Catholic Labor Network has also supported local Catholic Charities agencies around the country that are exploring partnerships with North Americas Building Trades Unions Multi-craft Core Curriculum (MC3) Apprenticeship Readiness Program to channel Catholic Charities clients, low-income Catholic parishioners, and referrals from local St. Vincent de Paul conferences into stable and fiscally solvent careers in the union construction trades. They wanted the power and prestige and didnt want anyone to take that from them. Take what is yours and go your way. The good news is that God does bestow grace on us, the eleventh hour workers, and we receive the same reward of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal glory as the earliest workers. I have been praying for a long time for something that I am confident is according to Gods will, but I do not get it. I have been the superintendent of the Sunday school for twenty-five years, and an elder in the church for twenty years; and yet God does not answer my prayer and I cannot understand it. Jesus must always come first. We must decide to do things which expose ourselves to him and keep ourselves in contact with him. This is Labor Day weekend. It was the 25th Sunday of the Year, cycle A. Needless to say, such behavior doesnt impress God at all. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Too many want to fit in to society instead of following what they were called to do. The parables of the Ten Minas (Luke 19:11-28), the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), were all related by the Lord to emphasise three aspects of Christian service. The point is that God owes us nothing. There is a great need for Gods people today to get a worldwide missionary vision because we can be very local and parochial in our concept of the Lords work. Choose from news (Monday), leisure (Thursday) or worship (Saturday) or get all three! Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 07/15/2018. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.. In the first 13 verses of chapter 20 of the Book of Matthew, Jesus is telling the parable about workers being paid equally. "Abide in me, and I in you," and you will be fruitful -- without realizing it -- manifesting the characteristics of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, the quality of life which is like Jesus. It seemed to me a far cry from cleansing away debris to pruning back the branches -- until I learned that, in the usual practice of viticulture (i.e., the care of vines), the branches are pruned back each year in order to cleanse them. He says, "Now, it may seem strange to you that I should ask that last question. Look up John 4:35, and compare John 9:4. I have been a member of the Presbyterian Church for thirty years, and have tried to be a consistent one all the time. He is a retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman with over 30 years of combined active and reserve service. Fruitfulness gives GOD glory. Many will read this parable and remark about how unfair it was for the last group of workers, those who only worked for about an hour, to receive the same compensation as those who worked all day. We should never compare ourselves to others. Notice the workers were called at different times:-. They may have been members of churches for years, but there is no life evident at all. When our hearts are moved by love it is easy to obey his word, for we obey the one we love. Many church people take issue with this. We can look at this as a progression from the calling of the Jews to the calling of the Gentiles (Mark 16:15; Luke 14:23). And on the third evening the owner of the ranch sits down and says, "Many of you have been asking about our crew. They are not mere mechanical practices which every Christian ought to do in order to stay "in" with the crowd, or to maintain his "membership card," or to get "brownie points" with God! If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." However, the illustration might be applied all the more by and large to show us that God is not in debt to anyone; an extraordinary truth. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Do you want to be recognized as one who follows Jesus? And from that we saw that obedience grows out of love. (John 15:1-2 RSV). Rather, they were to ask God for additional helpers. But if you pray because you are talking with One whom you love and want to know more of, sharing with him out of the fullness of your heart, then prayer becomes a beautiful and marvelous experience. Gods vineyard is a place God puts you to bear good fruit for Him (Isaiah 5:1-2, Luke 13:6-7). Fruitfulness brings glory to GOD. It might be something seemingly insignificant that may be behind the scenes or a small task or it might WebJesus, by the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, shows that God is debtor unto no man; 17. foretells his passion; 20. by answering the mother of Zebedee's children, teaches his disciples to be humble; 29. and gives two blind men their sight. That is, he cuts it off, he eliminates it from the life of the vine. In agriculture theres a sowing season, then a reaping season. But you learned from the Word that it was wrong. -Serving Instead there will be a shabby sham, a phony imitation of the real thing, which will drive people away from Christ and will produce nothing but a dull, mechanical religiosity which is piousness without God. There are hungry people to feed. Is that what we really want? They mistakenly believe that they have earned whatever they have. The good news is that God does bestow grace on us, the eleventh hour workers, and we receive the same reward of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal glory as the Working in Gods Vineyard Many are called to do Gods work. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." When the Landowner went out at the eleventh hour and asked, Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing? (verse 6), they replied, Because no-one has hired us (verse 7). God owns the vineyard! When we think of its size, how few workers there are! Israel rejected God and were disobedient. 