Tuesday: The Unfaithful
The parable of the wicked vinedressers (Luke 20:9-19) gives us a lesson in redemptive history. The center of that history is God and His continual love for erring sinners. Although the parable was specifically addressed to the Jewish leaders of His time (they knew He had spoken this parable against them
[vs. 19, NKJV]), it is timeless in its reach.
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
It applies to every generation, every congregation, and every person on whom God’s love and trust have been poured out and from whom God expects a faithful return. We are today’s tenants, and we can draw from this parable some lessons on history as God views it.
Read Luke 20:9-19. How does the principle taught here apply to us, if we make the same mistakes as those in the parable?
Instead of giving to God the fruits of love and fidelity, the tenants of God’s vineyard forsook and failed God. But God, as the owner of the vineyard, sent servant after servant (vss. 10-12), prophet after prophet (Jer. 35:15), in persistent love to woo and win His people to their responsibility of stewardship. Each prophet, though, became a victim of rejection. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?
(Acts 7:52, NKJV).
Divine history is a long love story. Tragedy will raise its head again and again, but glory will eventually triumph. Resurrection must follow the Cross. The stone that was rejected is now the cornerstone of a great temple that will house the commonwealth of God, where all the redeemed, the rich and the poor, the Jew and the Gentile, the male and the female, will live as one people. They shall walk in the eschatological vineyard and enjoy its fruit forever.
We might not have living prophets today to persecute, but we are just as capable of rejecting God’s messengers as were people of old. How can we make sure that we, who have been called to give the Lord the fruit of the vineyard,
do not reject these messengers and their messages?
(40)
It's a common theme among men to desire which is not their's. The parable speaks of God's goodness, mercy and blessings but man not only squanders, but also took for himself which is not his. Greed, selfish motives and sinfulness drive men. Had they been truthful then God could have given them unparalleled blessings and even wealth. May we as His creatures live in His Grace and light.
One way to view the parable of the vinedressers (Luke 20:9-19) in a modern context is to consider the tenants (vinedressers) as the remnant church in which case the issue becomes how we relate to the messages of revival we receive, and what it says about our regard for the Originator (Vineyard Owner) and His Son.
Keep in mind the Son is only welcome where His Father’s messengers are well received (Matthew 10:40, 41).
The perspective is different when the tenants are considered to be the broader field of Christianity or the world. Then the remnant people become the messengers (servants), like Elijah or John the baptizer, and the issue is whether we will risk the rejection and abuse in the vineyard or decline to make the visit (Luke 20:10, 11).
Only those who are loyal to the owner are willing to approach the renters of the Lord’s vineyard (Luke 20:9) with His end time message. The faithful are further encouraged by the fact that the Son has already paid a visit and suffered worse (Luke 20:14, 15). It is their high honor to share in Christ’s sufferings, to the degree they may (1 Peter 4:13, 14).
Time is now for indibidually as Christians to check our connection with Jesus by our deeds, educating the lost souls about Jesus second coming For us to connect and stay close to our Jesus we must be faithful both spiritually and physically The way take care of our bodies which are holy temple must be taken serious now No sick body can take the word out to others
we are so busy surviving that the we are stewards of this earth, that we forget our Connection with the Lord , With Christ in our Heart , we cannot help but to love the law of God we should always strive to seek out our Lord
I find all of these posts to be great. I am only 21 years old and still learning the bible. I just wanted to provide some input. We can be sure that we don't reject God's messengers by knowing the truth from the non-truth. Reading our bible everyday and maintaining a strong connection with our God is the key to differentiating between a messenger from God and one who isn't. We just have to be prepared at all times. We also have to do what placed us here to do which is, to witness to others so that we may hasten his coming.
Sometimes we act like this way, when we reject the rebuke of the servants of God that teach us the correct way of living the christian life.
I believe that in these days the "Messenger" is the Word and the Holy Spirit who helps us understand the Word. We are told to test the messages that other people preach against the Word. Another test I believe that is helpful would be to think does this belief enhance or detract from what I know so far about the character of God?
Its time for us to spend more hours reading the bible, learning God's word and praying without seizing. Knowing the truth will help us to be faithful, loving, caring,truthful,unselfish and caring at all times.