Can you find a picture of anyone you know in this parable!
"A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some farmers and went
away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the
tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.
But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty handed. He sent
another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully
and sent away empty handed. He still sent a third, and they wounded
him and threw him out." 1*.
Jesus told this parable as a picture of makind's response to God
the Creator - the One who made and "planted" this world and then
told man "to work it and take care of it." 2*.
Man now claims this world as his! Haven't you heard it called
"our world"?
The parable shows what happens when God sends His faithful
messengers to warn man that he is responsible to God for his life
and living.
Today many still don't have any time or interest in the preacher
who comes with God's message. For some it was bad enough having to
listen to their religion! But for someone to say that they must
check up in the Bible to be really sure of the message of God, that
is unthinkable! 3*.
What is your response to hearing that God wants your life
and mine to be lived in obedience to His Word and to produce things
pleasing to Him? Many today still cannot restrain themselves from
hurling abuse, spit, threats and even stones at those who dare to
tell them that God expects us to love and obey His Word, the Holy
Bible? 4*.
How did the owner of the vineyard react at not getting what was
rightfully his? He said, "'I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps
they will respect him.'
"But ..the tenants ..said, let's kill him, and the inheritance will
be ours.' So they killed him." 5*.
When God sent His own Son to mankind with God's Gospel
6*. He was rejected
and killed! Instead of them giving God what was due to Him - their
love and obedience - they sacrificed His Son with their wicked
hands! 7*.
God tolerated that evil against His Son, but just that ONCE,
because through that, Jesus was offering Himself to God as a
substitute for your sins and mine. 8*.
But what will become of those who still want to take the Son of God
in their wicked hands and sacrifice Him day after day? - and who
even ask you to pray that such a wicked deed will be acceptable to
God!! The same will happen to them as happened to those who dared
to lay their hands on the vineyard owner's son in order to take his
place. The owner came to "kill those tenants."!
So it will be with God; He will judge and destroy those who are
wanting Jesus' place as Leader and
Saviour 9*. and who
dare to think they can repeatedly sacrifice Jesus. 10*.
Did the parable remind you of someone you know?
Make sure you're trusting in the sacrifice Jesus made
once for all! 8*.
Read in Luke's gospel chapter 20, verses 9-16 about the tenants who
foolishly thought they could take the son's place.
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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Footnotes. Bible quotations from
N.I.V.<
1 Luke 19:9-12.
2 Genesis 2:15.
3 Acts 17:11. John
5:39-40.
4 John 15:7-11, 18-25. 2nd
Timothy 3:12.
5Luke 20:13-15.
6 Matthew 9:35.
7 Acts 2:22-23.
3:13-15.
8 Romans 6:9-10. Hebrews
10:10-18. 1st John 2:1-2.
9 Acts 5:31-32. Hebrews
7:24-27.
10Hebrews 9:26-28.
Romans 6:9-10.
