Fruit is the tasty produce that comes from a variety of trees, vines, and plants. For our children’s message we showed them a fruit tree. It’s difficult to tell exactly which tree the blossoms came from. As the fruit grows, we can get a better picture. So also we don’t know what the fruit will look like for us! Our fruit takes different shape depending on where we are and what his has planned.
In the parable of the tenants the landowner is trying to get his harvest! How would it be a good idea for the landowner to send his son after seemingly countless servant have been killed. What was the land owner thinking? This is foolish grace. A wasteful grace. This is a grace that knows it will be taken advantage in the worst way! Yes, this is what our God has done for us.
How would they get the inheritance just because they killed the heir!? With all the events that surround Jesus’ murder, we are left scratching our heads at what those Jews were thinking. Before we are too hard on them, have you ever had opportunity to look back at your life and wonder, what was I thinking? Sin is irrational. It doesn’t make sense that we would want to rebel against our God who has given us everything. That’s what we do even though we know that we’re really only hurting ourselves in the process.
No matter how terrible the behavior gets, God still comes to look for fruit. When you watch the worship service from this Sunday HERE, listen to the first lesson. It is there that we hear the story of Manasseh, the wicked king of Judah. Is there is hope for that guy, there is hope for us.
Want to hear more, including how that fruit is produced? Watch this Sunday’s sermon taken from Matthew 21, the third sermon in our series In the Vineyard.
Book(s): Matthew
Series: In the Vineyard
Tag(s): Stewardship
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg