The Lord’s Vineyard

Introduction

May that melody indeed be ringing in our hearts. It is my hope that he indeed keeps you singing. And that you know what it means that he fills your every longing. And he is indeed coming back. The reigning King and Lord Jesus Christ to receive his people unto himself. And we want to be those people. And we want everyone who is in this audience to be those people. And that’s why we stand for what we stand for. That’s why we preach what we preach. And that’s why we do not tamper with his message. But to preach it in truth and simplicity. And we’re glad that you’re here today. We want to welcome our visitors. The Lord’s parables have always been fascinating to me. Marvelous teaching in story format.

They tell us a lot about the nature of the kingdom that Jesus established. They tell us a lot about how God feels towards people and their actions. And one of those parables I want to study with you this morning. The parable of the Lord’s Vineyard in Matthew chapter 21. I want to read this parable to you and then set the context and then talk about some aspects of this parable. Matthew 21, verse 33. Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it and built a tower and rented it out to vine growers and went on a journey. And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine growers to receive his produce.

And the vine growers took his slaves and they beat one and killed another and stoned a third. He sent another group of slaves larger than the first, and they did the same thing to them. But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, They will respect my son. But when the vine growers saw the sun, they said among themselves, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance. And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do with those vine growers? And they said to him, He will bring those wretches to a wretched end. I love their response to this parable. He will bring those wretches to a wretched end.

And after we’ve read the story, good answer. And will rent out the vineyard to other vine growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.

And Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the scriptures? Psalm 118, incidentally, the stone which the builders rejected. This became the chief cornerstone. This came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust. And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they understood that he was speaking about them. And when they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes because the multitudes held him to be a prophet. This is interesting in its context because they have just had the discussion about authority, and Jesus has asked them about the baptism of John, whether it is from heaven or from men, and they were caught in a quandary.

And so he would not tell them by what authority he did the things that he did. Of course, they should have known the answer to that question. He knew that they were just trying to trap him. And then he proceeds after that discussion about authority to tell them a parable about two sons, and then to say which of them did the will of his father. It was an easy parable. We all could have gotten the right answer. And then he said, Let me tell you the application of the parable. He said, Truly I say unto you, verse 31, that the tax gatherers and the harlots will get into the kingdom of God before you slap in the proverbial face. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax gatherers and harlots did believe him, and you seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

Now, that’s the context, and it’s interesting that the first words that follow in our text is listen to another parable. Could it be that they were incensed and angry as they often were at Jesus, especially when he said these things about them, that they were incensed and angry and starting to walk away, and Jesus says, I’ve got one more story to tell. And that’s the parable of the vineyard. And as we begin this parable in verse 33, no doubt they would call to mind the parable of Isaiah chapter 5, spoken 750 years earlier, where there is a lot more detail given to the Lord’s vineyard. In Isaiah chapter 5, let me sing now for my well beloved, a song of my beloved concerning his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.

And notice this in verse 2. He dug it all around, removed its stones, planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in the middle of it. Okay, you see the similarities? They had to recall these chief priests and Pharisees know this parable of the vineyard, and they see the similarities. He hewed out a wine vat in it. He expected it to produce good grapes, but it produced only worthless ones. And the difference is the vine growers of the Matthew 21 parable are his focus. In Isaiah chapter 5, it is Israel who is this vineyard. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. Look at verse 4. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done it?

Hold that thought. What more is there to do with my vineyard that I have not done it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes, did it produce worthless ones? So I’m going to tell you what I’m going to do with the vineyard. I will remove its hedge, it’ll be consumed, I will break down its wall, it will become trampled ground. You see, this parable actually goes in the same place as the other parable. Somebody else is going to be involved in God’s plans in the future. I will lay it waste. It will not be pruned or hoed. And then he says in verse 7 that the vineyard, he clearly identifies the vineyard as the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, his delightful plant.

1. The Extraordinary Care Given to the Vineyard

Well, he looked for justice, but instead he found in them bloodshed for righteousness that behold, a cry of distress. And so I want to take from these two parables, one in Isaiah, and now this one that Jesus tells in Matthew chapter 21, and I want to look at five things with you briefly this morning. Important things to understand about the parable of the Lord’s vineyard. The first thing that I want you to notice from these two parables is the extraordinary care that the landowner, the vineyard maker in Isaiah chapter 5, the extraordinary care that they gave to the vineyard. He had supplied everything for Israel’s need.

