A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (October 2, 2015)
Now listen to another story (parable). A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers (husbandmen) and moved to another country. At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. (Matthew 21:33-34, NLT)
This parable can be read in its entirety in Matthew 21, Mark 12 or Luke 20. The following is a brief summary of the main points in my own South Georgia translation.
A landowner planted and prepared a vineyard. He then rented it out to some tenant farmers (husbandmen) to take care of until the vineyard started producing grapes. When it came time for harvest the owner sent some of his servants to check on the vineyard and collect the owner’s portion. The renters killed and stoned the servants. The owner sent more servants and they killed them also. The owner then sent his son and they killed him also.
This parable is usually taught as an example of how the prophets and Jesus were received by the Jewish leaders and how the Kingdom of God was taken away from the Jewish people and given to the Gentiles. This devotional will look at this parable in a very different light.
I see this parable as a great lesson about stewardship, loyalty, and greed. The landowner planted and prepared the vineyard. The tenant farmers worked in the vineyard for at least three years or more. It takes at least three years for a vineyard to even start producing fruit. When the owner came back to receive his portion of the fruit the lessors resisted and refused to give him his portion and even killed his servants and his son.
I was in federal law enforcement for a long time and I have seen first hand how greed can enter in and convince people that they are due more than they are actually due. I arrested a government manager once that embezzled several thousand dollars from public funds. He had worked at this job for years and I talked to him a long time about why he did this. The bottom line was he had convinced himself that he deserved the money because he had worked so hard for so many years. Wonder where those thoughts came from?
I think these tenant farmers had the same mentality. They thought the vineyard belonged to them. They had earned it by their hard work over the years. We all are usually working in somebody else’s vineyard. For example, as a minister I am working in God’s vineyard! It all belongs to God and I should never get so greedy that I forget that.
I heard an interview of Billy Graham’s son Franklin recently that illustrated this very point. Franklin said his dad recently took him aside and told him that everything he had ever received in this life came from God. He then told Franklin that when he died he wanted to make sure it was all given back to God. Thank you Billy Graham for a life well lived and a steadfast allegiance to the owner!!!
Sometimes, we can get so impressed with ourselves that we forget who brought us to the dance. God owns it all and we need to stay loyal to Him and at the same time, if we are working in another man’s vineyard, stay loyal to the owner. We need to honor the people that brought us to the dance. It will go well with your soul if you do these things.
For by the grace (of God) given to me I say to everyone of you not to think more highly of himself (and of his importance and ability) than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith (and a purpose designed for service). (Romans 12:3, Amplified Bible)
When the owner of the vineyard returns, Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?” The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.” Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see. I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit.(Matthew 21:40-43, NLT)
