SCRIPTURE: Luke 20:9-19
“Jesus looked directly at them and asked…” (Luke 20:17).
Yesterday we saw how Jesus answered the religious leaders with a question, and silenced them.
Here Jesus takes charge of the conversation, and the religious leaders feel the edge of His words.
“They knew He had spoken this parable against them.” (Luke 20:19)
The sense of the parable is plain: You are like these ungrateful, cruel tenants!
God has planted this amazing creation vineyard, we have refused to let Him enjoy it’s fruit.
We gorge ourselves and refuse to let others share in it’s blessing.
We fight against God every time He tries to set things right.
This is true of humanity in general, but it also shows itself in my own life.
Do I use my gifts and blessings for personal happiness, but not to bless God and others?
Do I prefer to avoid or disregard God, so that I can ‘enjoy’ my life my way?
Maybe I don’t try to kill Jesus, but I do try to silence or ignore Him – which is no better.
Jesus is looking directly at me, what is He saying about my life, my gratitude, my priorities?
Do I open myself to what He has to say, or do I resist Him, ignore Him, silence Him?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, all that I am and all that I have is from You. I am blessed to bless You and others, yet I prefer to keep most of those blessings for myself. Help me to listen NOW before You look at me directly on Judgement Day.
Observation/Application
It is so easy to see the splinter in my brother’s eye than acknowledge the beam that is in my own eye. When I point at others and their life style I have three fingers pointing back at me with my thumb pointing skyward.
This parable tells me once again I must review/reform/renew with my relationship to God and how I live for Jesus in my daily life. God gives His people gifts and I must use those gifts for His kingdom. Open heart. Open hands. Sharing God’s good gifts with those God places in my path. The gifts of God for the people of God to be used in service to God.
We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive,
And gladly, as Thou blessest us,
To Thee our firstfruits give.
O hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.
To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.
The captive to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace—
It is a Christ-like thing.
And we believe Thy Word,
Though dim our faith may be;
Whate’er for Thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto Thee.