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/

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