All His

There’s a striking correlation to us and the tenants in one of Jesus’ parables about the master of a house who planted a vineyard and established it. He put tenants in charge of it, and it’s interesting to see how the tenants decided to handle this vineyard. When harvest time came and the owner sent for the harvest, they abused and killed his servants. Then, after sending his son, they did the same thing. It’s shocking to see, how they treated the servants and the son!

I have wonderful teenagers in my home. My oldest just graduated from high school and is a joy to have in our home. She’s one sweet, fun girl, but you have to keep an eye on your stuff. She will snatch it up and use it—whether it’s my clothes, her brother’s clothes, her sister’s clothes, my phone charger, it doesn’t matter. If I don’t ask for it back right away, she keeps it and it pretty much becomes hers. She acts as though these things are hers—so she thinks!

These dudes were so much the same. They took it and began to act like this vineyard was theirs. It was not theirs and belonged to the owner who leased it to them. Maybe they didn’t want to share the fruits of their harvest, I don’t know, but they began to live like it was theirs.

Your life and my life is so much the same. How often, even as a follower of Christ, do you began to live your life like it’s your life and not the Master’s? You got today and did just what you wanted to do. You did what you wanted to do yesterday and think will do tomorrow just what you want, but this day is not yours. You plan your career goals based on what you want. You make decisions for you kids the way you want. You make financial investments based on what you want. But this life is NOT yours! It doesn’t belong to you and you’re acting as though it does. You have a Master and He has established and leased his vineyard (the life you live in this world) to you for short time. Just like those tenants in the parable, you have begun to live as though your day, your kids, your job, your house, your marriage, and your money is yours to do with as you wish, but it is NOT. It’s all His. Wherever you are today and whatever things you have taken back into your own hands, return those things one by one to your Master.