And yet they would say, How have we robbed you? And so he spells it out through Malachi the prophet in tithes and in offerings. You’re not giving a tent, like the law says and instructs you to do. And so he challenged them to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. Remember that? And says, test me now in this, or prove me now in this, if I will do what? This is a great passage in the Old Testament. If I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing until it overflows. If you will just do your part, if you will just serve me and render to me what I have requested of you, see if I don’t bless you more than abundantly.

God’s supply for his vineyard has always been ample. Well, who is his vineyard today? Christians, obviously. And what does he say to us? Paul says in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 19. And my God shall richally supply all of your need in Christ Jesus. God is still in the business of amply supplying his people in his vineyard with all that they need. And he gives this his special and diligent care. I love the question in Isaiah chapter 5 and verse 4. I said I was going to come back to that. What more is there that I could have done for my vineyard? He could still ask that same question. What more is there that I could do for my beloved people? Well, let’s see.

How about giving me Solomon’s blank check? That’s what I’ll call it. When God comes to him in 1 Kings chapter 3 and says, Ask whatever you wish. I mean, there are no limitations based on that. Ask whatever you wish. That’s what I want God to do for me. And then I know to ask for wisdom, like he did. Because he asked for wisdom and a discerning heart to be able to judge the Lord’s people that he got everything that he didn’t ask for. Wow. The whole kitchen sink. Well, let’s see. I would like perfect circumstances financially. I want more. I want a bigger slice of the pie.

I want awesome good looks while we’re at it. I would like perfect health. And I would like all annoying people to go away. I would like only perfect relationships, perfect peace and tranquility. But if we had all of that, would that really be good for us? You know, Peter talks about the trial of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes. The fact that our faith sometimes experiences trial and it is with difficulty that the righteous are saved, 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 18, does not mean that the Lord doesn’t care about us or that the vineyard isn’t wonderful or that he’s not amply supplying all of our needs in Christ Jesus. There is something about adversity and difficulty that his people need.

2. The Son's Removal from the Vineyard

And when you are going through trouble and difficulty and trial, instead of saying, God, why don’t you care about me? The better response is what more really could God do for me than he’s already done. He’s already given me the best of everything. He has not promised that my circumstances will be absolutely peachy wonderful all the time and that everything will always go my way. That’s the American mentality. But that’s not best for us. Our difficulty and our struggle and our trial produces a better character and a richer faith, and we need that. Don’t ever question the Lord’s care for his vineyard. The Lord’s love for you, his people. The second observation that I would make, notice what they did to the son in the parable.

He’s the heir. Let’s seize him and kill him and take his inheritance. And they cast him out. That’s interesting. The son’s removal from the vineyard. Could this be anticipating the Lord’s very unceremonious expulsion from the city where he is crucified outside the camp. Every one of the gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John speak of Jesus being led out or taken away. That’s why he is bearing his cross. That’s why Simon of Cyrene is forced to bear the cross for Jesus because they’re leading him away. They’re leading him out. And the Hebrew writer references this in chapter 13. In Hebrews chapter 13, just as in the Old Testament, the sin offering of the old covenant was burned outside the camp, Exodus 29. Jesus had to suffer outside the camp.

They are burned outside the camp, he says in Hebrews 13 and verse 11. Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Is Jesus referring to that when he talks about them taking him out of the vineyard and killing him? Hence, let us go to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. Let’s follow in his footsteps. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking a city which is to come. Something struck me this morning. I’ve got to share this with you. In Acts chapter 7. The story of Stephen.

And what he’s showing is that Peter and Paul walked in the footsteps of Jesus. And that’s what’s going on really in the book of Acts. But something never crossed my mind till this morning. And I got excited. Why is the story of Stephen in the book of Acts? Why not any of the other seven men? Why not more of the apostles? Why the story of Stephen? Because after he preached that message in Acts chapter 7, and I know ultimately we’re being introduced to Saul of Tarsus, who is consenting at Stephen’s death, and I know all of that’s a part of it. But what did they do with Stephen after he was after he preached that scathing message and called him stiff-necked and rebellious? You know what they did to Stephen?

They drug him outside the city to stone him. And it was there, just like Jesus, who on the cross, who said, Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing, said, Lord, do not lay this sin to their charge. Stephen is following in the example of Jesus. And he too was drug outside the camp. When I was preaching in Indianapolis in 1983, I got a bright idea to go up to Chicago and watch a baseball game at the historic Wrigley Field. And so a good friend and brother of mine and the church there in Plainfield, Scott Stevenson. We got together and we drove up to Chicago one sunny afternoon, but I remember it was rather cool. And we sat in the grandstands and watched a baseball game at Wrigley Field.

