The Labourers in the Vineyard

This story, this parable, this way of explaining the mission and purposes of Jesus and his kingdom

is as radical as any other parable that Jesus told.

We are at a vineyard. People knew what a vineyard was. Jesus spoke a lot about the vineyard,

and people knew what he was talking about. It was the heart, often, of the economy,

and Jesus knew the image of the wine and the vineyard and used that to maximum effect, as he does in this parable.

The parable describes the kind of thing that would be commonplace.

The grape harvest ripened towards the end of September, followed very shortly on its heels by the rain.

There was an urgency to gather in the harvest, and if the harvest wasn't gathered in before the rains broke,

then it was ruined, hence the urgency for all hands to get to work. Any worker was welcome,

even if they could only give an hour or two. Why are you standing here? Well, nobody has hired us.

They were waiting to be invited.

The men who were standing in the marketplace weren't just any form of idlers that were there. No, far from it.

These were men that were eager to be hired. They were waiting to be invited in. They were ready. Maybe they had tools in hand.

In fact, if we look at Scripture, the evidence of still them being there later in the day,

in the heat of the day, shows their willingness to actually want to work. It showed that they wanted to be added

to the labourers that had already been hired. These men may also have been maybe from what we would look at,

the lower class. There was definitely a class thing going on here of those that were the regular labourers

that would go in day by day and those that were waiting on an ad hoc basis to be called in.

What Jesus tells us in this story, this parable, to open our minds, to shock us to the core,

is to help us see a greater perspective of how he sees kingdom and not the way we see it.

Who was listening to this? Disciples. Well, definitely the disciples were listening to this,

hence we get this parable. And maybe we need to hear this because when we give, when we share,

when we labour with him, when we commit our lives, this suddenly falls into place.

Because Jesus points out, you have received great privilege.

Being in at the beginning of what me and my father are doing, you've been here for a long time.

Christians, when they effectively sign on, when we step up as followers of Christ,

you and I made a decision to enter into a covenant, into a relationship with an agreement

that we would seek the kingdom, that we would live and work with him, the vineyard owner.

Yet Jesus says, but there is more to this purpose in the vineyard. There is more to this.

It isn't just about you. It's about all my people.

In later days, others will come. So don't start claiming special privileges.

Ouch. Now that hurts.

Because others will want to come in later.

They've accepted the invitation.

And I guess we in the church, if I'm honest, have on occasion struggled deeply with that concept.

And maybe some of us still do.

Because just as some of those hearing the story did for the first time,

and people down through history have struggled,

because we have been in for some time.

We've been in the vineyard.

We know the privilege of being in full-time employment,

and all the privileges that we have of that,

and of the struggle.

I was here first.

And this is where it hits to the core,

because day after day, I get up, I come here,

I am faithful.

So therefore, I have some sort of privilege.

After all, I know the vineyard owner well.

Do I?

Because clearly, these workers didn't.

They didn't know the vineyard owner that well.

They didn't know the generosity of what he was seeking to do.

Jesus is throwing out the challenge to our own discipleship.

And as John mentioned earlier, as he did to the prodigal son.

Because if you remember the older son.

Meanwhile, the older son was out in the field.

The son was working.

And when he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

What on earth is going on here?

I didn't know father was having a party.

So he called one of the servants to him.

And he said, what's going on?

The servant, very excited, said,

your brother has come home.

And your father has killed the fatted calf.

And because he is home safe and sound.

Oh, joy for the older brother.

The older brother, it says, became angry and refused to go in.

If you read the scripture again and again,

the older brother is the only one who doesn't go to the party.

So his father went out and pleaded with him.

But he answered his father and he said,

look, all these years I've been slaving for you.

Interesting word.

When do we see work and serving as slaving in the kingdom of God?

And he carried on, yet I never disobeyed you.

Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

So when this son of yours,

this son of yours,

who has squandered your property with prostitutes,

comes home, you kill the fatted calf.

My son, my son,

you are always with me.

And everything I have is yours.

But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours,

not my son,

this brother of yours,

was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and he is now found.

I remember from my curacy,

there was a dear lady,

she resolutely sat in the same pew every Sunday morning.

She would come,

that was her pew.

She in many ways had her own eyes

and earned her right every morning to sit in that pew.

It was a small congregation,

a very, very small congregation that was there.

And they weren't used to seeing new people.

But on this Sunday morning,

in came a mother with three young children.

Hallelujah.

Suddenly, life was about to be disrupted in the vineyard.

Into this scenario,

somebody had forgotten to tell this young family

what we will call her Edna's Rules.

