Devotion - Tuesday, December 2

Luke 20 is the parable in which a landowner plants a vineyard and let it out to tenets.  When he sends servants to collect his share of the produce, they turn them away.  He tries this three times, with the same result.  Finally, he sends his son.  This time the tenets kill the one who was sent.

Jesus tells the parable to the leaders of the Jewish people.  He is exposing their history of ignoring the one sent by God to remind the people that God is the one who created them, the one who gave them their place, the one who established all upon which they depend.

How does this parable speak to us?  

I fear that sometimes the one who speaks the truth in our lives is shunned.  I worry that we might turn away the messenger out of an attempt to ignore the message.

This is a temptation in my own life as your pastor.  I shy away from telling you things, out of a fear that if I were to speak honestly, you might stop coming.  When positive comments follow a sermon, I tend to preach on similar themes in the future.  Am I even aware when I am shunning the truth for the sake of being popular?

Remaining fully committed to God can be a lonely experience.  Jesus died alone, so did many of the initial twelve disciples.  But there must be some satisfaction in knowing that while others may turn from us, we remain united with God.  If this were not the case, how would Paul and Timothy and Dorcas have found the courage to follow where Jesus and those first twelve had lead?

Be alert!  Be awake!  Be prepared to recognize the messengers of God when they arrive.  And do not - do not - turn them away or fail to listen to them.  It may not be the pleasing word which flows like sugar syrup from the "all Christmas" radio station, but it is likely to be the nourishment our bodies must have.