The Son of God Rejected

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Now I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill. He ploughed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle, he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter.”
Isaiah 5:1-2 NLT
“Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop.”
Matthew 21:33-34 NLT

In this, another parable from Jesus, using a vineyard to illustrate His point, he told the story of a landowner who planted a vineyard, equipped it with a hedge, a winepress, and a tower, and leased it to tenants before going to a distant country. When harvest time came, he sent servants to collect his share of the fruit, but the tenants abused and stoned them. After sending more servants, who ended up with the same fate, the householder finally sent his son, thinking they will respect him. Instead, the tenants conspired to kill the son to seize his inheritance, and they subsequently did so. The owner then punished the tenants and leased the vineyard to others who produced its fruit in due season. The landowner represented God and the vineyard symbolised Israel, the people of God. The tenants who had leased the vineyard, and agreed to pay the rent through providing a share of the crops, were the religious leaders in Israel at that time, and they treated the servants sent by the landowner very badly, servants who represented the prophets who were often rejected and even killed by the people they shared God’s message with. The son represented Jesus Christ, whose rejection and subsequent crucifixion fulfilled the central message of the parable.

So, what do we learn from this parable? The story builds the picture that God is patient, and is prepared to send multiple messages to people in the land of Israel, as well as to everyone in the ages and generations since. But there comes a time when judgment replaces grace. Jesus asked the religious leaders who listened to His parable what they made of it. ““When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?”” (Matthew 21:40). The next verse provided their response, “The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest””. An interesting response because they damned themselves in their reply. Finally, the penny dropped and we read, “When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realised he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers” (Matthew 21:45).

So, is there anything here that is of help to us pilgrims? I cannot think of any situation where a Christian would reject and even abuse someone sent from God. The problem for the religious leaders in Jesus’ day was that they failed to recognise Him as the Messiah. In fact, it went further than that, because Jesus challenged their cosy little world, with its financial benefits and their favour with the Roman authorities. So it was quite likely that even if they did accept Jesus as the Messiah, the consequences for their lives was something that they could not accept.

So it is with people today. Quite often when we share the Gospel with someone we find that, after initial interest, a rejection follows because the person realises that there is a cost to following Jesus. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it” (Matthew 16:24-25). Jesus also said the following, a scripture that has been much misinterpreted, “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27). There is indeed a cost when we turn from our natural, sinful lives, and instead repent of our sins and follow Jesus and His ways. Too often, a different Gospel has been preached with words that emphasise God’s love and grace, perhaps majoring on prosperity or healing, but one that minimises or ignores His righteousness and judgment, and people entering the Kingdom of God through that route often find that they are not prepared for what is to follow.

We pilgrims are a people who are true believers of Jesus, and we know the cost. We have experienced God’s blessings and, for us, there is no turning back.

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your grace and love. For just a little while on this earth we suffer and put aside the desires of our flesh. We thank You for all You have done for us. Amen.


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Vineyard Parables: Lessons on Grace and Generosity

Posted on by Adrian Clark
Vineyard rows on rolling green hills with a village and farm buildings in the distance

“Now I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill. He ploughed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle, he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter.”
Isaiah 5:1-2 NLT
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.”
Matthew 20:1-2 NIVUK

Here is another parable about a vineyard, this time from Jesus, our Master, who taught about Kingdom truths in the form of parables. We know the story. The owner of the vineyard hired some workers early one morning, and he sent them to work tending the vines. He agreed to give them the standard manual rate for a day’s work in those days – a denarius. But, deciding that he needed more labour, he returned to the marketplace several times during the day to hire more workers. He agreed to pay each of them the standard day’s rate, even though they were starting to work later in the day. Finally, at the end of the day, the owner instructed his foreman to give each worker a denarius, starting with those who had joined the workplace most recently. What followed was much grumbling from the workforce, particularly from those who had worked from early in the morning. We read, “When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. “Those who were hired last worked only one hour,” they said, “and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day”” (Matthew 20:11-12). This is a wonderful picture of God’s grace, so freely given. If we equate the denarius to the gift of salvation, we see that no matter when we receive the gift, we will be accepted into His Kingdom. Jesus finished this parable with the words, “‘But [the vineyard owner] answered one of them, “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” ‘So the last will be first, and the first will be last’” (Matthew 20:13-16). Whether or not we have been a Christian for 50 years or 50 minutes, the outcome is the same. God’s generosity and grace know no bounds.

