The vineyard parable

Notes from a sermon heard on Sunday 29 January 2012

Matthew 21 verses 28 – 32

When we turn to Matthew’s gospel we are looking at another parable.  We took the theme of a parable last Sunday morning – the sower.  The man who went out to sow his seed in the ground and the types of ground the seed fell into.  One that was manifested was the thorny ground – representing the cares, riches and lusts of other things.  They are in our hearts to choke the good seed of the word of God today. 

We turn to another parable, stems from a dispute read of in the early part of the chapter.  The Pharisees and Jews had challenged Jesus of his authority – verses 23 and 24.  Jesus was vague in his answer for a reason – verse 25.  He wants to bring these people to that place where they are thinking, asking them a question.  He answered their question with a question.  It is to provoke them into thinking.  The Pharisees were not a bit slow, they tried to avoid the question.  There are things that we are trying to avoid in the word of God.  Maybe God has been speaking to us in our lives that are not clear cut.  God is perhaps giving us a question in answer to our questions to him.  Verse 25 “the baptism of John whence was it? from heaven or of man.”  They began to think about that, we need to watch ourselves here.  If we say “from heaven he will say unto us, why did ye not then believe him? but if we shall say of men we fear the people for all hold John as a prophet.”  Jesus brought them to that place of thinking.  This parable we have read is primarily to the Jewish nation.  They didn’t believe that he was the Messiah nor that he had come into the world to seek and to save the lost.  They professed with their lips.  Isaiah foretold this of old.  “Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their hearts far from me.” (Isaiah 29 verse 13)  We need to be careful.  We can sing the words to God, bring glory with all the energy our lips could produce but our hearts could be far from God.  Notice how Jesus opens up this parable – verse 28 “but what think ye?”  He made the Pharisees think but now wants others to think.  That is you and I included.  Doesn’t want us to sit and idle away the time but rather to think.  The first thing the parable teaches here …

Look at the relationship that is set forth in it.  “A certain man had 2 sons and he came to the first and said go work today in my vineyard” verse 28.  Then in verse 30 “and he came to the second and said likewise.”  He is a father and has 2 sons.  He has a relationship with them.  They are in communication with each other.  Is that your relationship with God today?  As sit down before God of heaven in prayer can he speak to me?  Is that the relationship I have with God today?  Is he your heavenly father?  The mistake is made, grave mistake, a serious consequences that will last for all eternity - that we are all the children of God.  That is the mistake that is made.  The Lord at one particular time in his ministry said to the Pharisees “ye are of your father the devil.” (John 8 verse 44)  There was only one way they could come into the family of God.  That is if they were to be adopted.  When we come into this world we come into a family but if for some reason did not want to remain there something had to happen, someone had to adopt me into their family by means of a legal document.  We are born into this world, into the family of devil, born with a nature of sin in our hearts.  Something has to happen, we have got to be adopted into the family of God.  The only way is by coming and put faith in Christ.  That is the simple way of salvation.  We are not all the children of God.  Only way to become a Christian is to be adopted into God’s family.  Only way was by Jesus’ shed blood.  Paying that legal right through his blood.  God is our heavenly father.  Acts 17 “for in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17 verses 28)  In that sense he is our father of all mankind because he is the great creator.  Paul speaks also of the work of Christ on the cross.  Need to grasp this carefully.  When the Lord was dying on the cross, he was dying to save all men.  In that light he is the Saviour of all mankind.  That does not mean all men are going to be saved.  God is not willing that any should perish.  Not in God’s heart that we should perish but rather come to repentance.  Does not mean that all are going to be saved.  Paul wrote to Timothy “for therefore we both labour and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men.” (1 Timothy 4 verse 10)  Does that not prove we are all Christians on way to heaven and home?  Listen to who he qualifies it “specially of those that believe.”  Potentially we can be all saved but only those who trust the Lord as Saviour.  We need to be careful that is the relationship.  Is he your heavenly father today?  The one that Jesus came to reconcile you to today?

