Deep Roots Within the 'They'

Scripture: "Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time." Matthew 21:40-41

Observation: Jesus is telling the parable about a vineyard owner who is betrayed by the farmers to whom he is renting his land. When he sent his servants to collect his profits for the year, they beat and tortured them. When he then sent his own son, they murdered him. Jesus then doesn't explain the parable himself, but asks the audience what they think happens next, and "they" respond with the obvious truth ... the betraying tenants will be destroyed and the farm taken from their oversight.

Jesus concurs, but then points out ... the farm tenants are the priests to whom the Lord gave his sacred word, the promised land, and his covenant love, who in turn have stoned prophets and will soon kill Messiah ... and the priests are also the "they" who are listening to Jesus, and who just answered the question.

Application: I think this is a matter of truth ... when it comes to people of faith, we often know when we have done wrong. Yes, there are times we don't know we are violating the Lord's desires for our lives, and there are many, many times we act sinfully and are reminded by either word or conviction of the spirit of our sin after the fact. Most of the time, my experience is that believers try to repent of these occurrences (with mixed results).

However, when we are part of a pattern of wrongdoing that becomes interwoven in our lives, we reject correction, and will turn angry toward anyone who attempts to correct us. This is even true when we absolutely agree with the correction itself. We hear the truth, know it to be true, and instead of attempting to resolve our lives, we turn against the messenger trying to guide us back to God.

When our wrong actions are deeply rooted as a part of our life, correction is hard to receive, and repentance is harder. I don't really know what to do about this fact, and how to apply it to my life, but I feel it to be true, and I am open to the Lord's revelation about the deep roots in my heart.

Prayer: Lord, I am an old man, and I still have so much to learn and so much to improve in my life. I am open to instruction. I don't want to be a priest who loses your provision even when I know I deserve to lose it. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.