Jump Start # 3029

Matthew 20:6-7 “And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into the vineyard.’”

Our verse today comes from the powerful story of the laborers in the vineyard. Throughout the day the laborers were hired to pick grapes. With an hour left in the day, “the eleventh hour,” our verse is found. This is not about death-bed repentance. The idea of someone coming to the Lord at the last minutes before he dies is a popular explanation of this passage. No one in this story dies. This parable is about the generosity of God. The last, who did so little, were made equal to the first, who did so much. The first shall be last and the last shall be first ends the chapter before and also, ends this story. Twice Jesus says that.

The first, very likely, were the apostles. They bore the hardships that few every witnessed. Going places where they were the only believers, hunted down and persecuted harshly, they literally wore themselves out for the Lord. Along came others after them. People like Timothy, Titus, Apollos. Then others after those. On and on, down to you and I. We get up on a nice Sunday morning, drive to a fancy church building where we will be singing hymns projected on a screen,  eating the Lord’s Supper that is ready, listening to a preacher with a sermon, around us are deacons serving and shepherds leading the flock. Class material is printed. Things are projected up on the screen for us to see. All of us having our own Bibles. Life is good. It wasn’t that way for those first few workers. And, when this life is over, the eleventh hour folks receive the same as the first hour laborers. Sure doesn’t seem right, nor fair. But, that’s the goodness of God’s heart.

Our verse is about the last laborers. It’s the eleventh hour, which would be five o’clock Jewish time. The day was almost over. They have been idle all day. No one has picked them. Imagine standing around for eleven hours. That’s a long time, a very long time. Why not just go home? If they did, there was no hope of making any money. Going home meant giving up. Going home means your family won’t eat that day. These workers stuck around all day hoping. They were hoping someone would come and use them.

Now, some lessons for us.

First, some are idle because that’s the way they want to be. One of the common things we hear these days are, “Where are all the workers?” Every place seems to have a “Now hiring” sign. I saw one fast food place that said, “Work today. Get paid tomorrow.” No waiting two weeks to get your check. Next day. Now, idleness in the work force is an economic problem and something the government needs to look into. Idleness in the kingdom is far worse. And, this is something that isn’t addressed very often. We complain because tables in restaurants are empty, yet one has to wait 45 minutes before they are seated. Why? Not enough workers. Yet, how many times within a year is the call made from the pulpit that we need teachers for the next quarter and everyone looks down at the floor. Not me. Not me, either. And, what often happens, is the same worn out, tired, needing a break teachers have to teach. Why? Because others are standing idle. The call is made, but they don’t answer. We need more shepherds. Not me, is the reply. Not ready, is the common answer. Could it be that some are idle and they just want it to be that way. Equipping the saints to serve is what God wants us to do. However, it does little good, when people have made up their minds, I’m not going to teach. I’m not going to pitch in. I’m not going to do anything.

Second, some may be idle because they are holding out for something big. And, while they wait and wait, the little things are left undone. Found in the qualities for a deacon is those that have proven themselves. They have already shown themselves to be trustworthy, dependable and useable. Don’t rely upon the guy who has a quick excuse. Don’t count on the one who is all talk and no action. Before anyone will call upon you for something big, show them that you can do something little.

Third, some are idle because they have convinced themselves that they cannot do anything. Less than one talent, they believe they have no talent. They see what others can do and they quickly admit that they can’t do those things. So, rather than finding what they can do, they remain idle. The way to overcome this is to stop comparing yourself with others. Everyone can do something. Find what you are good at. Try somethings. If public worship, public teaching isn’t in your bag of talents, find ways to encourage, support and help behind the scenes. Be one who invites. Be one who greets. Be one who is always there. Be one who smiles. Be one who sends the cards. Be one who takes food or mails gift cards. Be the one who makes the place look nice and tidy. Be the one who pulls the weeds. Be the one who shovels snow. Be the one who passes out class material. You can do something, because God made you. It’s easy to hide behind our excuses, but idleness is not helping anyone.