3 About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. The fact that the labourers are in a vineyard suggest the Eucharist, with the clergy as the workers providing the super-substantial bread and wine of salvation. In verses four-six, the householder went out each time the workers went out, compelling those to come and work in the vineyard. Your whole family had done it; it had been a family characteristic. They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. The world is our parish (John 3:16; Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8); and His business extends right around the whole of it. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. But I have learned that the only young people who can ever stand up to this grueling demand, and can meet it with an unvarying spirit of joy and gladness, with the kind of attitude that has so impressed you, are those who have learned to love Jesus.". But we are to be sober, be vigilant, and be steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). Jesus tells us in Verse3: "You are already made clean [pruned] by the word which I have spoken to you." (1) preachers who are used by their Spirit-filled preaching. Both of these are necessary in the Christian experience. He asks them only three questions: First, "Do you love work?" And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. The point here is that it is the masters money and he can pay as much or as little as he wants. The traditional site of the Upper Room in Jerusalem is on the western side of the Old City, on the slopes of Mount Zion. But there was no life in him. There are seven fundamental lessons relating to our service. That is the main issue with this parable. I love the saying, "Joy is the flag which flies over the castle of the heart when the King is in residence." Many are called to do Gods work. Then, "Do you love people, do you like to be with people and relate to them?" None are self-appointed. He was the vine from which true life is received. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. It is His vineyard and He chooses to do with it as He sees fit. Making decisions and then trying to do the whole thing yourself, as though the whole responsibility rests upon you, is going to produce a fruitless Christian life -- intense activity, but no results. Suffice it to say, the Lord will someday reward the person who may have been a member of a small church. Another principle to this parable is what people focus on as being unfair. And leave pride out of it. because they are going to have to work sometimes from seven in the morning until ten or eleven at night. Because the field is so great, the variety of workers needed is also great. Jesus further explained the participation rules of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is only by God's grace. If we use the basic principle of understanding Scripture, which is common to all of Scripture -- letting Scripture interpret itself -- there is no doubt as to what this fruit is. We also have a day in which to work for the Lord - look up 2 Corinthians 6:2 - the Day of Grace. Surely, and do it wholeheartedly. Economic security is an essential foundation for strong families, explained Father Ty Hullinger, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, who joined other Baltimore Catholics in a successful campaign for Right to Recall in his city. There is no other way to salvation but by faith in Jesus Christ. We find that the master of the vineyard has a rather strange way of rewarding his workers. Just come to Him and place your trust in Jesus Christ. (John 15:7 RSV), Answered prayer is one of the first signs of a fruitful life. They are mistaken! Therefore, while Jesus acknowledged that His followers, particularly the Twelve Disciples, would receive a hundredfold reward and will inherit eternal life, He goes on to explain the nature of Gods reward. All that we have, including all that the church receives and has belongs to Him. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whatever work you do, do it as unto the Lord (because you are!) The denarius was a standard minimum days wage at that time and the workers had agreed to it. Then He began to tell the people this parable: A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. The figure of the vine is used many times in the Scriptures. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. That is abiding in him. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. -It involves sowing seed, and watering and cultivating, and maintaining and protecting the vineyard, and reaping the harvest. The last point is that we are the laborers in the Masters vineyard. Is God using the sharp knife of circumstances to cut off the "sucker shoot" of an old habit or attitude in your life, confronting you with that word of truth which corrects and cleanses, causing you to see it and feel it and hear it and give heed to it? 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. Each worker is personally called and directed where and how to work. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But what about the other four groups of workers? So it is evident from that parable that the fruit which God expects of the vine is moral character, or as we have it in the New Testament, the fruit of the Spirit -- the fruit which the Spirit produces. Many religious leaders are more interested in their fame and fortune than they are at leading people to the truth. He does not mean that without him you remain just an immobile blob. Should we not celebrate the grace extended to them? Either we will feel inadequate or have pride or grumble. You can operate your business without Christ. 1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. If you try to make all the choices and carry all the responsibility yourself, you will lead a fruitless life. What we receive from God is a gift and undeserved. Thankfully, there are prophets in our midst who cry out in defense of and solidarity with workers. If we focus on the material reward of working in the vineyard, we miss the masters generosity to the majority of his workers. We think of God as some sort of vending machine where we can deposit a prayer or two and get a specific result. By the time it became a federal holiday, thirty states had already officially celebrated Labor Day. It appears that this master, however, does not share that expectation. All rights reserved. If He gives you a denarius for a days worth of work, then you ought to be grateful for that. How difficult that would be! Our Father, as you have been walking through your vineyard this morning, you have been looking at various vines growing here. He owns everything. She holds a masters degree in theology.). Gods vineyard is the entire earth, and the workers in the vineyard There are a couple things to note in this story, I think. That is, it will be fruitlessness again. The Father is the vinedresser. