Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

As I read and contemplated the passage this morning, I formulated some ideas for a little commentary. Then I read the entry I made in 2010. It was so similar in content and direction to the “new” one I had in mind, that I just did some minor editing on the “old” one and recycled it here as “kind of new.” The idea could be developed further to show how the two parables contained in the reading compliment each other—the vineyard and the denarius.

I need to go into action early. I face a lot to do to be on the road by about 8am. I will be towing my sawmill to an address in southeast Portland to saw up some cherry logs for an owner. It’s been a while since I’ve had a portable mill job. It’s good to have them once in a while just to give opportunity to clear out the huge amount of sawdust that can pile up in the mill shed.

I am now married to a wonderful 69-year-old woman. Becki just had another birthday on the 19th.

May God bless all you do today—as He gets an appropriate slice of the investment.

Love, Dad/Ray.

I confess that it is, at first glance, nigh unto irritating to read the account we read yesterday where Jesus seemed to arbitrarily curse the fig tree because it did not have fruit when He wanted. Upon more careful thought and consideration, however, I think we are led to see that there is lesson content here for His disciples who saw and heard what He did and said. The fig tree can appropriately represent Israel in whom God has invested so much, and yet who are so unproductive of spiritual fruit. They have the stock and leaves of religion, but little to no fruit to please the desires of the Owner. To underscore this idea, notice that Jesus was at that time in route to Jerusalem where He, in a sense, cursed the fruitless fig tree of the Temple. In so many words, Jesus was saying, “This is supposed to be a tree of Life to the nations, a house where God is honored and worshipped. But you jerks are perverting it into a corrupt business that produces absolutely nothing pleasing to the Father/Owner!”

Today’s parable of the guys who rent the vineyard from the owner is in a similar vein. The Jewish nation is best understood as the tenants.

Beyond applying it all to Israel, I think there is an extremely important lesson for us all. Whereas each of us represents a divine investment, and whereas any business investor seeks a return on his investment, it follows that God simply desires fruit from your life and your faith. The leaves of religious activity are not enough. He doesn’t necessarily want all of the fruit. You can keep some joy, peace, and goodness for your own consumption. He just wants “some of the fruit” returned to Him in the form of true worship…along with the heart-level acknowledgment that He rightfully OWNS it all. (I Cor. 6:19-20)