Fourth, some are idle because they believe the Lord can’t use them and doesn’t need them. We need to stop whining, crying and attending every pity party we throw. The prophet said, “Here am I. Send me.” Caleb said, “Give me this mountain.” The Lord said, “Go unto the world.” Mary anointed Jesus. She did what she could. Dorcus made garments for the disciples. Barnabas encouraged. Timothy brought books. A boy shared his snack that was used to feed the multitudes. Wealthy women financed the Lord and the apostles. Rahab hid the spies. Simon carried the Lord’s cross. Nicodemus took the Lord off the cross. Joseph offered his tomb for Jesus. Moments in time. People rising up. People speaking out. People drawing a line. People doing what they could. And, yes, the Lord needs you. You have a network of family and friends. You have talent. You have opportunities. Don’t be standing idle all day long.

Interestingly, in our passage, as soon as the idle worker was called, he went. He wasn’t idle after he was chosen. Is that you? Are you still on the sidelines of faith? Are you watching others but you remain idle? How are you going to answer the Lord’s question, “Why have you been standing here idle?” Are you going to hide behind your age? I’m too young. I’m too old. Are you going to hide behind your family? I’m too busy. Are you going to hide behind work? I’ve covered up at work. Or, I’m in school. Or, I’m single. Or, I’m about to retire. Or, I have aging parents to take care of. Or, I like to travel.

Why are you standing idle all day long? The Lord wants to know. The church wants to know. Isn’t time for you to pick up your basket and head to the vineyard?

Roger

Jump Start # 806

Matthew 20:6-7 “And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’”

Our passage today comes from one of my favorite parables of Jesus. I have taught his parable often in many places. It is a wonderful story that is layered with many fascinating details and lessons. For the next few Jump Starts, I want to look at this parable and to see many of the great lessons.

The understanding of the physical story behind this parable is difficult for us because of a difference in culture and work settings. There are two essential things to grasp in this story. First, is the reference to time. A man is hired to work in the vineyard. Later, at the third hour (3) more are hired. Again at the sixth hour (5) and the ninth hour (5) more are hired. Finally, at the eleventh hour (6) the final group is hired. We don’t talk that way. We don’t refer to the first hour, second hour and so forth. The Jews did. Their working day went from 6 A.M. until 6 P.M., a 12 hour day. At 6 P.M. the day changed to the next day

So workers are hired at 6 A.M, 9 A.M, Noon, 3 P.M. and finally at 5 P.M. The men hired at  6 A.M. worked all day, 12 hours. Those hired at 9 A.M. work 9 hours. Those hired at noon worked 6 hours. Those hired at 3 P.M. worked 3 hours and the men hired last, at 5 P.M worked only 1 hour.

The second aspect to this story is understanding these laborers. They don’t have any steady jobs. Every morning, they gather at the market place. The masters from the farms would come into town and hire the workers for the day. One day you may pick grapes. Another day you may haul manure. If you didn’t get picked, you didn’t work and you didn’t get paid. Your family went hungry that day. There would be a real competition among these laborers to be noticed and to be chosen to work. They needed to work and they wanted to work. Like a game of pick up basketball, generally the strongest and the best are chosen first. That’s what the masters would want.

This parable is often thought to teach a form of death bed repentance. It goes something like this: a man never went to church services. He was invited but showed no interests. One day the doctor tells him that he has stage 4 cancer. He won’t be here much longer. That scares the man. One Sunday evening he shows us at the church building and decides to commit his life to Christ. All rejoice. Someone reads our passage today and proclaims that he made it at the eleventh hour. A few weeks later the man dies.

The trouble with that concept is that Jesus is not talking about death bed repentance. No one in this story dies. No one “awoke” to his spiritual condition after he was discovered to have a deadly disease. As we will see later in the week as we talk about this, the thought of this passage is the generosity of God. The master proclaims, “…Is your eye envious because I am generous?” (15). God is generous and this passage shows that.

But for now, let us think about the man hired at the eleventh hour, 5 P.M. He is only going to work one hour. The day ends at 6 P.M. He isn’t going to make much money working only one hour.

There is something I like about this eleventh hour guy.