The vineyard in this parable represents the Kingdom of God, and the vineyard owner is God Himself. In the vineyard, the workers are God’s people, but we should note that they are not just standing around, doing nothing. They are working at tending the vines. They will be removing weeds that spring up around the roots. They will pick off harmful insects that might be sapping the strength of the vines. And when harvest time arrives, they will collect the grapes and take them to the winepress to be pressed into wine. A vineyard is a wonderful analogy for God’s Kingdom and the people we find there.

But there are some significant points that apply to us pilgrims. We have work to do in the Kingdom of God, and, incidentally, beyond. On earth, we are part of the Great Commission, working to introduce people to Jesus, and, for ourselves, we have fruit, spiritual fruit, to produce. Galatians 5:22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” And instead of grumbling when we see people we feel don’t deserve it receiving God’s grace, we must rejoice along with the angels in Heaven.

Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your grace and patience. You lovingly accepted even sinners like us into Your Kingdom, something for which we will be eternally grateful. Amen.



Bearing Fruit: Lessons from Jesus’ Vineyard Parable

Posted on by Adrian Clark
Person wearing gloves and a hat pruning vines in a foggy vineyard at sunrise

“I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: my loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.”
Isaiah 5:1-2 NIVUK
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”   John 15:1-4 NLT 

The first four verses of John 15 were much referred to in the early days of the charismatic renewal. I can still remember a conference sermon based on these verses, delivered in 1979 or thereabouts, in which the speaker lambasted the charismatic audience for producing lots of leaves but no fruit. The “leaves” were all the charisma and excitement of a new move of God, but where was the Holy Spirit fruit being manifested in people’s lives? But Jesus’ illustration was clear. He described Himself as being like a grapevine from which many branches emanated, and there are as many branches as there are believers. The grapevine has always been of great spiritual significance to the Jews. For example, we read in Isaiah 5:1-7 about a vineyard God planted with great care, but instead of producing a harvest of sweet grapes, its fruit was bitter. And Isaiah finished with, “The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence ” (Isaiah 5:7). So, when Jesus described Himself as the Grapevine, the people of His land would know what He meant.  

To a Christian, a true, born-again believer in Jesus, His presence in our lives is indispensable. We cannot survive for long without Jesus’ life-giving spiritual nourishment, which sustains us and provides the resources we need for our daily life and pilgrimage. Sadly, some try to live without Jesus. They will read their Bibles. They will do all the right things, singing all the hymns and saying all the prayers, following their denominational liturgies to a fault, but in reality, they have been cut off from the true Grapevine. Their hope is that if they dig in and don’t do anything they shouldn’t, then they will get into Heaven. But Jesus went on to talk about fruit. Which brings us around to the thought – what fruit are we pilgrims producing? 

Jesus’ analogy was that He was the Grapevine but His Father was the Gardener. The thing about a vine is that it can’t just be left year after year, in the hope that the crop of grapes will never end. It has to be pruned. Dead and unfruitful branches must be cut off. The farmer and his staff therefore, and with great skill, know exactly where to prune to maximise the return on their investment. Some parts of the vine will stop producing the sort of grapes that are required, so those branches have to go. Other parts only produce small grapes – they are no good either. And so by careful husbandry, the vine is cleaned and fruitful. In a spiritual setting, the Master Vinedresser, Father God Himself, carefully does His pruning, and by doing so He allows even more spiritual fruit to be realised. What are we doing that we shouldn’t be doing? Can we feel the secateurs starting to cut? Are we producing fruit that is bitter and sour? Cut, cut. And so the process continues day by day, through God’s careful pruning.  

