Servant of God - Fired or Hire

Matthew 21:33 – 46
33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

The landowner = God,
The vineyard = The people of God.

Work Done by The Landowner (God) on the vineyard:

1. He builds a wall of stones around the vineyard to keep animals out.
2. He digs a winepress in it.
3. Then he builds a tower so that watchmen can stand guard and warn against intruders.
   
   

This symbolizes how God deal with His people:
1. Builds them up
2. Prospers them and
3. Protects them.

Verse 34 - When the harvest time approached, He sent servants to the tenants to collect His fruit.

But the husbandmen are thinking “The landowner is never here. We are doing this to make OUR lives better, not his. So why should we hand over the produce.

So they seize the servants:

1. Beat one,
2. Kill another and
3. Stone a third.

This represents the leaders who persecute the prophets.

Leaders have always persecuting God’s prophets.

1. Jeremiah was beaten by leaders - Jeremiah 20:1-2
   1 Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.

2 Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

2. Uriah was killed by leaders - Jeremiah 26:20-23
   20 And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:
   21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;
   22 And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.
   23 And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
   
   
3. Zechariah was stoned to death by leaders - 2 Chronicles 24:20 - 21
   20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
   21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.
   
   

People in positions of responsibility do not enjoy having their morals called into question.

STORY
A little boy had the same Sunday school teacher for several years. She ended every lesson by saying ‘and the moral of the story is…’ and the boy did not like it. One day he moved up into another Sunday school class. His mom said “How do you like your new Sunday school teacher?” The little boy said “I like her so much. She got no morals at all”

Jesus is teaching us here:

1. God hired you to share His message of love with the world.
2. But instead, you break His commandments, mistreat His prophets, and murder His Son.
   So guess what? You’re fired! That shall not be your testimony. In Jesus name.