The Vineyard

Matthew 20:1-7

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’”

I love going to vineyards or driving by vineyards and seeing all the neat rows of vines bursting forth with grapes.  

I like to think of the kingdom of heaven being like a vineyard, where there is sun, fresh air, green plants and God given work to be done with your body and mind. 

I also like to think that the people who do this work are full of God’s grace.

In this parable we find that this is not necessarily so.  When it came time to be rewarded for their work,  many were unsatisfied with the way they were paid.

Why is it we do the work of the Kingdom?  Is it for the reward?  

As Christians, our reward is our faith; our reward is the Holy Spirit dwelling within us; our reward is eternal life.  We receive our reward before we do any work for the kingdom.   

Our work in the vineyard is done because of the love that flows from our faith.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)