September 29, 2020
Today’s Tuesday’s Thoughts on Scripture comes from Matthew 21:33 - “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. (NRSV)
Jesus is on a roll in telling parables, making a point with those listening: the Kingdom owner is generous, yet has expectations for its care. Note that in the scripture above, everything needed for success was given by the landowner - planting, fencing, digging, building. Even those who were needed to care for what would grow were found. The expectation, it seems, was that a portion of the harvest would be shared with the landowner.
As the parable continues, the tenants do not act as they should. At the appropriate time, they decide they do not want to share a portion of the crop’s harvest and even kill those sent to collect it, including the landowner’s son. Somehow, the ownership of the vineyard seems to have become confused in their minds.
How like these tenants are we with all God provides for us?! God has created a world that includes all we need for success - air, water, land, animals, plants, even other people. Yet, we often tend to think of what we have collected as ours - my house, my clothes, my family, my job, my money.
All of this begs the question - how does thinking about ownership help me to be generous in returning a portion to God for use in helping others?
Blessings. And prayers.
No comments:
Post a Comment