Title: The outcome of greed is rebuke and to become last
In the parable of vineyard, vineyard signifies the body of Christ which is church, those who are invited signify the people of God who are chosen to be saved before the beginning, the market place signifies the world that says, “there is no God”.
- What does the vineyard signify?
- It is the place to work
Matthew 20:1 says that the landowner hired people to labour in the vineyard. Vineyard signifies church. Therefore, church is the place to work. Let’s not be an observer or a bystander in the church. But do take any duty and become a worker and a servant.
- It is the place to believe
What is the very job given to the people who are brought into the vineyard? That is faith. To believe is to work. The landowner hired the people who were idle in the market place and brought them into the vineyard to work. God called us out of the sinful and fruitless world and placed us into the church to believe in Him. Thus, to believe is the very work and the most precious work that those who are hired by God must do (John 6:28-29).
God created mankind to fear God and obey His Word. But the fallen mankind lived according to their greed and took care of themselves only. So, God said in Hosea 14:1-2, ‘Take words with you and return to the Lord.’: This is the original state of mankind. God gave the Word to Adam which he lost it because of listening to the words of serpent. So, from that time on, all mankind is without the Word. We should find and take the Word and return to the Lord. That’s why to believe is the main work all the saints in the church must do diligently (Eccl 12:13).
- It is the place to gain salvation
One denarius was promised for the people who labour at the vineyard. Since the labour is to believe, one denarius signifies salvation. The purpose of a vineyard is not to get wood but grapes which shows us that the purpose of church also is not to gain success in this world but to gain salvation.
- The greed in the church
If the parable ends with everyone happily receiving their wages of one denarius, it would be so lovely. However, the story goes on and talks about the greed that kicks in to the saints in the church (Psalm 106:14).
Deacon Stephen in Acts 7:38 says that wilderness was the church and Psalm 106:14 says that they greed in the wilderness. It teaches s that there will be greed in the saints in the church who claimed to believe in Jesus Christ.
- Spiritual greed
The steward gave the same one denarius to everyone, regardless who came earlier or later, thus they grumbled against the landowner. The landowner promised one denarius as a day’s wage, and the workers received as promised. However, those who came early were not satisfied. This shows that the greed that the workers had and due to the greed, those who came early and worked very hard ended up grumbling against God. God hates greed more than any other sins as Adam and Eve fell because of greed (Genesis 3:6).
It is the love and the generosity of God that He saves who does not labour as you did, who does not know Father as you do, who does not serve God as you have done. If God decided to save whomever He wants to save, it is not our job to say that He shouldn’t save such spiritually immature people. Let’s not become like these greedy workers who ended up grumbling to God.
- Physical greed
One day, a man came to Jesus while He was preaching and healing people and asked Jesus to tell his brother to divide the family’s money. Jesus answered “I did not come to be a judge over your money. Be on guard against every form of greed.”
Matthew 6:24 says that no one can serve two masters. Mark 10:17-27 talks about a certain rich young man asking Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him to keep the 10 commandments and he said “I kept them all already.” So, Jesus said “sell all of your possessions and give to the poor and follow Me” but because he had so much properties, he went away in grieve.
The Bible keeps telling us that if we have worldly greed, we cannot believe in God. Greed is the characteristic of Satan and the Devil. The best way to overcome greed is to believe in God and walk by the Holy Spirit.
Rather than the world that is visible, the world that is invisible, the spiritual world of God, is much greater, much valuable and much important (Hebrews 11:3).
Conclusion: We should be continuously grateful for our salvation
‘Ah, God called me work in the vineyard.’ This grateful heart must not be ceased at any time in our lives. If we do so, we are the riches people than anyone else in this world. The true rich person is not the one who possess much wealth but the one who possesses Jesus Christ. Amen!
The article above summarized the sermon by Pastor David Shin of The Lord’s Covenant Church, a Presbyterian church that is based in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, (nearby Mont Kiara, Hartamas and Kuala Lumpur). The Lord’s Covenant Church is a Presbyterian church that preaches only the Word of God.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 