The Laborers In The Vineyard

In this parable, He used WORK and WAGES to teach us a spiritual lesson.

Illus: When it comes to labor and management, I think about the man who applied for a job. It went something like this:

• Manager: "I'm sorry I can't hire you, but there isn't enough work to keep you busy."

• Applicant: "You'd be surprised how little it takes."

(PULPIT HELPS, Sept., 1990)

I also think about -

Illus: The newlyweds went off on a honeymoon. When they got back, the bride immediately called her mother.

"Well," said her mother, "How was the honeymoon?"

"Oh, mama," she replied, "the honeymoon was wonderful! So romantic..."

Suddenly she burst out crying. "But, mama, as soon as we returned, Sam started using the most horrible language - things I'd never heard before! I mean, all these awful 4-letter words! You've got to come get me and take me home... PLEASE MAMA!"

"Sarah, Sarah," her mother said, "calm down! Tell me, what could be so awful? WHAT 4-letter words?"

"Please don't make me tell you, mama," wept the daughter, "I'm so embarrassed; they're just too awful! COME GET ME, PLEASE !!!"

"Darling, baby, you must tell me what has you so upset... Tell your mother these horrible 4-letter words!"

Still sobbing, the bride said, "Oh, mama... words like: DUST, WASH, IRON, COOK......."

Mother said, "I'll pick you up in ten minutes!”

There are many lessons we can learn from work.

Illus: A farmer had several boys, and he worked them extremely hard around the farm. One day one of the neighbors pointed out that it wasn't necessary to work the boys that hard to raise a crop. The farmer quietly but firmly responded, "I'm not just raising a crop. I'm also raising boys."

In this parable, the Lord is trying to raise some spiritually mature Christians who will begin to think the way He does.

Let’s look at the-

I. THE EMPLOYEES

Look at verses 1-2, we read, “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. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.”

Work in the days of the Lord was not like the work of ordinary people today.

For example, during this time, the hired laborers had to wait each day in the marketplace until someone hired them for a day's job. Of course, no work, no money, no food!

So the people then, like the people now, were very conscious of making money! So many times the discussion was about how much money each one was making.

But since many worked different hours, you would naturally assume they made different wages. But God does not do things the way we do them.

The Lord said, in Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”

We can see that in this parable.

Look at verses 3-7, speaking of the landowner, we read, “And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.”

• In Verse 1, we see that the Land owner went out early in the morning and hired laborers.

• In Verse 3, in the third hour (high noon), he went to the market place and hired more laborers and sent them into His vineyard.

• In verse 5, in the sixth hour (three O’clock) of the day, he went out and hired more laborers and sent them into his vineyard.

• In verse 6, in the eleventh hour (6 O’clock) of the day, he went out and hired more and sent them into his vineyard.

Four different times he hired laborers to work in his vineyard, and the Bible makes it clear that they all agreed to work for a certain amount of pay.

Now this is a good lesson for Christians to learn.

Illus: When you go to work for a BUSINESS, COMPANY OR A CORPORATION, and you agree to work for a certain amount, this is called an agreement. That is, you have their word that they will pay you that much, and they have your word that you will work for that much.