Skip to main content

Parable of the evil farmers


Matt:21:33-46

The owner - built the vineyard, dug a pit, made a watchtower, bulit the vinepress, employed the tenants. He owns the place. 

The tenant farmers - works out daily in the farm, thinking that the produce that they have toiled for is theirs - that is rebellion. That is self. 

No matter what they say or do - they do not literally own the place. They have worked hard, agreed. But legally they do not own the land. And as long as they do not own the property, the produce is also not theirs. They are stewards. They are answerable. They have to give back. The owner will give them what deems best for him. 

This owner is kind and good. He is no hard taskmaster, who is stingy. He just wanted a share of the produce. Not the whole thing and give the tenants ruthlessly. He gives freely. 

Remember we do not own. We are tenants. Everything that we think we own - are not literally and legally ours. We are answerable to the master, who owns, who possesses, who takes care. It is not unfair to be a steward to toil hard and then give back to Him. It has always been and originally His. It is only just to give back. 

When we try to grab and hold on to what we have in our fists for our own, then we are no less than those evil tenant farmers who was rebellious to beat up the servants and killed the son. We are no less than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who dragged down Jesus to kill Him. It is out right rebellion to think that it is mine. It is out right rebellion not to let go of things which God had entrusted you to look after - your children, your education, your job, your money, your desires, your passion. Unless you give it back to God, unless you let it go to be used by Him, it is spelt in God's eyes as SELF. Or REBELLION. 

Therefore repent. 

Image credit: https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/jesus/final-ministry/parables-vineyards-cultivators/

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

why fear

What has been entrusted

1Tim:6:20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Each of us have been given these entrustments. It can be family; it can be privileges and opportunities; it can be blessings in this world; or knowledge or insight from God;  it can be your job; it can a good habit.  Whatever you can think of- it is a gift from God entrusted to you. Guard it. Value it. Cherish it and take care of it with utmost thankfulness and seriousness. When you think of people, who do not have what you have, it fills you with gratitude to God. And you take care of it with seriousness; without a careless attitude. That will take away the routine mundane boredom to deal with it. Contentment is the key to gratitude. The truth to realise is - that you have been given. That you have been gifted. The reality is that all you have is not what you deserved. Therefore do not take these lightly. You have been just kept as a steward, not as an owner of what you "have". A steward does not deserve....

Godliness

Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1Tim:4:8 Godliness is God orientedness. It is bringing God in every equation. It is trusting in God in every situation. That is the real fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom. That will bring promise both for the present life and for the life to come. It makes life simpler. In the middle of tumultuous waves, it brings peace. For the creator, sustainer God is with you in the boat, then why worry! God is with you, is the greatest promise you can have. Are you with God?

Contentment

But Godliness with contentment is great gain.  1Tim:6:6 Contentment is being happy with what you have. Contentment is the opposite to greed; covetousness; dissatisfaction; wanting for more. Godliness coupled with contentment is great gain. A surity that God would provide for all my needs. An assurance that God would supply all my needs according to His riches and glory. That He is Jehovah Jireh and I need not worry about my needs. He will take care. This will also help you to give. Like the widow who put the two copper coins which is all that she had. Knowing fully that her God would provide. Cheerfully we can give. Whether in surplous or in nothingness. Knowing for sure that God loves a cheerful giver, we can give happily. Knowing for sure that He would give back, in good measure, pressed down, shaken together.  And finally you will be free from greed. It starts well - planning, money orientedness, ultimately leading to compromising on many important things just t...

Work hard, rather than hardly work

If a man will not work; he shall not eat. 2Thess:3:10 Work hard. Whatever is entrusted to you. Be it physical labour or be it a white collar job sitting in the AC. Be it studying or be it organising things. Be it a small thing that you take up or a bread winning job. Be genuine and hard working. An idle man is not deserving of any wages. An idle man is complacent and proud. An idle man is discontented and dissatisfied. Where as a hard working man is grateful for what he has got. He knows that he has got in his plate is not something he deserves. Let money not be the motivation factor too, for working hard. Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. So wash your plates genuinely. When you clean the table and set near your room, let God's name be glorified. As unto the Lord, may you do it. When you treat a patient or build a house or develop a programme or play the fiddle, let it be genuine, let it bring a smile on Jesus' face, let it bring glory to the Father. Not ...

Jehovah yeshmor

But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength. 2Tim:4:17 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom 2Tim:4:18 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress My God in whom I trust. Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare And from the deadly pestilence He will cover you with His feathers  And under His wings you will find refuge His faithfulness will be your shield and your rampart Ps:91:2-4 As the mountains surround Jerusalem  So the Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore Ps:125:2 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it, declares the Lord. Zech:2:5 The Lord will protect you. He will guard you. He will be your shield. Jehovah yeshmor. Do not be afraid of anything under the sun. For He the Sovereign ruler is our Father. Image credit: https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=%22wall+of+fire%22

God

1Tim:1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen. Eternal. Not created. The Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. Who exists from time immemorial to time endless. Immortal. No death. Nor does He succumb to decay. Not defined by rules of the end. Who exists beyond. Invisible. Not the age old concept of God is there in everything. Not even the unseen guest of our home. But the omnipresent. He is the Only God. To Him be the honour and glory forever and ever.