Luke 13:6

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 13:6 

“And He began telling this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.” – Luke 13:6

Today we will look at the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.  Here is this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

“And He began telling this parable: A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?  And he answered and said to him, Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.” Luke 13:6-9.

Jesus told this parable immediately after reminding all who were there about the tower over the Pool of Siloam which collapsed unexpectedly and killed eighteen people. “Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And He answered and said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered this fate?  I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:1-5.  

This story starts by the vineyard owner showing his disappointment that a tree he had watched for  three years had not produced any fruit.  The three-year period is important because this points to John the Baptist and Jesus who had been preaching repentance and the coming of the promised Messiah for three years throughout Israel.  However, the fruit of repentance was not coming forth, and they thought they were special because they we Jews. “Therefore, bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, we have Abraham for our father, for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And also the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”  Luke 3:8-9. They had departed from the true faith and the true living God. The Jews created a religion of works based on  righteousness that was not pleasing to God. 

Now, there are three distinct entities in this parable.  The vineyard owner represents God, the one who found the tree with no fruit and justly requesting it be cut down.  The vineyard keeper or gardener is Jesus the Christ, who asks for additional time to see the tree bear fruit, and the tree itself representing the Jewish nation and individuals.  

The lesson in this parable is that borrowed time is not permanent. God’s patience has a limit. In the parable, the vineyard owner grants another year of life to the tree. In the same way, God in His mercy grants us more time; another year, day, minute or second. Christ stands at the door of each man’s heart knocking and seeking to gain entrance and requiring repentance from sin. But if there is no fruit or repentance, His patience will come to an end, and the fruitless, unrepentant individual will be cut down. We all live on borrowed time; judgment is close by. That is why the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 18:9

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 18:9 

“And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:” – Luke 18:9

Today we will look at the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  Here is this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

“And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt: Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer. The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get. But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner! I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14.

This parable says a lot regarding spiritual truth and what is expected from us as true followers of Christ.  It starts by stating why He told this parable.  “And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt.” Luke 18:9. Jesus noticed in the Temple those who were the Pharisees and Jewish leaders who thought their own goodness was so great it could not fail to make them acceptable to God. They held rigorously to the ceremonies and traditions laid out in the law, making a public show of their religiosity, all to be seen by other men, many of whom they despised as being beneath them. The Pharisee in the story is the picture of one who is self-justifying. Also, when you examine his prayer you see no elements of confession. He does not ask forgiveness for his sins, probably because he believes he has nothing to confess. Also, the fact there is no glorification of God makes His prayer all about him. Even the thanks he does offer is designed to exalt himself and place himself above others whom he treats with disgust. Going to the temple to pray with the condition of his heart as it was, he might as well have stayed home. Such a prayer is not heard by God.

Now, contrary to the Pharisee who went to the temple to be self-congratulatory, the tax collector stood at a distance, perhaps in an outer room, but certainly far from the Pharisee who would have been offended by the closeness of this man. Tax collectors, because of their association with the hated Romans, were seen as traitors to Israel and were loathed and treated as outcasts. His posture spoke of his unworthiness before God. He was unable to even lift his eyes to heaven because of the burden of his guilt and shame which weighed heavily upon him.  Overcome by his transgressions, he beats his breast in sorrow and repentance and appeals to God for mercy. The prayer he speaks is the very one God was waiting to hear, and his attitude is exactly what God wants from all who come to Him.

Now, the tax collector had the attitude that God called for in His sermon on the mount.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3.  Being ‘poor in spirit’ means that we admit we have nothing to offer God to atone for our sins.  We come to Him empty, bankrupt, as someone having nothing to give for our sins.  The tax collector recognized his sinful condition and seeks the only thing that can bridge the gap between himself and God. He cries out to Him, “Have mercy on me.”

Jesus is telling them that if we are truly broken-hearted regarding our sin, we can be assured of our forgiveness because of God’s great grace and mercy.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.  No amount of good works, loving our neighbor, giving our tithes, or church attendance will make a difference regarding our sins for these are not what will blot them out and give us the ability to stand before a holy God.  This is why God sent Jesus to die on the cross. His death is the only means we have that is able to cleanse us and make us acceptable to God.

