LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
The Vineyard (2)
We, as the Lord's vineyard, are the place where he works in us, patiently and lovingly. His work is effective and fruitful, because he knows how to treat each of his vines so that they bear much fruit. However, he also makes us the tillers of his vineyard, and so it is not he who works (at least not directly), but it is we who work.
For Christians to be effective laborers, they must first be 'treated' by the Lord. No one can work for God, if God has not first worked in him. And then, after he has invested enough time and resources in his children, he puts them to work in his vineyard.
The parable of the vineyard (in Luke 20:9-19) shows us this clearly. The Lord had, before us, a class of laborers who were useless and wicked. They not only did not render an account of the work to their Master, but they mistreated the servants whom the Master sent, and finally killed his Son.
So the Lord gave his vineyard to other laborers. And these second husbandmen are us. God expects these to be better than the previous ones, not to make the same mistakes. However, judging by the fruits we have been bearing, it seems that the Lord is going to have a new reason for sadness in his vineyard.
The first mistake we could make is to think that the vineyard is ours, and not the Lord's. Then again we would be appropriating the vineyard to ourselves. Then again we would be appropriating the fruits, and doing business with them, instead of offering them to God. We could also think that we are exceptional servants, and become conceited, in circumstances that the Lord said we were unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10). Spiritual pride' is a terrible disease that infects the children of God.
The Lord also requires us to be diligent, to be fruitful, because from time to time He reviews, and then He expects to receive the fruit of our labor. The Lord said that it was necessary to work while the day lasts, because the night comes when no one can work.
In Proverbs 24:30-34 there is an example of a lazy farmer: the fence was destroyed, the weeds had invaded everything. The vineyard was in ruins. Song of Solomon shows us the danger of the little foxes that spoil the vines. When the fence has been broken down, the enemy enters, and although his actions seem innocuous, he wreaks havoc.
The parable of Matthew 20:1-7 teaches us that only those who labor in the vineyard of the Lord are busy; the rest do not count for God, they waste their time irretrievably.
In 1 Corinthians 3 we are told that there are fruits of various qualities, and that this quality depends on whether we have served in the flesh or in the spirit.
If we have been treated by God we will be able to perceive the difference, and know beforehand what will await us on the day of the judgment seat of Christ, a certain and inescapable day (2 Corinthians 5:10). These are some lessons from the vineyard.