Friday 1 December, 2017

12 Jesus began to speak to the people using stories. He said, “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he went to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters. He told the servant to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they grabbed the servant and beat him up. Then they sent him away with nothing. 4 So the man sent another servant to the renters. They hit this one on the head and treated him badly. 5 The man sent still another servant. The renters killed him. The man sent many others. The renters beat up some of them. They killed the others. 6 “The man had one person left to send. It was his son, and he loved him. He sent him last of all. He said, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But the renters said to each other, ‘This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday. Come, let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him. They threw him out of the vineyard. 9 “What will the owner of the vineyard do then? He will come and kill those renters. He will give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read what this part of Scripture says, “ ‘The stone the builders didn’t accept has become the most important stone of all. 11 The Lord has done it. It is wonderful in our eyes’?” (Psalm 118:22,23) 12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest Jesus. They knew he had told the story against them. But they were afraid of the crowd. So they left him and went away.

I need to remember that this parable was written for me also; not just the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day. There was once I time that I wasn’t saved, I had no intention of repenting from anything and I had absolutely no interest in Jesus, Gods gift to me to save my life. I was like these tenant farmers. Sure, I’ve never beaten up or killed any of Gods messengers but I’ve ignored Him and pretended He doesn’t exist. Isn’t that just as bad? I have taken and enjoyed everything He has provided and not acknowledge Him in the slightest, let alone thanked Him for it. I was as far away from worshipping Him (which, by the way, is the only appropriate response) as a person could possibly get. A slap in the face or anger towards Him at least shows belief. I showed something far worse – indifference.

And yet, it’s at this point that Jesus died for me. At the point of my lowest, God pours out His absolute highest – Jesus, His son, in my place.

Lord, please forgive me for walking through this amazing life without thanking you. And how can I possibly thank you enough for Jesus – your highest love poured out at my lowest moment. All praise and glory and thanks and worship to You for ever and ever. Amen.

Written by Boudy VanNoppen