Also, we must not make the mistake of comparing ourselves with others and gaining confidence from what we see through that comparison. In fact, Jesus specifically warns us against this attitude at the beginning of the parable. “And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt:” Luke 18:9. When we try to justify ourselves by comparing ourselves to others, we naturally end up despising them, and how is this “loving our neighbor as ourselves”. Our standard for comparison is God Himself, and we all fall short of His glory. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 18:1

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 18:1 

“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,” – Luke 18:1 

Today we will look at the Parable of the Persistent Widow and unjust judge.  Here is this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,  saying, “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God, and did not respect man. And there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, Give me legal protection from my opponent. And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, lest by continually coming she wear me out. And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now shall not God bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”  Luke 18:1-8.

The story begins with the mention of a judge. He was not connected with either a synagogue or the temple but rather with a municipality. He was a part of the secular judicial system, which, in Israel in Jesus’ time, seems to have coexisted with the religious one. However, what interested the narrator is not what belonged to the world, but what belonged to the world of ethics.  

Now a woman was constantly being attacked in a legal sense.  And in this town, an unjust judge presided over everyone, who feared no one, not even God.  In that time in the Jewish community, a judge was expected to be impartial, to judge righteously, and to recognize that judgment ultimately belongs to God. “Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.” Deuteronomy 1:16-17. Therefore, because of these verses, the judge was actually not competent to be the judge. 

Now this widow comes many times before this judge.  And again, in that time because of the law, a widow deserves special protection under the justice system.  “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.” Deuteronomy 10:17-18.  Eventually, the judge grows weary of her coming to him, he decided to give her protection.  “And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, lest by continually coming she wear me out.” Luke 18:4-5. 

Now, we do not always get immediate results when we pray. Our definition of swift justice is not the same as the Lord’s definition. The parable of the persistent widow demonstrates that effective prayer requires tenacity and faithfulness. A true disciple must learn that prayer never gives up and is based on absolute trust and faith in God. We can fully count on the Lord to answer how He deems best, and when He chooses. God expects us to keep on asking, seeking, knocking, and praying until the answers come.

Jesus presents a final question regarding the matter at the end of the parable of the persistent widow and unjust judge. He asks, “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8. Faithful and persistent prayer is the permanent calling of every true disciple of Christ who is dedicated to living for the Kingdom of God. Like the persistent widow, we are needy, dependent sinners who trust in our gracious, loving, and merciful God alone to supply what we need.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 12:16

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 12:16 

“And He told them a parable, saying, the land of a certain rich man was very productive.” – Luke 12:16

Today we will look at the Parable of the Rich Fool.  Here is this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

“And He told them a parable, saying, The land of a certain rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops? And he said, This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared? So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-21.

Jesus tells this parable in response to a question He received from someone who was listening to Him. “And someone in the crowd said to Him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” Luke 12:13. He answers him stating it is not up to Him to judge this issue. “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbiter over you? And He said to them, beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” Luke 12:14-15. The key to understanding this parable is in verse 15 (and later summarized in verse 21), “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” Luke 12:15. Jesus says this to the man who asked Him to arbitrate between him and his brother. In ancient times, the firstborn was guaranteed a double portion of the family inheritance. More than likely, the brother who was addressing Jesus was not the firstborn and was asking for an equal share of the inheritance. Jesus refuses to arbitrate their dispute and gets to the heart of the matter: Covetousness! Jesus warns this person, and all within earshot, that our lives are not to be about gathering wealth. Life is so much more than the abundance of possessions. 

And then from our focus verse, Jesus tells this man a parable.  “He starts it by saying that a man planted a garden which then produced an extreme amount of produce.  He then asks himself, “What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?” Luke 12:17. With this he had two reasonable answers; he could either share it with others in need or keep it all and create more storage facilities. In this parable, he chose the latter.  “This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” Luke 12:18-19. 