And Edna's Rules were that you sat there,

that you were quiet and you were reverent,

whatever that means.

These people were totally new.

They hadn't done their research.

They should have done before they came,

if they were looking for a family-friendly church.

And they were sat there

and they didn't realise

that this was for a select few

who had paid,

who had toiled

and controlled themselves into making it church.

The liturgy started.

The choir processed in.

Stillness was broken by a child who shouted,

I want the toilet!

Oh, joy!

Short later, heads were turned.

The mother returned.

The daughter returned.

And by that time,

we were well into worship.

The sermon was looming.

I was thinking,

my goodness,

I need to praise you this down

because I've sat through enough monologues

with my own children,

shoving raisins into them

to try and keep them quiet.

Tedium, I subjected.

And then it happened.

The child said,

just into a few lines into the service,

it was something like

from a Hans Christian Andersen

thing of the king's new clothes.

We all knew it,

but they said it.

And she shouted out,

I'm bored.

I wanted to say,

Amen!

And so am I.

But Edna got there first.

She was on her feet

and in her Welsh tone

with her hands on her hips.

She had railed on this child

and said,

for God's sake,

keep that child quiet.

And that was the day

I resolved

never to do church,

but to be church.

Never to do church,

but to be the church.

The vineyard was a good place to work.

He was an amazing employer.

What was it

that the regular hired hands

resented in this story,

in this parable?

You see,

what this parable is written,

was it written for then

or is it written for now?

You see,

if I take the lid

off this parable,

I believe

this is as fresh today

for some congregations

as it was

the day

that it was written.

I had come to a point

where I realised

that maybe some of us

already have,

and if you have,

then congratulations,

because it took me

a bit of time

to catch on to this,

but I am not

God's gift to the church.

The church

is God's gift to me.

And we should live

like the kingdom

of God is near,

because it is our gift.

The vineyard

is his gift

to us.

And the workers

who were hired

about five

in the afternoon

came,

and each received

a denarius.

So when those

who had been hired first,

they expected

to receive more.

Do you know what?

That cuts deep

with us,

doesn't it?

Because,

you know,

are we still

sitting comfortably?

But each one of them

also received,

and when they received it,

they began to grumble

amongst themselves.

But each one of them,

these who were hired

only in the last hour,

they said,

and you have made them

equal to us.

And you have made them

equal to us,

who have borne

the burden of the work

and the heat

of the day.

Perhaps they resented

the new energy.

Perhaps they resented

this fresh expression.

Perhaps they resented

the new people

that they bring in.

It's not fair.

Also,

there is a bit of resentment.

We have been laboring

here for ages.

We have been hard.

We've been giving up

our evenings.

We've been going

to weekends.

We've done our Bible study.

And perhaps the hardest

pill for some

who feel they should

receive more

from God as a reward

is that we have invested

our money into this space.

So,

who are these new people

who come in

and benefit

from all that we have done?

Jesus makes it clear

when he talked

about a table plan

that the last

will be first

and the first

will be last.

I don't presume

to go to the top

of the table

and neither should we.

We are all invited.

I'm just happy

to sit at the table.

Three things.

I sense this

in many ways

was a warning

to his disciples.

It's as if Jesus says,

you have received

the great privilege.

You have received

the great privilege

of coming in

and fellowship

early with me.

You have spent

time with me.

You see the way

I work.

You see the way

it runs.

Learn from me.

In later days,

others will come in.

Don't claim

special honor

and a special place

because you were

Christians before them.

it's a hard pill.

I've had the privilege

so many times

to be with people

who in the last

moments of

their earthly life

have given

their life to Christ.

It is the most

beautiful moment.

There was a beautiful

moment this morning

as a seven-year-old boy

gave his life

to Christ this morning

and said he wants

to be baptized.

There is no

specific time

that we will be

called into the vineyard.

We have to celebrate

whatever that time is

and if that means

we have to adapt

and change

as we have here

at Christchurch

down the years.

I understand

there's a lot going on

on social media.

There is I think

about 600 people

here for a funeral

on Thursday.

It probably wasn't

a funeral

that we would

recognize

in the terms

of funeral

but for every member

here it meant

something.

I've never seen

so many grown men

in tears.

If we can't be

ourselves here

then where can

we be ourselves?

Number two is

we have an established

heritage

Anglican and Methodist

and there is a danger

that we believe

that Jesus came

only for our

denomination.

It's a dangerous

place to be

that Jesus calls

all people

into his vineyard

and this scripture

encourages me

more and more

to work with

my fellow Christians

for the kingdom.

