Daily Devotional for Wednesday 26th June
God is Good
It’s often the case that the old stories are the best! So here, Jesus’ audience, especially the religious leaders, would recognise his reworking of the well-known ‘Song of the Vineyard’ from Isaiah chapter 5. In the original there is no avoiding the criticism of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Here Jesus takes the parable a stage further and this is a thinly veiled attack on the leaders of Israel.
The parable is meant to shock. We are shocked at how the provision, protection and patience of the owner are met by the wickedness of the tenants. We are shocked by the callous and calculated way in which the tenants treat the owner’s beloved son. We are shocked because this parable – in which God is the owner, Israel the tenants, the servants the prophets and Jesus the Son – is so exactly played out by the past, present and future reality.
The owner sent his son, saying ‘they will respect my son.’ But the tenants thought: ‘this is the heir, Come let’s kill him.’ Three days after telling this parable Jesus was dead.
The Jewish leaders knew their scriptures well. They knew how to interpret this parable (v 12), that it was another judgement against Israel for her fruitlessness before God. They knew that they stood complicit alongside their ancestors who killed the prophets (vs 3 – 5). They knew that Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah by His reference to Psalm 118 (vs 10,11). Yet they did not respond by fearing God and falling on His mercy; instead they pursued their plot to kill God’s beloved Son.
Time to reflect…
Take a moment to allow yourself to be moved again by the scandal, the shock, of what the Son of God endured.
Imagine yourself as that vineyard, entrusted to you by the owner. What has the yield been like?
The challenge for the Christian believers today, who have been given ‘everything we need for a godly life’ (2 Peter 1:3), is how we answer God’s enquiry: ‘What is the yield like? Where are the transformed lives, the renewed relationships, my new community?’
Pause to pray…
Loving, patient God, we thank you that as we offer you your due, you lovingly accept it. Give us the strength to continue to serve you and to be fruitful to bring your love to those around us. Amen