In what has he been a fool? Not in his foresight and planning; in these he has been exemplary. Nor was he wicked or unjust. His folly is his oblivion to God. There are many forms of pride, but the worst of them is to think that one has no need of God. He does not acknowledge the source of his blessings. Rather, he gathers to himself and serves himself. Having failed to recognize his wealth as a gift of God,  the rich man rests all his hopes in things. Investment in things never pays the dividends one hopes for. He may eat, drink, and be merry as the rich man said, but he is a fool, for tomorrow we shall die. This is the second and final time in Luke Jesus calls someone a fool, and in both instances was for confusing temporal earthly realities with eternal divine realities.

So, the point of the Parable of the Rich Fool is twofold. First, we are not to devote our lives to the gathering and accumulation of wealth. There is an interesting point made in the parable. God says to the man in the story, And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?  This same idea is found in the old testament. “Thus, I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. Therefore, I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:18-20.

The second point of the Parable of the Rich Fool is the fact that we are not blessed by God to hoard our wealth to ourselves. We are blessed to be a blessing in the lives of others, and we are blessed to build the kingdom of God. The Bible says if our riches increase, we are not to set our hearts upon them. “Do not trust in oppression, And do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.” Psalm 62:10. The Bible also says there is one who gives freely and grows all the richer. “The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath. There is one who scatters, yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered. He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.” Proverbs 11:23-26.  

In closing, Paul speaks of this idea as well. “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.  We are blessed by God, so we can in turn “abound in every good work” and be a blessing in the lives of others. So, if God has blessed you with material wealth do not set your heart on it but be rich toward God. That is the message of the Parable of the Rich Fool.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 13:33

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 13:33 

“He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three pecks of meal, until it was all leavened.” – Matthew 13:33

Today we will look at the Parable of the Leaven.   It is one verse long, which we have as our focus verse, therefore we will not put it here again. He repeats the formula of verses 24 and 31 where He says, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like”. This time He gives us a picture of a woman at work preparing food. Bread was commonly made at home and was not purchased from a store or bakery, and therefore Jesus uses this idea, describing a woman working at home to perform this task.

This parable of Jesus is similar to the Parable of the Mustard Seed, and in fact comes right after it.  There are some who look at leaven as always describing evil or sin, however, to use the phrase “The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven” discards this idea.  In this parable it refers to the unperceived power and efficacy of the gospel, pervading, transforming, and renewing the mind, heart, and life of people. In fact, Moses refers to it as used in sacramental bread. “‘With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread.” Leviticus 7:13. That in some contexts it may be used as a symbol for evil forces does not mean that in others it cannot stand for what is good.

Jesus speaks of the woman as putting her piece of leaven into three measures of flour until the whole was leavened. The leaven was but a small amount, but in time it changed the large quantity of flour by causing it to rise; just as the mustard seed, which is smaller than all other seeds, “when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.” Matthew 13:32b.  This parable, as does the parable of the mustard seed, brings out the contrast and the continuity between the small beginnings of the kingdom and its great consummation. The little group of disciples might be despised as preaching a kingdom too insignificant to be noticed, but as surely as a tiny piece of leaven had its effect on a large mass of dough, so surely would the kingdom have its effect throughout the world. The parable also makes the point that the power that effects the change comes from outside the dough; the mass of dough does not change itself.

What we can take from this parable is that the effect of God’s Kingdom will be complete, just as the leaven works until the dough has completely risen. The nature of leaven is to grow and to change whatever it contacts. When we accept Christ, We grow in the grace of God and our heart is changed from the inside out. As the gospel transforms lives, it exerts a pervasive influence in the world at large. As we reflect the Lord’s glory, we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 13:24

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 13:24 

“He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.” –  Matthew 13:24

Today we will look at the Parable of the Weeds.   Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“He presented another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? And he said to them,  An enemy has done this!  And the slaves  said to him, Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?  But he  said,  No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers,  First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 13:24-30.

The parable of the wheat and weeds speaks of two different kinds of seed sown by two different individuals, a farmer, and his enemy.  First, the field is a picture of the world, not simply the Jewish nation.  The good seed is the children of the Kingdom of God sowed by God, essentially the true Christians, while the bad seed are those who are not of this Kingdom that were sowed by the enemy.  Now some time later both seeds sprouted.  “But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.” Matthew 13:26. Now, as they grew, the slaves of the landowner noticed that not everything that sprouted up was wheat. “And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?”  Matthew 13:27.  They were diligent servants who questioned him regarding how this could have happened.

