Day 17: Rejection and acceptance

2 March, Day 17: Mathew 21: 33-46

Yesterday, there was unusually heavy snowfall in the South West of England, and my little town of Taunton, Somerset was covered in a feet or two of snow. Life came to a mini stand-still with schools and most offices shut for the next few days.

When I was working previously full-time, I remember the weekdays getting lost in the routine of the mad morning rush, commute, work, commute, home, food, sleep, repeat. I always longed for the freedom to stand and stare just for a tiny bit, and just to remove myself from the empty 'busy-ness' of life. This snowy day sort of represented that for me. Whether you like it or not, certain uncontrolled events or happenings will happen ... and make life come to a temporary halt, giving you a break or a chance to re-examine things.  

I took ages to decipher this verse and struggled with its takeaway, hence the delay. It's from Mathew 21: 33-46.

(If you have never heard of this parable before, you should probably read it a fair few times, but a loose outline is below.)

Thoughts: The parable of the tenants goes like this. There's a rich landowner who rents out his vineyard to some tenants. When it harvest time, the landowner sent his servants to collect fruit, but was thrashed by the tenants. He sent more servants the next time and they were treated even worse. The third time, believing they wouldn't harm his own family, the landowner sends his son. The son was thrown out and killed.

Jesus asks people, what the rich owner would do when he arrives to his vineyard. They reply: Why, thrash them nicely, of course and give the vineyard to other, good tenants.

Jesus goes on the quote a verse from the Psalms which go: The stone the builders rejected  has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

Now, at the time this was a direct message for the chief priests and Pharisees of the day - the people responsible for his suffering and death. The son in the parable above refers to Jesus himself. The 'stone' refers to Jesus himself, and that is the benchmark, he says.

So this is purely a question of faith.

The vineyard is a gift given to me and I am its temporary tenant (on earth).  I am to make the best use of my (temporary) stay and give what is due to my landowner (God). This is the right and dutiful thing to do. There is an emphasis on accepting Jesus as the 'cornerstone' of my life.

Takeaway: Keep God at the centre of your life, instead of the all of the other things.



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