Matt 21: 23-32

"Working in the vineyard"

Grace and peace to from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:

How many of you have brothers and/or sisters? I spent my formative years in a family of 7 with 2 brothers and 2 sisters. Each of us had our own chores to do each day. My younger brother John had what I considered the worst job, that is, cleaning up “ploppers” in the dog run. My job was to burn the trash each night. Although John complained about his job, and frankly I don’t blame him, he usually did it with out fail. I, on the other hand really liked to burn the trash. But there were many times when I wouldn’t do it usually because I wanted to play instead. John or my other brother Bill usually ended up doing it for me. In our gospel text today we have heard about two sons, one who did what his father asked, and the other who didn’t.
However, there is more to this story than whether two brothers were obeying their father’s wishes. Jesus tells this parable to illustrate who was first into the kingdom of God and who was not. Let’s back up a bit and see why Jesus tells this parable. This scene takes place in the temple courtyard of Jerusalem. Jesus has made his triumphal entry into the city and has not only overturned the tables of the moneychangers, but he has also been healing and teaching. In fact the people who listened to his teaching were “amazed” and “hung on his words.” The elders, the teachers of the law, and the chief priests were obviously not happy with this situation. Their authority was being challenged.

And so they come to him and demand by whose authority Jesus is doing these things. They knew it wasn’t by their authority. Notice that Jesus does not answer them directly. Jesus wants to see if these men, who were the supposed gatekeepers and intercessors to God, would identify the authority that was given to Jesus. So he asks them the question regarding John’s baptism: “Where did it come from? Heaven or man?” Although this may seem like a trick question, Jesus is attempting to determine whose authority they really recognize. [We spoke of this two weeks ago regarding our own church, asking the question, who is in charge?] I find it significant that these great leaders within the Jewish community cannot or will not answer the question. They remind me of a school age child caught next to a broken vase saying that they don’t know how the vase was broken. Although the truth is staring them in the face, they refuse to see that truth.

So Jesus says fine, “If you won’t answer me, I won’t answer you”. But he does not leave it there. Jesus is never about leaving things as they are. Jesus will always reveal truth to us even if we do not want to see it. Which brings us to the parable of the two sons. There are several things which I think need to be illustrated. Jesus begins with the fact that there is a man and two sons. The implication is that there is a bond here that is genetic and cannot be broken. This metaphor is used to illustrate the relationship between God the father, or God the creator of the universe in relation to God’s creation. As sons they have a rightful place next to the father that gives them special rights and also responsibilities. The second thing that should be pointed out is the matter of obedience. Jesus asks the chief priests and those in the crowd who were listening to this parable this question, ”Which of the two did the will of the father?” It is obvious which of the two sons was the obedient one. It was the one, who, despite the objections, did the job. In this case Jesus was pointing out that obedience in this case was to believe in the authority given to John the Baptist and therefore to Jesus.

The third subject that needs to be discussed is the matter of the vineyard. In all of the gospels Jesus speaks of the vineyard. We heard a parable about the vineyard last week and we’ll hear another one next week. But what does the vineyard signify? The vineyard in this case is a metaphor for the nation of Israel. The prophet Isaiah in chapter 5 says this” The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight” . Israel was the nation that God had chosen to bring salvation to the world. It was Israel that was supposed to be the light to the nations, and the salt of the earth. However, the vineyard was neglected. The rulers of Israel were more concerned about their own welfare rather than that of their own people or the rest of the world. Again in Isaiah chapter 5 we hear God tell the rulers of Israel: “And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.” Jesus is in fact condemning the chief priests and elders for neglecting their responsibilities in tending to the vineyard, that is, to the people of Israel, so that they too could be the light to the world and the salt of the earth.

The last topic that needs to be quickly explored is the phrase “Kingdom of God”. Bear in mind there are some translations that use the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” but they both mean the same thing. The scholar N.T Wright, in his book “The Challenge of Jesus” has this to say: This phrase does not refer to some place where God’s people will go after death. It refers to the rule of heaven, which is of God, being brought to bear on the present world. Here in this place we pray each week “Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as in heaven.” In other words God was and is unveiling his age–old plan of redemption for Israel and the rest of the world through Jesus Christ. Jesus always spoke and acted like he knew that God’s plan of salvation and justice for the world was being unveiled through his own presence, his own work, his own fate . However the religious leaders of the day didn’t get it. All they knew was that this man was challenging their authority.

I have given you a lot of information. If I were sitting in your place I would be asking, “So what does this mean for me?” We get our clue when Jesus tells the crowd that the tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God first. Jesus was redefining the rules. No longer would the leaders of Israel or for that matter the nation of Israel be the ones to show the way of salvation. It would now be the gentiles, the outcasts, and the marginalized that would be the light to the nations, and the salt of the earth. Guess what? This means you. You are the son or daughter who is working in the vineyard. The apostle Paul writing to the Galatians, a group of gentiles, says this about our relationship to God: “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons [and daughters] of God through faith. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ” As daughters and sons of God not only do we have the rights and privileges of God’s promises, but we also have certain responsibilities. We are to work in the vineyard, not to earn our salvation which is already guaranteed through the death and resurrection of Jesus, but so that we can bring others to that same salvation. We are called, like the religious leaders of Isaiah’s and of Jesus’ time, to be the light to the world and the salt of the earth. Peace Lutheran Church’s identity statement sums this up nicely: “We are called to prayer, called to care, called to share.” And what I have witnessed in my short time here testifies to that. Your have demonstrated selfless acts of love, whether it is helping out with the clothing share, being a confirmation mentor, hosting the friendship day to the seniors of this area, giving scholarship money to help with education expenses, praying at the flagpole, or volunteering for a Habitat for Humanity project. You have heeded the call to work in the vineyard so that others may know of God’s saving grace, through Jesus Christ. The task is not easy. Like my brother John, there are times when we complain that the job is too tough, too dirty, or too smelly. But in all things we give thanks to God who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think. Amen.