Understanding The Tale Of The Bricks; The Householder Appears In His Vineyard - Part 2787

"For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said unto them; "Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you." And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" They say unto him, "Because no man hath hired us." He saith unto them, "Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive." (Matthew 20:1-7)

Herein, Jesus is portraying Himself as the householder who has come into His vineyard after an unspecified period of time, seeking hearts that will happenstance after Him. The vineyard is the earth. The harvest? The souls, while willing still unsaved. Notice the householder in the parable hires those who are standing idle. Indeed, some are notably idle all the day long. In the parable, the householder pays all of the labourers the very same wage, regardless of the number of hours each works. This leads to some of the first labourers hired grumbling within the ranks. Jesus then concludes for the second time in this scriptural passage -- "the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen." (Matthew 20:16)

Some questions emerge. Who was Jesus referring to when He said the last shall be first and the first last? Was Jesus speaking directly to the Pharisees trying to tempt Him at the beginning of Matthew 19? Could His reference to the first mean the Israelites of the Old Testament -- God's beloved -- who continually worshipped other gods rather than the Lord their God who had taken them through all of life's trials? If yes, then Jesus was referring to His beloved Israelites (who should have rightfully been first) but are now the last. 

Or maybe, Jesus -- when He beheld His own disciples later on in Matthew 19-- had compassion on how they -- at least for a moment -- seemed to be aligning with the Pharisees' repeated twisted questioning. Remember, Peter soon asks Jesus, "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed Thee; what shall we have therefore?" (Matthew 19:27)  

Does that sound like grumbling? Sure does because Peter does not appear happy concerning his own future. Nevertheless, Jesus confirms His love for them, saying, "Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." (Matthew 19:28-29)

The last shall be first? Certainly, as the householder had mentioned more than once, he/He was willing to pay "whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive." (Matthew 20:4, 7) 

But let's not get too far ahead here,

Interestingly, the reference to idle is cited 11 times in the Authorized KJV Bible. For example, when Paul communicates to Timothy -- "And withal they learn to be idle ..." (I Timothy 5:13) In another place, when the believing women were trying to tell Jesus' disciples that Jesus had risen, "... their words seemed to [the disciples] as idle tales, and they believed them not." (Luke 24:11) In Ezekiel's prophecy about the end times, he writes we have "fulness of bread, and [yet] abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy." (Ezekiel 16:49)

Moreover, Solomon, considered the wisest of all kings writes, "slothfulness casts into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger." (Proverbs 19:15) In contrast, "she looks well to the ways of her household, and eats not the bread of idleness." (Proverbs 31:27) We also know from Jesus' instruction -- "That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.| (Matthew 12:36)

Yet another perspective written in Ecclesiastes 10:18 offers much insight  -- "By much slothfulness the building decays; and through idleness of the hands the house drops through."

Although all these scriptures are insightful and offer a more in-depth understanding of idleness, the latter verse from Ecclesiastes helps us to more fully understand Jesus' parable in Matthew 20. That is, by much slothfulness -- idleness -- the building decays. In new testament terms, it is the body of Christ church which becomes scattered -- because there are not enough labourers for the harvest fields that are white. By much slothfulness!

"And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up His right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that lives for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.| (Daniel 12:7)

 

In a different context, let's examine the tale of the bricks in Exodus 4-6. 

First, it should be noted that "bricks without straw" is a worldly phrase that refers to a task which must be undertaken -- yet the task must be completed without the measure of appropriate resources. We see this come to fruition when Moses asks Pharaoh to let the Lord's people go to the desert for three days to make a sacrifice unto the Lord. Pharaoh refuses, believing the Israelites were only looking for an excuse to be idle. 

"... and the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, "Let us go and sacrifice to our God." So Pharaoh orders that no more straw be given to the Israelites to make bricks. Rather, he demands them to go and gather straw for themselves just in case they be idle and cry out, "Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord." (Exodus 5:9, 17) So, the intent of Pharaoh was "to lay more work upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words." (Exodus 5:9) 

In simple terms, the Israelites still had to produce the same number of bricks as before -- for building Pharaoh's grandiose kingdom -- but now they were expected to fetch the straw also from other places. Further, Pharaoh had no compassion for the enslaved Israelites, increasingly burdening them with more and more -- again, as a rationale in his mind for preventing the Israelites from becoming idle. As we know from subsequent chapters, the people eventually blame Moses and Aaron for their plight, rather than trusting God's promise that the land would be theirs.

Nevertheless, there is another unique comparison that can easily be drawn between the old testament tale of the bricks and the new testament parable of the householder in the vineyard. That is, when we labour for earthly kings (employers), the burden we carry tends to become greater over time. Our moments of idleness are consumed, because world-focused authorities want us to give our best to the construction of their worldly kingdoms. 

However, when we look to Jesus as the householder in the vineyard, we learn that He does the heavy lifting; that His burden is light, and His rewards remarkable and beyond measure -- as Jesus reveals to His disciple Peter.

"Then answered Peter and said unto Him, "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed Thee; what shall we have therefore?" And Jesus said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." (Matthew 19:27-29)

The last shall be first. 

This is not to suggest that there are not multiple takeaways from this parable (because there are) but again the link between the two confirms the old testament is physical - as in physical circumcision-- and the new testament spiritual -- as in circumcision of heart.

So, when we realize how important a cog we are in the body of Christ wheel, and how necessary it is that each and every one of us put our hand to the plow, we too realize that it isn't about an earthly paycheck, but rather seeking the treasure that is the Kingdom of God -- where we will shine as bright lights in the firmament. 

Yes, the Lord levelled the playing field when He ushered in the new testament, because of His willingness to go to an old rugged cross, and shed His precious holy blood so that we who believe in Him might have abundant life. And the irony is that this same Lord Jesus -- the householder who willingly came to His vineyard -- is still calling you and I in our idleness to taste and see that He is good! 

Stand in the offering plate.