Thankfully, the Master Gardener is very patient. In Luke 13:6-9 we read, “Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertiliser. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”” God is in no hurry to lop off unfruitful branches, but in the end, fruitless branches are finally cut off and burned, and there is no way that they can be re-attached without repentance at the foot of the Cross. Thankfully, our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, will never reject a repentant sinner.  

Dear Father God, the Wonderful Master Gardener, we praise and thank You today. Amen.

The Parable of the Vineyard: Lessons from Isaiah

Posted on by Adrian Clark
Rain showers over vineyard with grapevines and dirt path under dark stormy clouds

“Now I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill. He ploughed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle, he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter.”
Isaiah 5:1-2 NLT

A song about a vineyard. A strange topic for the lyrics? But there have been many stranger ones. People of my vintage might remember the Beatles song, “I Am a Walrus”, which contains the words, “Semolina pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower/Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna”. A good example of piffle, and reminiscent of an age of drug experimentation, hippies, and general nonsense. But Isaiah penned lyrics that describe the establishment of a vineyard. It belonged to the “beloved” who prepared the ground well, removing anything that would get in the way of the growing root systems. The best vines were planted, and all the infrastructure necessary for the functioning of a vineyard, such as the watchtower and the winepress, were put in place. But all to no avail – the fruit was not the intended sweet grapes, but instead, the fruit was bitter and of no use at all. 

What was there about this song that led to its being included in the Bible, in Isaiah’s writings? The first two verses of Isaiah 5 are part of the “Parable of the Vineyard”, a seven-verse story of God’s love for His people and how they spurned and abused His care. It was a lengthy process to create a vineyard from scratch. The correct location had to be found, with soil suitable for the best crops and free of rocks and stones that would prevent vine growth. The locals in Isaiah’s time would have known very well what was required and how long it would take, and the song’s topic was a good example of God’s love for His people. The song describes how, after his beloved had worked hard in preparation and waited for his first harvest, the grapes turned out to be “bitter.” Instead of the sweet grapes used for making wine, the owner discovers that after all the work he has put into his vineyard, the harvest is worthless. 

The next two verses of the parable continue with a question: “Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard. What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?” Why, after all of that hard work and preparation, did the fruit turn out to be sour and worthless? What more could have been done? Was it the owner of the vineyard who had done something wrong, or was it the vines, or perhaps the soil? At this point, the listeners were asked for their opinions. But the vineyard owner acted before any response was recorded, taking remedial action by abandoning the vineyard. Walls and hedges were broken down, and the beautifully prepared vineyard would become a wild place of weeds, thorns, and brambles; a dry and dreary place indeed.

But finally, the song’s explanation was given. “The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence” (Isaiah 5:7). The verse is self-explanatory and continues the complaint given in previous chapters. Judah was behaving in a way that was against God’s design, a way in which oppression, injustice, unrighteousness, and sin were prevalent, all characteristics that were the opposite of God’s expectations. The vineyard owner was none other than God Himself, and the beloved was the Lord. The vineyard was Israel and Judah, and the Lord was going to great lengths to ensure the people understood that He established His people as His own. They were His vineyard. His desire for them was that of a grape farmer, that his vines would produce good and useful fruit.

What lesson can we pilgrims draw from this parable, since we were not living in Judah nearly three thousand years ago? Our “vineyard” is well established where God has planted us, and we have a manual of expectations, the Bible, that describes the fruit that He expects. Paul even described the fruit, which can be found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” We would do well to reflect on the “Parable of the Vineyard” and think of our Heavenly Father, who loves us so much, who has done so much for us, and who even sent His Son, Jesus, to ensure that we would one day be in His presence. 

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your care and compassion. Help us to be willing workers in Your vineyard here in our place and generation, that we too would produce the fruit You require. In Jesus’ name. Amen.