“Honoring the Contract”

Scripture: Matthew 21:33-46

Many people in today’s society have the idea that they deserve a lot more than they are getting. For a number of years now, new college graduates seem to think that they should start their first jobs with all the perks that others have worked years to receive. They want to begin their careers with top salaries, private offices, company cars, 100% health benefits, and all the current electronic devices that are on the market. They think that the interviewer should have the same high regard for their supposed “excellent qualities” that they do!
But it is only through self conceit and personal pride that anyone could be lead to these conclusions. Our vision of both the world and ourselves is unique, and it usually has a focus that no one else has!

As the story goes, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend, "Watson, look up and tell me what you see." Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars." Holmes persisted in his inquiry, "What does that tell you?"
The good Dr. Watson pondered for a minute. "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Why do you ask, what does it tell you?"
Holmes replied, "Watson you idiot, it tells me that someone has stolen our tent."
- Homeletics Online

In our personal view of life, we, too, can become so focused on what we want to see that the reality of the situation is totally lost.

Read Matthew 21:33-37

Some items that we need to consider in this parable:
1) Only the landowner had made any investment in this property - he purchased the land, made many improvements to make it valuable and productive, and then rented the vineyard to a group of farmers.
2) The farmers weren’t servants – they were free men, and had a contract to work the vineyard – and presumably they agreed to give a certain amount of the crop to the owner, and in return, would be allowed to keep the rest of the harvest.
3) These tenants had made no investment in the property, other than their labor, and had no ownership stake.

And yet, they collectively had decided to keep all of the grape harvest for themselves, regardless of what their agreement called for. They had consciously and intentionally breached a legally binding contract. In today’s world, this would be a matter for the courts, and unless the workers could show a legally valid reason for their action, they would not only be forced to honor the contract, but they would, in all likelihood, be made to pay penalties. This was a very serious situation.
But on the other hand, the landowner shows a great degree of restraint. After repeated attempts to collect his rent, he decides to try one more time by sending his son, as his personal representative, to negotiate with the renters.

Read Matthew 21:38-40

But the workers are so adamant in their efforts to take what isn’t theirs that they kill the owner’s son. In the legal context of that time, if the landowner had no heir, the people who are renting a particular piece of property can claim ownership through occupancy. These men who had initially tried to simply keep more than they were due, had now moved up to grand theft and murder.

This parable is, of course, about the grace and love that God has for His chosen people, and the people's hateful response to His goodness. He hadn’t just sent them out on their own and expected them to make their own way. Just as the landowner in the story, He had prepared everything that the people would need. He had given them the land, made it productive, provided them with security, saw to their prosperity, and had been with them through the good times as well as the bad. And in return, He had only asked that they be true to Him and Him alone. What was so difficult or unreasonable in that?

But the people had a very specific view of an “absentee landlord”. After the exile was over and the exiled people had returned home, property ownership reverted to the original owners. The people who had worked the land for 70 years no longer had any claim to the fruits of their labor. And now Judah had begun to see their great Lord Jehovah in the same way. After a few post-exilic years of faithfulness, they had again begun to slip back into their old ways, and now with the occupation and oppression by Rome, they had begun to question their covenant with God – just why should they have any desire to be His people – after all, what had He done for them lately? “Let’s take this land and our lives back and make it our own. Why should we need a God is constantly ignoring our pleas!”
And the arrival, and compassion, and death of God’s Son was just a matter of time.

Read Matthew 21:41-44

And why should God allow His grace to be restricted to only this ungrateful people? So He decides to invite other workers into His kingdom, with the intent that now these new workers would produce the “fruit” that was needed.

And what is the fruit that we, the new workers, are to nurture?
- It’s the fruit of Micah 6:8 – “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
- It’s the fruit of Galatians 5:22-23 - “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”
- It’s the fruit of Matthew 28:19-20 – “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
This is the fruit that we are called to cultivate, and I hope that everyone noticed that within these three wonderful lists there isn’t a single thing that we have to create or own. Everything is given by God, and we simply have to use them and share them with others. The Lord's resources are limitless, His gifts are perfect, and they are free for us to use.

Read Matthew 21:45-46

I also hope that everyone realizes that this parable isn’t just about the Pharisees and priests – it is about all of us, too. We aren’t hired, we aren’t servants, we aren’t slaves, we aren’t forced labor – we have been invited to work in the Kingdom of God, and in return, we have been guaranteed a share in the harvest!
But also please understand that if we fail to live up to our agreement to give honor and glory to our King, that the “Foundation Rock” will fall on us, too. Without our feet being planted firmly on the Christ, we will slip, and we will fall on that Rock, and it will fall on us, and the outcome will not be pretty! We all have, from time to time, been tempted to take back control of our lives. We want to make our own decisions, to regain ownership of our lives, to take pride in those things that we have created. But I don’t need to tell you that the result just isn’t worth it. Our efforts will bring us nothing of lasting value, and there is so much that the Lord wants to give us – His blessings will enlarge our harvest beyond our wildest imagination! One step, one breath, one word, one embrace – that’s all that God wants from us, and He is ready and willing and able to do the rest.

Let Him use you in His way today, and then just watch what our Mighty God can do! Hallelujah!