MATTHEW 21:33-46
THE LORD SEEKS
FRUIT FROM HIS VINEYARD.
In the name + of Jesus.
For the third week in a row, we hear Jesus speak a parable about workers in a vineyard. And for the third week in a row, Jesus issues a warning to his listeners. In fact, there is almost no good news to be found in this parable at all. The vineyard is used repeatedly in the Bible as a metaphor for the kingdom of God. The vineyard belongs to the Lord. He graciously finds people to receive the benefits of it. In turn, the Lord seeks fruit from his vineyard.
The tenant farmers in this parable enjoyed their place in the master’s vineyard. But they did not love the master. The servants he sent were abused, beaten, and slain. When the master sent more servants, they were treated the same. Finally, the master sent his son. The master reasoned, “He bears my name. He comes with my authority. Certainly, they will treat my son with the same regard they would have for me.” And in truth, they did. They enjoyed their place in the master’s vineyard, but they did not love the master. They, likewise, despised his son. They cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
In its original context, Jesus told this parable as a warning to the religious leaders of his day. The priests and the Pharisees enjoyed their place and their prestige in the Lord’s vineyard. But they did not pay heed to God’s word. The Lord had sent servants to warn them to stop trusting in their reputation and in their positions of power. They were to repent; for dust they were, and to dust they would return. But they despised the prophets. John the Baptist had been the latest in the line of casualties. Surely they would respect God’s Son! They did not. Even though the Pharisees recognized that Jesus’ parable was about them, they did not heed its warning. Just three days after Jesus told this parable, the priests and Pharisees fulfilled it by killing Jesus.
The original purpose of this parable was to warn the Pharisees and to call them to repent. But it is not included in Matthew’s gospel just so we can hear Jesus stick it to his enemies. There is a stern warning for us as well. You, dear Christians, are workers in the vineyard. The Lord has graciously brought you into his vineyard to receive the benefits of his kingdom. In turn, the Lord seeks fruit from his vineyard. But like the Pharisees, we can get really comfortable and assume that we are entitled to a place in the Lord’s church. When that feeling of entitlement comes, we forget that we are sinners. We no longer are driven to repent. We even begin to challenge parts of God’s word and tell him that they do not apply to us.
Consider how the Pharisees attacked Jesus. They presented Jesus with questions in which they tried to play, “Gotcha!” They were not interested in producing fruits of faith; they were interested in proving that parts of God's word did not include them. They came to Jesus and asked, “Can a man divorce his wife for any reason? Moses told us to write a certificate of divorce and that’s all there is to it. Do you disagree with Moses?” Jesus pointed them to the first marriage for what God intends a marriage to be—a lifelong union of man and woman. Today, people challenge that and insist, “Marriage is just a piece of paper.” This is an insult to God and to everyone who is married. Marriage is hard. A sinful man and a sinful woman daily put their selfishness to death to seek the good of the other. It is not a piece of paper; it is the image of Christ who sacrificed himself for the good of the Church and of the Church who submits to Christ to receive his blessings. Marriage is blessed by God and is designed to bring great joy. Sinners make it hard. You don’t have to go through a divorce to know that. But joy comes from marriage only when you put in the work. The Lord seeks this fruit from his vineyard.
The Pharisees also challenged, “Do we really have to honor our government? Caesar calls himself a god. The government is corrupt and brutal. Are we really supposed to support that?” Jesus asked them for a coin. “Let me see, whose inscription is on this and whose image? So, if you use Caesar’s money, and travel on Caesar’s roads, and enjoy the peace and order Caesar brings to your society, then you owe Caesar obedience and honor. Give him what you owe, and honor God above all.” We have enjoyed peace, prosperity, clean water, paved roads, law and order, and so on from our government. We give them scorn, but not our prayers.
There is nothing new under the sun. Like the Pharisees, we don’t like what God says about marriage and divorce, about obedience to the government, and the list of sins goes on. The Lord seeks fruit from his vineyard, and we are the laborers in that vineyard. The service God seeks is glad obedience to his word, even it it is hard, unpopular, or inconvenient. If God’s word exposes our sins, then we ought to repent, not make excuses. It is incredible to hear Christians be shown that their lives do not align with God’s word only to have them dismiss it by insisting, “Well, in this case, it’s different.” The only thing different is that it is you. You probably do not feel bad hearing Jesus warn the Pharisees. You might even feel smug about it, because it is not you. But when Jesus’ warning is directed to you, you get defensive. It is not different. Jesus issues the warning so that you do not lose the blessings you have been given.
Jesus wants you to take his warning seriously, so he does not mince words. “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit.” (Matthew 21:43) The Lord did remove the kingdom from the Pharisees. God’s judgment came down on them hard. Sadly, it is a common refrain. Martin Luther saw it too. He compared the preaching of the Gospel to a rain shower that falls on a certain place for a while. It brings life and refreshment to the people who first hear it. But then people get bored with it. They assume that salvation is theirs while they go on with worldly and selfish pursuits. For that reason, the Gospel shower stops. The kingdom is taken away. 500 years after Martin Luther, the German churches have been reduced to museums—beautiful, but empty. It seems to be happening in America too. The church here does not dwindle because of persecution; it dwindles because of pleasure, money, and leisure.
Now, as I had said earlier, there is not much good news to be found in this parable. But we do find some. First of all, you are in the Lord’s vineyard, which means God has brought you into his kingdom. You have been washed clean of your sins through baptism. You have been entrusted with God’s word. You are fed and nourished with the body and blood of the Lord for the strengthening of faith and the forgiveness of sins. These are priceless blessings. These are where the Lord delivers his salvation to you.
And there is good news that the Lord Jesus cares enough for you to warn you not to lose what he has given you. He is the cornerstone on which the Church is built and on which salvation is found. If this rock dashes you to pieces, it is because he desire to reform and restore you into godly people. He works repentance in you so that you do not fall off the foundation of God’s word. If he rebukes you, it is because he loves you. It is because he wants you to benefit from the sufferings and death he endured to pay the price for your sins. Jesus submitted himself to the evil plans of the priests and the Pharisees for your good. It is at the cross that God’s wrath has been removed from you. Jesus did not see anything different about you and your sins. He suffered and died for you just as much as anyone else. If you insist your sins are different, then Jesus’ sufferings and death are not yours. But if you are a sinner, then Jesus’ sufferings and death are for you. Your guilt has been taken by Jesus. Your sins are forgiven through him. And his word of peace is yours.
The Lord seeks fruit from his vineyard. He wants to know that the faith he has worked in your heart is seen in your life. The words which declare God’s forgiveness are yours; and it is the same Lord who declares what is good and godly for you. If the Lord is good, then so is his word—all of it. The same word which saves you also works in you to guide you, comfort you, direct you, encourage you, and console you. The Lord is good. His word declares what is good. The Spirit works in you so that you prodcue what is good. All this so that you will remain in the Lord's vineyard for good.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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