David Bahn – Reflections

God’s investment in us, the church, and the world is no small investment. The beauty of creation, the insights, abilities, and accomplishments we have attained are all reflection of his creative glory. The freedom we have to live and move and rule the earth is a gift of his lovingkindness.

Jesus’ parable describes extensive work being done by the vineyard owner: after planting the vineyard, he puts a fence around it, dug a winepress, and built a tower. Fortifications and production equipment mark this as a place of value and purpose.

When we look at the world around us, surely we must conclude that God’s investment in us and the whole of creation marks it as a place of value and purpose. Our value has been established by the ransom paid: not gold or silver, but Jesus’ precious blood, his innocent suffering and death. Our purpose is to glorify him kwho has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Matthew 21:33-46

“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. ³⁴When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. ³⁵ And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. ³⁷Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ ³⁹And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. ⁴⁰ When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” ⁴¹They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴²Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

⁴³Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. ⁴⁴And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

⁴⁵When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. ⁴⁶And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.