The LORD wants to bring forth the wine of gladness and joy.
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man's heart (see Psalm 104:14-16).
The people of the LORD have always been meant to bring forth wine to gladden the heart of man. The actions of the LORD have always been directed for creating the condition in which his people could bear fruit. He guarded them, taught them, and himself provided the winepress in which that fruit was to be offered and turned into joy.
Yet as a people, Israel did not do their part. They did not bring forth grapes that would make good wine. They didn't believe that their fulfillment consisted in the wine that the LORD would give. The chalice of demons (see 1 Corinthians 10:21) was still too appealing to them.
The leaders of the people did not improve this situation. Rather than seeking mercy and righteousness they instead kept the fruit to themselves, to build up their own reputations and their own pride. God continued to appeal to the people for the fruit which was, after all, for the greatest good of all involved. But the people and their leaders could not see the good that would come when their fruit was crushed on the winepress of the LORD. It seemed to them that this would be an utter loss. So they defended their fruit against the one from whom they had it.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
There was this one thing that he had not yet done for the vineyard. He had not yet sent his only Son as the first fruits (see First Corinthians 15:23) offered on the winepress of God. The Son would drink the chalice of God's wrath but offer the world the chalice of joy. In him alone do we learn to offer the fruit we are meant to bear. Only joined to Jesus, the true vine, can we bear the sort of grapes that make this wine. His Spirit is the one that produces these fruits, this new wine in us.
But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
...
For these people are not drunk, as you suppose (see Acts 2:14-15).
How good is this new wine which our own lives can produce? Hard as it is for us to believe, it really can free us entirely from anxiety.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
The cost is that we first entrust our fruits to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
And after our fruits are offered the peace of Christ will guard over this new vineyard as the old self is transformed into the new, by the renewal of our minds in faith, on the winepress of God's love. This is something in which we must actively participate, taking every thought captive to Christ (see Second Corinthians 10:5)
Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
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