First, he has tasted the bitter feeling of not being wanted. The context implies that he was in the crowd at the very beginning, at 6 A.M. The masters came into the market place and chose the workers for the day. He wasn’t chosen. Maybe he’s frail or sickly. Maybe he’s not tall. Maybe he’s not built strong. Maybe he’s simply not varsity material. He would love to be picked first. He would love to work all day. He would love to bring home a nice paycheck to his family. That would be wonderful. But he’s not chosen. He’s not lazy, he’s simply not picked. Have you been there before? You know the feeling. Some may have experienced it even in your family. You may have had a talented brother or sister who just shined in high school. They were picked first. They were varsity, honor roll, leading role in the play, first chair in the orchestra, top dog. You were not only in their shadows, you were not like them. When it was your turn, you were not picked. You were left standing when the workers left with the masters. Hopes crushed. You wonder what it is about you. It’s hard to see others picked first and you are overlooked. That stings the ego. That crushes the esteem. Not good enough. Too young. Too old. Not what we are looking for. It happens after job interviews. It happens in dating. Rejected. Not wanted. Not needed.

Second, what is so interesting to me, is that the eleventh hour guy didn’t go home. He hung around. There were others, like him, that were not picked. I think I’d go home. But there was nothing at home. The only hope for work was to stay and wait. Maybe later on there would be more work. So they wait. Three hours pass. That’s a long time when you are standing around doing nothing. Three hours. Then a master returns. He needs more workers. The best of what is left is chosen. Again, the eleventh hour guy is not picked. More hurt. More defeats. More questions.

He doesn’t go home. He hangs around and waits. Another three hours pass. It has now been over 6 hours since the first workers were picked. A master returns. More workers are needed. The best of what is left is picked. Again, the eleventh hour guy is not chosen. He doesn’t go home. He hangs around. The day has been spent hoping and waiting. Another three hours. It has now been 9 hours since he first showed up. The day is nearly spent. Few would be hired now. The work was nearly over. Yet he waits. He hopes. A master shows up. It’s 3 P.M and more workers are needed. Again, the eleventh hour guy is not chosen. There aren’t that many workers left. Yet he is overlooked again. This is the fourth time he has not been chosen. He must be thinking by now that no one wants him. What will he tell his family? Is he that bad of a worker? No one wants him. Yet he waits. Surely no one will come now. But he hopes. Eleven hours pass. Waiting for eleven hours. Hoping for eleven hours. Finally, at 5 P.M., a master shows up. More workers are need. The master must have wondered if he would find any still hanging around. It was late in the day.

There at 5 P.M, our man is hired.  Only one hour to work. He expects to make very little that day. He must wonder if what he makes is even worth the eleven hours that he has been waiting, standing around, doing nothing. The master wonders. He asks a pointed question, “Why are you standing idle all day long?” That question cuts. He might as well ask, “Why aren’t you good enough to be chosen before?” Or, “What’s wrong with you?” The man needs work. He tells the truth. “No one,” he says, “hired us.” We are willing, but we have not been chosen. We want to work, but no one gives us a chance.

Two quick thoughts here:

First, God does not want any of us to be idle. There are things for all of us to do. The work is great. The workers are needed. Idleness is a virtue of Satan. God wants you busy in the kingdom. Are you? What can you do? Can you send a card? Send it. Can you invite a friend? Invite. Can you share the story of Jesus? Share it. Can you teach a class? Teach. Can you cheer up a lonely soul? Cheer them up. Can you encourage? Encourage. Can you preach? Preach. Don’t be idle in God’s kingdom. Don’t allow your family, your job, your hobbies to keep you idle in the kingdom. Saying, “I don’t have time,” really means, I’m too busy doing my thing to help you God in your kingdom. This parable shows that everyone wanted to work. Do you?

Second, our eleventh hour guy never gave up hope. He waited and waited and was finally chosen. Giving up is always the easy way out. Our eleventh hour guy hoped. How about you? Have you given up on yourself getting over temptation? Have you given up on a family member ever becoming a Christian? Have you given up? To give up, means to go home broke. To give up is to be disappointed. Our guy in this parable never gave up. He was rewarded beyond his dreams. He would have missed all that if he had given up.

Some of us are eleventh hour people. Don’t give up. Hope is an anchor. God wants you.

Roger