And finally

perhaps the most

important

in the owner

of the vineyard

is what we see

because the workers

didn't know

the owner.

They didn't know

his awesome

outstanding

and beautiful

economy

of generosity

love

and compassion

that he didn't

want to see

people stood

outside.

He didn't

want to see

people waiting

outside.

There was a job

to be done

and so he

called them in.

What does it

matter what

they're paid?

There's the same

reward

and yet he

calls them in.

And some may

enter the kingdom

in their final

hours

and some may

have enjoyed

the benefits,

joys and

struggles

of serving

alongside our

saviour

for years

and years.

Praise God

and I

wouldn't

give up

a moment

of that

and I'm

sure you

wouldn't

either.

Surely

our desire

would to see

those who

have coming

in at

whatever stage

received the

fullness of

everything that

we have

and we

wouldn't deny

them a moment

of that.

But he

answered one

of them,

I am not

being unfair

to you,

friend.

Didn't you

agree to

work for

a denarius?

Take your

pay and go.

I want to

give the

one who

was hired

last the

same as

I gave

you.

Don't I

have the

right to

do what

I want

to do

with my

own money?

How often

have I

played God

instead of

allowing God

to be God

and do

what he

does?

So are

you envious

because I

am generous?

I'm not

envious when

I see people

come to

Christ.

I'm not

envious when

I see people

coming into

relationship.

I joked

once with

somebody and

they've never

taken me up

on it that

if it requires

me to dress

as a white

rabbit to

bring people

closer to

Jesus I'd

probably do

it.

Whatever it

takes to

invite people

into a

relationship with

Jesus and

I'm sure

that's true

for each

and every

one of

us here.

For those

that we

have prayed

long and

hard for

our loved

ones, for

those that

we know,

for those

that we've

worked with,

for those

that have

stood outside

that are

waiting,

that we

long to

see come

into the

depth of

that beautiful

relationship

with Jesus

and all

that we

have.

And that's

where this

hits the

road.

And for

those of

you on

the podcast,

you can't

see I've

naturally

just held

my heart

because that

was the

advice that

my dear,

dear clergy

friend gave

to me years

ago when I

was tempted

to fall in

love with

the church

rather than

fall in love

with Jesus.

and he

said to

me,

Clive,

guard your

heart.

Guard your

heart.

So we

pray today

that we

may hear

God's

word afresh

maybe for

us,

that it

would engage

us,

that it

would excite

us,

that it

would make

us sure

of our

love for

the vineyard

owner and

definitely

not to be

envious.

God,

I pray

that you

would have

compassion on

us for

the times

that we

have

considered

this place

ours and

covered it

with our

preference and

not your

generous and

compassionate

invitation to

all.

So let us

hear those

who are

waiting in

the marketplace

and rejoice

when our

master invites

them in.

Young or

older, he

wants them

to come and

join the

others no

matter what

the cost,

cost, no

matter what

the cost.

And I

sense that

that should

be our

heart too.

I am so

encouraged and

privileged to

serve amongst

you and

with you

because that

is what we're

known for and

I pray that

we'll be known

more and more

for that.

Welcome them

no matter what

age and stage

they come.

Welcome them

to work with

us.

Why?

Because perhaps

for them and

for all of us

time is getting

short and

there is a

salvation work

to be done

in every

heart and

every soul

before the

final harvest

time is

called.

So this

morning I

would invite

you to just

maybe put

your hand on

your heart

as we pray

together,

as we hear

the scripture

fresh,

to guard our

hearts and

we hear Jesus'

word for us

from I

think probably

what really

spoke to me

this morning

was from

Philippians 2.

Let's pray

together.

Therefore if

you have any

encouragement

from being

united with

Christ,

if any

comfort from

his love,

if any

common sharing

in the

spirit,

if any

tenderness

and compassion,

then make

my joy

complete by

being like

minded,

having the

same love,

being one

in spirit

and one

mind.

Do nothing

out of selfish

ambition or

vain conceit,

rather in

humility value

others above

yourselves,

not looking to

your own

interests,

but each of

you to the

interest of

the others.

In your

relationships

with one

another,

have the

same mindset

as Christ

Jesus,

who being

in very

nature God,

did not

consider

equality

with God

something to

be used

to his

own

advantage.

Rather,

he made

himself

nothing by

taking on

the very

nature of

a servant,

being made

in human

likeness,

and being

found in

appearance as

a man,

he humbled

himself by

becoming

obedient to

death,

even death

on the

cross.

father,

we thank

you for

your

generosity

to us,

we pray

that you

would make

us like

minded,

in Jesus

name,

amen.

Amen.