Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's-The Laborers In The Vineyard

Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's
Parable: The laborers in the vineyard.

Matthew 20:1-16 KJV
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.
2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 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?
7 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.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Matthew 20:1-16 NLT
1 For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.
3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing.
4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day.
5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.
6 “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’
8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first.
9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage.
10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage.
11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner,
12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage?
14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you.
15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’
16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

Five different groups of people were called to work in the vineyard.
First workers were those called at “early morning, to work for a penny, a normal days wage, followed by those called at nine o'clock, working for whatever was right.
Then came the group and noon, followed by those at three in the afternoon, working for whatever was right, and finally those at five o'clock in the afternoon.

The work day ended at six o'clock.

Some have likened this parable to the worker for Christ, and His rewards, in His vineyard the world.
Certainly, it is not for salvation, as we “can not,” earn or buy our salvation!

Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Again the five different groups mentioned could be the history of the church, and or the years of the life of an individual-early years to late.

Whoever the group is, they all agreed to work, when called.

All were paid, for what they had agreed to.

Acts 10:34 NLT
Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.

At six o'clock, when all the laborers were paid, the early hour workers noticed that those who had worked only one hour, received the same pay, as they did, who had worked all day.

This angered them.

11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner,
12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage?
14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you.
15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’
16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

A key verse in this parable is verse fifteen.

“Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money?
Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?”

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Bible Questions Answered:

Liberal-Was Jesus?

Rewards For The Christian

Bible Lesson:

Rewards For Faithful Believers

Friends, the Master of the harvest, may be as generous as He wishes, and thank God, He is so!

Now to some in our world today, this would be of a socialist bend.
“The early church, in today's world, NEVER, they would say!”
“I worked for mine, they can work for theirs!”

Acts 4:34,35
32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.
33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all.
34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them
35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

Psalm 24:1 KJV
The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Perhaps one of the greatest sins of the last day church, without doubt is, hypocrisy.
Pretense of poverty, of piety, and pansophy.

Revelation 3:15-17 KJV
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

No wonder, we can not like peter of old say...

Acts 3:6 KJV
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Oh how the evil one has robbed the church of God, but not without it's consent, and that is the real tragedy!

If dear child of God, this story finds you in later years, yearning to do the work of the Lord, take heart, God is with you!
Abraham was seventy five years old, when called of God, and Moses eighty, so pray, and prepare, and go on in the name of the Lord, He has promised to go with you, no matter how late the hour!

And of course that means lateness of the church hour just as well, and if you are young, and it looks like you will not be in the field long, even if our Saviour was to come in the morning, He still would be sending forth His workers, yet today!
And His rewards are generous!

Matthew 10:40-42 NLT
40 “Anyone who receives you receives Me,
and anyone who receives Me receives the Father who sent Me.

41
If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God,
you will be given the same reward as a prophet.
And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness,
you will be given a reward like theirs.

42 And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of My followers,
you will surely be rewarded.”

Knowing the generosity of our Master, we must be doing “all” we can, “as long,” as we can!
Soon enough...

John 9:4 KJV
I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.