Grapes of Grace, part 4

The worker who is found in the marketplace is simply hired, or “accepted,” based on his desire to be used. Willingness to work is the only evaluation given when deciding whom to hire. Unlike that of an application process today for employment, where you must prove your skills or work history, to earn your way/position. The Master was and is simply looking for a willing servant.
 

Once the worker is found, the master then qualifies him/her to work in the fields with this command: “You go into the vineyard, too.” He is not calling the worker to work independently, but with his other workers. It is for the Master that we work, not ourselves, and it’s not about how we think things should be done or how other vineyard are doing it. It’s about Him and His way.
 

Of the workers that were chosen, who do you think was the most grateful? We read of workers hired at the beginning of the day, the middle of the day and at the end of the day. Which of these do you think would have been the most grateful for the work? Verse 7 gives us the answer to the question as the master asks, “Why do you stand here idle all day?” “7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’”
 

It reminds me of gym class, back in the day, when we had to choose teams. These workers are the last ones to be picked. Perhaps they were old, frail, or not well liked in the community; maybe they were sickly, socially awkward, or homeless. Whatever the reason, they were those who were easily overlooked.
 

Remember: “For the Kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out…” “You go to the vineyard too” The master left His place, His place of wealth, and searched and found those whom no one wanted. Anybody that tries to tell you that church is only for the respectable and rich has never met the Master of the House!
 

This reminds me of a story of a homeless man who was strolling through the town, realized it was Sunday and wanted to get right with God. So he decided that he ought to stop in the nearest church to see how that could be done.
 

He made his way into what happened to be the wealthiest church in town. There he saw a familiar face sitting on the left side of the sanctuary. That’s when it hit him. You see, that familiar face was the one who, just the day before, had kicked him out of his coffee shop. So the homeless man sure didn’t want to sit next to him. He made his way to the right side, but there were so many condemning sneers, he knew he didn’t want to be by those people either.
 

He saw an open seat near the front so he went down to sit in it. After the service was over the pastor approached him and said, “I know you haven’t been here before but this is the house of God. I want you to leave here and during this next week, ask God how you should dress when you come into his house.” Needless to say, the man left very discouraged. 

During the week the man did do as the pastor told him. He did ask God how he should dress if were to walk into that church again.
 

A few more days passed. The man returned to that church the next Sunday, took his seat near the front, still wearing the same clothes as the week before. The pastor again approached him with a discussed look on his face, “Didn’t you do what I told you to do. Didn’t you ask God how you should dress when you come into His house?”

“Yes sir, I did.” “Well” the pastor said, “What did God tell you?”

The man answered, “I asked God what I should wear when I come into your church.”

“And…?” said the pastor.

“God said, ‘Son, I don’t know what you should wear, I left that building a long time ago. That place is not My house, and those people are not My people. Let Me lead you to My people; they will accept you just as you are, for I accept you just as you are.’” 

Continued tomorrow