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 1. We are to each be sowing seed in His field. When you do that, then love grows into this deepening, quickening experience. No one can gain more favor than another, whether we spend a lifetime serving God or, like the thief on the cross, a person who comes to repentance at the end of ones life will be saved and enter into paradise (see Luke 23:39-43). On others you see luscious, tempting, delicious fruit which gladdens and delights your heart, glorifies you, and we thank you for that. (John 15:8 RSV). We ought not to resent the people who go to God in the last snapshots of life, in light of the fact that, truly, nobody merits timeless life. (1) Idleness (verse 6). On the other hand, our Lord gives us the results of fruitbearing -- four beautiful manifestations. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. We must be willing to give up anything and everything for Christ. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. (Isaiah 5:7 RSV). But he will answer your prayers when they grow out of this relationship. But if you try, you find that there will be no fruit, no Christlikeness, no manifestation of that beautiful character which arrests the attention of others. God has blessed me tremendously and so thankful for His grace and the people He has put in my life and His work in and around me. Without both of those, fruitlessness is the result. Would we really begrudge Gods grace on the latecomers, including ourselves? We are only stewards of what God has graciously allowed us to use. It is the love of Jesus for us, "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5 KJV), which awakens our love toward him in response. What a fantastic group they are!" God graciously gives according to His will, as He so chooses. Linking is encouraged, but content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed including, but not limited to such means as framing or other digital copying and/or distribution method, in whole or in part without the publisher's written consent. You can check out his work here. This sermon was delivered at Good Hope Baptist Church in Wake Forest, NC. This is somewhat counter cultural as the world seems fixated on entitlements. Web20 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. WebThey will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. That might be valid, yet God will not remunerate us for the measure of work we have done. Given the circumstances, we should center around God's benevolence toward us, and be grateful for what we have. I lived in the far corner of Northeastern Washington with my beautiful wife, but now live in Wisconsin while I look for work. His joy, the joy that was always there at the bottom of his heart, that gladness of relationship with his Father, is now to be our experience. St. Augustine once gathered up this very truth in a beautiful way: That frightens some people. Maybe God has not called a few of us to accomplish something extraordinary or fantastic for him, yet would we say that we are unwavering in doing what he has allocated for us to do? On the way they undoubtedly passed through the vineyards which surrounded the city. If they respond just a little, then your love can reach out further, can deepen and grow. Furthermore, it is added to any new believers as a consolation of the grace of God. We are workers of the eleventh hour! He exercised the power of God by performing miracles. We thank you for these possibilities which we have in Jesus Christ our Lord. When God sent someone to give a message, they would not listen. (John 15:11 RSV). WebThere is a great need for God s people today to get a worldwide missionary vision because we can be very local and parochial in our concept of the Lord s work. By doing so, we heed Pope Franciss advice in Evangelii Gaudium to say no to an economy of exclusion and inequality andyesto an economy that restores human dignity (No. That is, "This pruning has gone on in your life already." (John 15:4-5 RSV). They must satisfy him that they love people. But when he came into his vineyard and looked for grapes, he found wild grapes instead sour, tasteless grapes. Here is the case our Lord mentioned earlier when he said, of one aspect of the Father's work, "every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away." The Diocese of Rochester In America 1868-1993, Catholic social teaching series 3: Human rights and responsibilities: Promoting the common good for all, Catholic social teaching series 3: Rights and responsibilities what we are owned and owe to others in justice, Catholic social teaching series 4: Developing awareness and action for the preferential option for the poor, Franciscan Center of Baltimore exemplifies the preferential option for poor. No, it simply stays in the vine and lets the life of the vine produce the fruit. For permission to use this content, please review There you are to depend on him, to let him abide in you. And, as Jesus goes on to point out, he has a two-fold work: First, "Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away;" (John 15:2a RSV). But many are troubled by those who claim that, unless a Christian is constantly winning others to Christ, he is a fruitless Christian. Meaning and 10 Examples, What Is the Parable of the Sower? 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Details below or click an icon to log in: you are to depend on him, they. - the day of grace be sowing seed, and have tried to be a consistent one the. Cultural as the world seems fixated on entitlements strange way of salvation however, does not mean that him... Fruitless life 2 Corinthians 6:2 - the day of grace verses of chapter 20 of the vineyard frightens people. Gods grace on the latecomers, including all that the inheritance may be ours those to come and work the. Cultural as the world seems fixated on entitlements because you are commenting using your WordPress.com account did....