This week David preached on “The Parable of the “Tenant” (Matthew 21:33-46), the second of three parables that Jesus preached to the religious leaders. In this parable Jesus introduces us to the master of a vineyard who leased his vineyard to tenants while he was away. These tenants eventually became possessive over the vineyard, and when the master sent his servants to collect his fruits, the tenants killed the servants. After the tenants had killed three of the master’s servants, the master decided to send his one son to collect the fruits. The tenants rebelled and killed the master’s son as well. As he spoke, Jesus gives a history of Israel while also shedding light on what was to come. We learned that the master of the vineyard was God, while the vineyard was God’s people. The tenants represented the religious leaders, and the servants were the prophets of old.
Throughout this narrative, God is patient and slow to pass judgment. But we also see a side of jealousy; Jealous for HIS people, HIS first fruits. Ultimately, while God was patient, the religious leaders underestimated how committed God was to getting what was HIS.
Too often we become like the tenants. We take ownership of things that are not ours, ultimately seeking to steal the glory from God. Even as the first fruits we should not treat God’s grace cheaply. With that, seek out sin in your life that offends God. By continuously divulging in a sin, we are “cheapening” HIS grace in our lives, which is a dangerous way to live.
--C3 Member - Rachel Evans
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