers took on earlier were sufficient, he would not have needed those who came later.
In this passage, the master responds to the grumbling of the workers by replying that he did nothing in violation of what was agreed, they would be paid one denarius for their work. Moreover, he is the one with the money to pay, and he wants to pay all of the workers the same. We should consider that those workers that were present consistently and worked hard no matter when they were called, were also more likely to be asked to work the vineyard again. But, what was paid to them was less about who the workers were, and the amount of work that they could do, than it was about the generous character of the landowner.
Jesus was telling his disciples through this parable that God is always acting for all of our good, whether or not we recognize what is being done to us or for us in that moment can be described as good.
The reflexive response that the workers had toward the master was understandable when looking at the entire event through an individual’s eyes but looking at what happened for the collected community of workers. They all had purposeful work, even if it was just for a day, and they were all paid an income on which to support their families.
How fair would it have been if in the heat of the day, if the workers slowed down, as naturally happens, and the master gave them double for doing half as much work? Wouldn’t they be motivated to work slower?
The additional help to complete the work came in waves throughout the day, every two hours, and each of those waves of workers provided new energy and vitality. Would the work have been completed at all without the additional help? We would never know.
Again, this being a parable, Jesus is leading his disciples to understand the principle behind the parable, that of the generous landowner that keeps his word and takes care of the entire community. The community of workers here either refers to all people who receive Christ, but the first may refer to the people of Israel and the Gentiles the latter, or to those who were older in the church despising youth for their the spiritual gifts. In two words, Spiritual Elitism. This is a jealousy or high-mindedness of those who see themselves as either better or more mature.
Either way, to make it plain to them, Jesus said, “the last will be first, and the first will be last.
This is about possible spiritual elitism among the people of God that can arise when we forget that it is the landowner and not the workers who determines who is rewarded for their work.
Just because you were a part of the church longer does not mean that you deserve any more than what you have already been given, eternal life in Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote the Philippians, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” For him, dying would allow him to step into eternity with Christ, however, if he was to continue living after the judgment of Rome, he would continue to be fruitful in laboring that others they might progress and have joy in the faith. Though, they, like him, would suffer for Christ in the same struggle they saw Paul go through, they were to “stand firm in the Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” as a sign that they will be saved by God.
Instead of focusing on their individual reward, they would stand together for the true reward of all who would come to faith in Jesus, eternal life with him.
If we would conduct our lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ, by the strength he gives us, especially through our pain and suffering, we will know of the reward of our fruitful labor. This is good, purposeful and beneficial labor to redeem hearts and lives, restoring relationships and returning hope to all who proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord.
This work of the vineyard, this drawing in the harvest of humanity and will not fail to produce the good wine of the Holy Spirit overflowing to all the world.
The question for those who have come first is: will you allow jealousy those who come to the work later make you bitter toward God because you could have simply waited and do what you wanted?
Or will you allow God to be the beneficent and abundant God that he is and work to draw others to this purposeful and joyous work to see all people made free and whole in him?
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more