The whole time we were there, we said, What are we doing? We should have sat out in the bleachers. That’s where it happens at Wrigley Field, at the bleachers. And you know what Wrigley Field’s called. It’s called the friendly confining. Interestingly enough. And so the next year we said, we’re going to go back and we’re going to send the bleachers. And you have to stand in line for a long period of time. You have to get there really early if you’re going to get a bleacher receipt. And you get there in time for batting practice, and it’s like the Crawford boxes at Minnet Made Park. I mean, there’s home runs flying all over the place. Everybody catches a baseball. I didn’t. But almost everybody caught a baseball.

And then the game starts, and you’re sitting there in the sun drenched bleachers. It was a little cool the last time we’d been there. Oh man, we’re soaking up the sun. This is great. But you know, a lot of people there weren’t there to watch the baseball game. It was a drunken brothel out there. There were fights. The ushers and attendants were breaking things up. There was all kinds of drinking. People weren’t paying attention to the baseball game. It was revelry out there. And I thought, so much for the friendly confines. Me and my brother in Christ are trying to save our lives out there. And that’s just like our world. We must not get too at home here. Often this world, as we live our lives for Christ and try to be a light in the world, these are the unfriendly confines.

3. We Struggle to Assess Fault in Ourselves

We have to go outside the camp as Jesus did. And we ought to expect it to be that way. Not everybody’s going to approve of our message and approve of our lives, and they’re going to be people who make fun of us and ridicule us because we don’t do the things that they do. Young people, it’s okay. We’re living outside the camp. Just as our Lord was unceremoniously drugged outside the camp to be our sin offering. And don’t ever forget that. The third observation I want to make has to do with the response of the chief priests and scribes, these Sanhedrists. As Jesus asked the question at the end of the parable, this is what I love about this. What’s he going to do with those buying growers that so treated the prophets that he sent?

Of course, that harkens back to the Old Testament and the prophets that were murdered and mistreated and ridiculed and rejected. And then he sends Jesus, his son, who was presently, he’s living the parable. He’s there. And they’re about to throw him out and seize him and kill him. What do you think he’s going to do with these mine growers? Well, listen, their answer is absolutely dead on correct. But it’s easy to see in parable form.

Just like when Nathan comes to David and tells the story about the little you lamb. Nathan comes into the presence of the most powerful man in the world and tells him the story about the fellow who stole the little you lamb of this other fella and David. What’s his response? He is incensed. That man deserves to die. And he’s right. And Nathan has to say, you are the man that stole that little you lamb from Uriah the Hittite. David didn’t have any problem seeing it in parable form. And what this response of the chief priests and Pharisees tells me, and the response of David, even, is that we struggle to assess fault in ourselves. It is so far easier to see it in others, but we want to give ourselves a pass.

We want to think our sins and transgressions aren’t really that bad. Do you think David knew that what he did with Bathsheba was wrong? Of course he did. But the full weight of that, the realization of that, did not come until he saw the parable and Nathan came to him in 2 Samuel chapter 12. These men hearing this story know full well these men have done wrong. But they struggle to see themselves. That’s why the scriptures say, keep your heart with all diligence.

For out of it flows the issues of life. Proverbs chapter 4, verse 23. Keeping the heart is not easy. And I want to tell you two main areas where we struggle. To see ourselves and assess ourselves that you need to be watchful of and to be watchful with diligence. Pride. There is so much said about pride in the New Testament. A man ought not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think. Romans 12 and verse 3. When a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Galatians chapter 6 and verse 3. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. Young men, clothe yourselves with humility. 1 Peter chapter 5, verses 5 and 6. So much said about it, James chapter 4.

Why? Because we start to get carried away with ourselves and think we’re something really special. And that can happen in the kingdom. Start measuring ourselves by ourselves or start measuring ourselves in comparison to others. And think, boy, we’ve done a lot of good things here. We’re pretty good Bible students. We attend pretty regularly. A lot of the fruit of the Spirit we have accomplished. We’re not engaged in immorality like a lot of other folks. We’re not struggling with those particular sins, but some other believers do. And we can start thinking about all we’re doing in the kingdom and how much we’ve contributed to the cause, and we forget. We’ve done only that, which we ought to have done. And we’re still unprofitable servants. We are sinners saved by the grace and blood of Jesus Christ.

