Scripture: Mark 12:1
Jesus spoke to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower. Then he rented it to tenant farmers and took a trip…”
Thought for the Day: Like many of you, I love the parables of Jesus. This one, like most, begins in a very casual, dull and uneventful way. One might be so bored by the first sentence as give up and not read what follows. This would be a mistake as Jesus opens an exciting theological can of worms for the reader. Though as I read this first verse, I am taken by the word rented. The word in Greek is: ekdidómi, which is two words: to give – from or to give – forth. It doesn’t necessarily carry with it the idea of renting, and might better be read as entrusted or given with an expectation of care. The image of a vineyard is referenced in Isaiah 5 where it refers to God’s chosen people. Jesus appears to broaden this beloved and esteemed people to include all of humanity, yet there are those who seek to take advantage and abuse God’s beloved for personal gain. As the parable speaks to me this morning, I hear news of a God who has entrusted, not a select group, but all of humanity to my care. Will I recognize the responsibility given to me, a gift given forth from the very heart of God, or will I seek personal gain by using what has been entrusted to me?
Prayer: Your task is so very clear, O God of Immeasurable Love, yet too often the task to which you’ve called me is lost in what becomes a life concerned first and foremost with self. In your love, and with the reminder that I am a valued part of your beloved, call me again for the task which you have entrust to me. Amen.
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