There is the request that is made.  This father had 2 sons and he made a great request to them.  He would do all for them.  Can God come to you and I this morning, trust us this morning to share something of his work with us?  When he was about to pass judgement on Sodom and Gomorroh he came down into Abraham’s presence.  “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” (Genesis 18 verse 17)  He could trust him enough to share it with him.  Abraham began to get on his knees and started to pray.  Why?  Because he had a family in Sodom and he didn’t want to see them perish.  There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun today.  The request that was made.  The father said to the son “go work today in my vineyard.”  This was a family business, wants to see it go on and prosper.  Speaks to his sons about that.  Has the work of the vineyard at heart.  Asks them to go and work for him.  The God of heaven has such a love for every person in this world today.  John 3 verse 16 that which brought the Lord into this world was the love in his father’s heart for sinful man.  He is depending on you and I today.  To see that work completed today.  Go into my vineyard and work is his word to us today.  When Jesus left this world he gathered a handful of people around him “go ye into all the world and preach the gospel.”  Jesus knew the benefits of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Are you living in the light of that work?  Are we doing what we can to reach neighbours, friends, loved ones to bring them under the sound of God’s gospel, to work in his vineyard?  When you are saved we have a work for Christ to do that only we can do it.  God calls us to work in his vineyard today.  In Matthew chapter 20 we see a place of employment and the varied work that has to be done.  The hiring of the labourers.  In verse 6 we see something that annoys the masters heart – he sees people standing around all day and they are idle, they do not want to work.  He asks them “why stand ye here all the day idle.”  The vineyard is the church of Jesus Christ.  There is a work to be done in the vineyard.    This man came to his sons - only his children can do the work.  Only God’s children can do his work today.  In Matthew chapter 21 verse 33 see something in the vineyard – tells us here another parable.  “A certain householder which planted a vineyard, hedged it around about, and digged a winepress in it and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen and went into a far country.”  There were trees in the vineyard that had to bear fruit.  Vines are plentiful.  The hedge needs to be maintained.  There are things that need to be pruned in our lives.  The fruit needs to come into our lives.  Is there any holes in the hedge?  Places where we are allowing the devil to get in.  We need to keep hedges maintained.  The old enemy would seek to get in.  The grapes have to be gathered into the winepress and pressed so that the juice might flow out.  Are we gathering in souls to hear the word of God?  The tower built in the midst of the vineyard.  2 men will go up and look for the little foxes that might get in.  It is the foxes that spoil the vine.  We need to be careful.  Little things don’t get into our lives to spoil the vine.  The devil will get in and spoil things in our lives.  Is there a work has for us?  God likens the false prophets of Ezekiel’s day to little foxes. (Ezekiel 13 verse 4)  We need to ensure these don’t get into God’s word.  Jesus wants us to work when it is day for “the night cometh when no man can work.” (John 9 verse 4)  The day of our opportunity will have been gone.  We might have poor health and strength one day.  There are things today we can do.  We can share a word with someone, sharing the gospel needs to be passed on.  Father says to the son you go and do it.  Notice the urgency of it.   God says to us today – go work today in my vineyard.

The reluctance that he met.  The son said “I will” in response to his fathers request to work in the vineyard that day but he didn’t go.  There was reluctance here.  “I will go”.  The other said “I will not go”.  Maybe that is exactly where we are at today.  There is reluctance in the heart.  This young man had a regret.  Like the prodigal – he started to think about it.  Maybe we have said in the past no and he says to us “come” today.  Isn’t it wonderful he is so merciful.  That he would ask us yet again.  Are we really asking God to do business in this place?  To really pour out his spirit, not on the Pastor but you and I, together in this house of God, that we will come into this place with our hearts on fire for God, filled with the Holy Spirit.  We have noted a relationship, a request, a reluctance and a regret.  It all adds up to what you and I will do for God.  Will you go through with God?  Time to put the past behind you, to stand up and be identified with God?