Servants of the Vineyard by Brother Curtis Hansen

         Our text we will read is the parable of the vineyard. We will looking at Matthew chapter 21 and verse 33 for the parable. However, before with that text, let's look up 10 verses to verse 23. Let's see what led to the telling of the parable.

        23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority.

        The authority that the chief priests and elders asked Jesus about was from God. Man will often use manipulation and fear for authority here. We are stewards of what God provides us in life. The roles and responsibilities with your individual stewardship will change with the time. There are areas in our lives where there is an unchecked iniquity. It is upon us to address, attack, take down, and remove that iniquity in our life. God is not, nor has he ever, going to do the work for you or I. He points out the unsavory parts of our life to us, but, it is on us to remove them. If you have a continuing issue with pride, arrogance, or jealousy, you need to remove them and replace them with things like joy and peace.

        You have authority over things in your spiritual walk. Do you realize that you have that authority in your life? When the elders, priests, Pharisees, and others approached Jesus about his teaching, they were using demonic logic. Self righteous people are often poor in the spirit.

        Who gave you this authority? Jesus asked the elders and the priests in verse 24 and 25 about the baptism of John. The leaders and priests of the temple were more concerned with their image among the people. The question to be asked today is what are you building off of in your life?

        We are going now to verse 28 of Matthew 21.

        28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

        29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

        30 And he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

        31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

        32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

        Jesus said that the elders and priests knew what John the Baptist was speaking because they had the scriptures which John spoke from. The publicans and the harlots did not have the scripture. 

        33 Hear another parable; There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

        The master owns the vineyard with his own money. He leased it out to tenants. The tenants are there to work the land and a portion of their crop was their payment for the lease. The wine press is a took to crush the grapes into wine. A watch tower is to keep an eye out into the country. The wall is a means to protect the tenants. The master provides everything to be successful.

        34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

        The master is away in another country. The rent is due. The master sends servants to collect.

        35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

        Pride and arrogance are at work in this verse with the servants. This is where the tenants think they are the master because all the things their provided, they now think are theirs. You don't recognize the servants and perceive them as a threat. This is the problem with the prosperity gospel and believing you're a son or daughter of God than a servant. Pride and arrogance get you to accumulate more things than you could ever use and claim "It's not mine, it's God's." 

        36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

        You will use things God provided for his glory and instead use them for your own end. The word again in verse 36 gives the impression of patience from the master.

        37 But last of all he sent nto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

        38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

        The word But in verse 38 is "I won't listen to reason, I have my own idea". The tenants kew who the son was. The but is "It hurts my pride, and it upends my comfort zone." You delude yourself to think you can live in the vineyard without the master.

        Let's breakdown the individual parts to the parable and what they are a metaphor of in context. The vineyard is the kingdom of God. The winepress is a tool for spiritual success. The wall built is a means of protection for your house. The tower erected is a means to keep watch for various dangers and threats. The tenant is you and I. We are tending the vineyard. The servants are the prophets which had spoke to both Israel and Judah.

        For hundreds of years, there were hundreds of rules and commandments to the mosaic law. The priests and rulers had hoarded the gifts given by God and the promises for themselves. They weren't using love or grace or even peace and spreading their doctrine. They grew more faithful and zealous to their rules rather than God. All denominations in christianity all have their separate and individual doctrine still today. 

        The cornerstone established should be Jesus, but there are many who build off of something off or crooked, adjacent from the actual Jesus. 

        39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

        40 When they lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 

        41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

        42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelos in our eyes?

        In verse 42, Jesus is referring both Isaiah chapter 5 and Psalm 118:22.

        Why are you surprised? It isn't the devil often doing damage in your life, it is your flesh. How did Jesus explain this parable? He used the word available to interpret the word.

        The builders are the people of Israel and the cornerstone is Jesus. You are in the vineyard working for the master.

        43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

        44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

        The winepress is a metaphor for the fasting you should do in your walk. You take the carnal grapes and crush them into wine. In verse 44, those who flirt around with Jesus, trip and stumble over him. Those whom they fall on, they are broken. The last part of verse 44 is about the ungodly.

        45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parable, they perceived that he spake of them.

        Know where the authority is tied. Know what your cornerstone is that you're building from in your life.