• Introduction
• Parables are stories that have a physical plot.
• They are meant to convey the ideas of a spiritual nature in a way humans
can understand.
• Not having seen the spiritual, we could not describe it or know for certain
what it will be for us.
• With these word pictures, we can get an idea.
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• Matthew 20:1-16
• “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early
in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. And when he had agreed with
the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he
went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place;
and to those he said ‘you too go into the vineyard, and whatever is right
I will give you.’ And so they went. Again he went out about the sixth and
the ninth hour, and did the same thing. And about the eleventh hour he went out,
and found others standing; and he said to them ‘why have you been standing
here idle all day long?’ They said to him, ‘because no one hired us’.
He said to them, ‘you too go into the vineyard. And when evening had come,
the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘call the laborers and pay
them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first’. And when
those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. And when
those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; and they also
received each one a denarius. And when they received it, they grumbled at the
landowner, saying ‘these last men have worked only one hour, and you have
made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat all the
day’. But he answered and said to one of them, ‘friend, I am doing
you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and
go your way, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not
lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because
I am generous? Thus the last shall be first, and the first last”.
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• The Parables
• The Parables of Jesus were written down for us so that we could learn.
• Those hearing in person did not understand.
• But once they became Christians, it began to make sense.
• We also can learn from these parables.
• Let us look at this one and hopefully learn from it.
• The Land Owner
• Represents God
• Represents Jesus
• This is the one in charge.
• This one has a right to command and negotiate the terms and conditions
of what needs to be done.
• Went to hire laborers
• This indicates that there is work to do.
• Nobody hires laborers just to be nice (except the government).
• Work that needs to be done means that laborers need to be hired.
• We are the laborers.
• That means we have work to do.
• For His Vineyard
• This field (vineyard) represents the church.
• There were those in the world who were not working in the vineyard, and
the owner hired them.
• Once in the vineyard, they got busy and worked for the Master.
• Denarius
• A day’s wage.
• God makes an agreement with us beforehand what our wage will be.
• Heaven will be our reward if we are faithful.
• God expects us to work for our wage.
• Some call this a blessing.
• Third, Sixth, Ninth, and Eleventh Hour
• There is work to be done, and there are never enough laborers.
• Jesus mentioned that the fields are already white unto harvest.
• As long as there are souls outside of Christ, there will be a need for
laborers in the kingdom.
• Payday
• At the end of the day is when most workers got paid.
• Like day-laborers who wait at a certain location until hired for temporary
jobs.
• In this parable, all who worked got the same amount of pay.
• The Grumblers
• Did not think it fair that the new hires got the same as they did.
• There are many who have been in the Lord’s church for many years,
and think that merits them some special privilege.
• No, the reward will be the same.
• All should be happy and rejoice that God is so merciful, but these complainers
were not.
• The Response
• God is God.
• God has the right to do with what is His.
• God explains that He had mercy and showed His generosity.
• God still paid what was agreed upon.
• Last First, First Last
• The issue of humility is expressed here.
• Several passages explain this.
• While the first should rejoice that God has shown mercy, there is still
some resentment that they are not treated special for being there the whole
time.
• In a way, this could be a jab at the Pharisees for thinking they deserved
special privileges.
• What We Should Learn
• There is work to do.
• Every Christian is supposed to be a worker for the Lord.
• That does not mean to support the preacher so that the work of evangelism
gets done.
• Each is required to carry their own load.
• We also learn that it is never too late to come to the Lord, as He will
reward those who are faithful at the end of their lives.
• Conclusion
• Are you working in the vineyard for the Lord?
• Or are you sitting idle, while others do the work?
• This does not mean that we can sit around all day and not do a thing,
and still expect to get paid the fair wage.
• Are you doing your part in building up the kingdom of God?
By Carey Scott