3 June 2013 - don't quit wine-ing

3 June 2013 - don't quit wine-ing

At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.

The LORD entrusts to us the great responsibility of spreading the Good News of his love to the world.  He longs to give the world joy through produce of this vineyard.  We must therefore heed the warnings he gives us.  He sends us many blessings to use along the way but they often require humility.  Without humility they become a liability for judgment as we take them into our own hands and misuse them.

So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.

We must keep in mind that this is the LORD's vineyard.  The most important thing is that he gets the produce that is his due.  We must not setup shop here as if we own the place.  We must be humble and faithful so that we can recognize the LORD in our midst.

He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’

Remembering that we work in a vineyard that is not our own, for something more than our own pleasure, is fundamental.  Fear of the LORD makes it possible.  In this context, to fear him is synonymous with remembering his rights as the LORD of the vineyard.  He is generous to allow us to help him in producing the wine that will sate the worlds thirst.  Do we realize what a blessing this is?  Or do we merely feel pushed to work we don't want.  Our hearts must become generous like his for partnership to truly flourish.

His generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just. 

We must become like Tobit, who easily forgets his own comfort to see to his kinsman

I sprang to my feet, leaving the dinner untouched;

The LORD visits us to look for the fruit of our harvest.  Yet, being selfish, we tend to view him as a competitor rather than as the source of all that we have.  We tend to see him merely as someone who wants resources which are ours.  But he is the source of our resources.  He is the only place where their purposes can truly be fulfilled. Let us trust him when he comes to us.

Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.