And that doesn’t change. So regardless of our position in the kingdom, regardless of our leadership among the Lord’s people, regardless of the effective work that we might do, regardless of our knowledge of the scriptures, we have done only that which we should have done. Let us not get carried away with ourselves. And think ourselves better than others. Esteem others better than ourselves, Philippians chapter 2 and verse 3. Pride and selfishness. It’s so challenging to exalt others above yourself. To do things young people, not because you want to do it.

It stinks for crying out loud. But you know, I only have to take it out to the end of the driveway. You know where the end of the driveway was where I grew up? That was a long haul down there. Sometimes in the snow.

Mean old parents. But we’re not thinking mean old parents when we go to the pantry and there’s food to eat. Meals are provided. We have mattresses to sleep on and air conditioned. And Dad’s, he’ll even turn down the thermostat and make it cool sometimes. We take all of that for granted and think, woe is me. Sacrifice of yourself. Do you do things in your home just because it betters another member of the family? Because it’s something that they would like. Oh, you’re going to have to expend of yourself to do it. But it’s for their betterment. Why should you do that? Because we need to conquer selfishness in ourselves. We ought to do nothing from selfishness and empty conceit. And that same passage that says, esteem others better than ourselves in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 3.

4. Given to a Nation Producing the Fruit

I want to tell you two things that we struggle to do and assess in ourselves are pride and selfishness. And I could go on, but we’re going to talk more about pride tonight. I just want you to notice how easy it was for them to assess the error of the people in the parable. And it was them. It was them. And they had not even cast out the sun yet, but they’re still going to do it. And notice what else they said, and this is where you and I come in. He’s going to give this parable to other vine growers who will do what they should do. Especially entrusted with such a wonderful task as this, as being a one caretaker of this vineyard. Who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons?

And Jesus says, That’s right, and you’re going to reject me. But he’s going to be the chief cornerstone, just like the Psalm indicates in Psalm 118. And he says, you know what I’m going to do with the vineyard? I’m going to give it to people who care about it and who appreciate it and who will pay the proceeds, who will produce. I’m going to give it to a nation producing the fruit of it. Look, folks, that’s you and me. That’s Christians. From every walk of life, from every social strata, Jew and Gentile, a new nation, one man in Christ, those who want to be involved with the Lord’s vineyard and to pay the proceeds. Are you paying the proceeds? What is the proceeds? What is the fruit of the kingdom?

Well, it’s the fruit of the Spirit, to be sure. It’s producing the kind of character that is Christ-like. It is living a life of holiness and righteousness and abstaining from impurity. It’s striving to be this light, not just in the world because we are loyal to Christ and therefore we have standards about how we’re going to live. It is being a light in our homes. It is being a servant among our brothers. It is being a worker in his cause. What kind of vineyard participant are you? Are we paying him the proceeds, what he deserves for having loved his vineyard so much? What more could I have done for the vineyard? He’s still asking that question. Well, again, go back to point number one. Well, I can think of some things he can do.

5. If the Shoe Fits, Wear It

Oh no. He’s already lavished upon us. He has shared with us the unfathomable riches of Christ, knowing him, being in a relationship with God, though we are sinners. How remarkable is that. Pay the proceeds, people. It’s not asking that much. If you understand, this is the love of God. That we keep his commandments. And they are not burdensome. 1 John chapter 5 and verse 3. See, if you understand the nature of the vineyard and your association in it, the fact that he even allows any of us to be a part of it. If you appreciate, you’ll pay the proceeds and do so joyfully. And cheerfully. One final point. They could put two and two together. He’s talking about us. And that’s where the old expression comes in.

If the shoe fits, wear it. He’s talking about us. Well, that’s right. Because that’s you’re you’re the people in this parable. There goes Tony. He’s preaching about me. Guess what? He may be.

Conclusion

Including myself. But if a message is ever preached and you say, Man, that’s like he’s preaching, amen. Well, if the shoe fits, put it on, do something about it, act, respond. Because that’s what teaching is designed to do. To make us and mold us into the image of the one who owns the vineyard. And so I want to conclude this. Are you associated with the Lord’s vineyard? Are you sure that you are included in God’s glorious plans? And if you have been included at some point in the past, are you faithful now? There were times in Israel’s history where they did well.

And the time that Jesus came, they rejected the Son. Are you included in this vineyard? Are you faithful to him? You need to make sure of that. While there’s time and opportunity, if we could study with you further, so that you can know what it means to produce the fruit of this vineyard and to be a healthy part of the Lord’s plans. To be included in his calls. We sing a song to encourage your response if you need to respond this hour. Let’s stand and sing.