He then answers them saying that an enemy has sowed these weeds in the field.  Then the slaves asked, “Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?” Matthew 13:28b. But the landowner says, “No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them.” Matthew 13:29. Just as the wheat and weeds were often superficially similar in appearance and if sown too close to each other were too intermingled in their root systems to be pulled up separately, so too God’s people are sometimes outwardly hard to distinguish from his enemies. They can be too interconnected with them in society for anyone to try to purify the world from evil without hurting those who are good. Unfortunately, during that time many Zealots, and at times even his disciples, were often eager for precisely this to happen. We see an example of this in the gospel of Luke.  “And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him. And they went, and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make arrangements for Him. And they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? But He turned and rebuked them, and said, You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went on to another village.” Luke 9:51-56.  He then tells them, “Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 24:30.

There are definitely bad/evil people intermixed in this world with the people of God.  However, can we really tell the difference in all cases?  It is not our place to judge people by what we see for many times we cannot see their heart, nor can we see where they will be in the future. I have known many who were looking into the Christian life before excepting Him while still living a worldly life. But also, there are people who wish us to believe they believe. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.” Matthew 7:21-23.   

In closing, it is not our place to make judgements one way or another. Our job is simply to go out and live the Christian life openly so that all can see it, while declaring the truth of the Gospel. We may be able to help them give their lives to Jesus. And we are called to disciple Christians to understand this life more clearly. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 21:33

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 21:33 

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey.” – Matthew 21:33

Today we will look at the Parable of the Tenants, the second of three parables, in sequence, that depict God’s indictment and sentence of the present Jewish Leadership, unless they realize their errors and turn to the truth. Jesus does not reject Israel as a whole, only the current leadership, which has rejected him. The contrast is not between Jews and Gentiles but rather between those who reject and those who accept Jesus.  Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey.   And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce.  And the vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, They will respect my son. But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and seize his inheritance.  And they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.  Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers? They said to Him, He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.  Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures, THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.  And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” Matthew 21:33-44.

This parable’s image closely resembles which was written by Isaiah. “Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.  And He dug it all around, removed its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it, And hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.” Isaiah 5:1-2. The Hebrew expression regarding the grapes produced is that they were wild, poison grapes.  The slight difference between this verse in  Isaiah and the parable is that the parable speaks of what the Jews did, as opposed to what they were, which was essentially those who took advantage of the vineyard owner.  We also see another picture of this in Isaiah. “The LORD arises to contend and stands to judge the people. The LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people, “It is you who have devoured the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people, and grinding the face of the poor? Declares the Lord GOD of hosts.” Isaiah 3:13-15.

The parable starts with a landowner planting a vineyard and then putting up a wall, with a pit to be used as a wine press along with a watch tower.  He then, as a landlord, rents this out as an investment. Now, we then read “And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce.” Matthew 21:34.  First of all, it takes roughly four to five years for newly planted vineyards to produce good grapes, therefore this was not a short time period.  When these slaves arrived, they were killed. Therefore, he sent another group of slaves and they were also killed. “But afterward he sent his son to them, saying they will respect my son. But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves this is the heir; come, let us kill him, and seize his inheritance. And they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.” Matthew 21:37-39.  

Jesus then asks the audience, predominantly Jews with the leadership, a question. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” Matthew 21:40. Then they answered Jesus saying, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.” Matthew 21:41.  Next, in verses 42-43 we read something unique to Matthew. It emphasizes the transference of leadership in Israel to new individuals. But the use of ethnos, the Greek word meaning “a people”—a collective singular” suggests more than simply the appointment of new leaders; it envisages a new community of disciples who perform the works God commands. Jesus is not so much foreshadowing the shift of God’s activity from Jewish to Gentile realms as anticipating the replacement of Israel by the church, which will unite both Jew and Gentile. Those who have rejected Jesus, for whom the cornerstone has become a stumbling stone, will be broken by him. And even if one does not actively oppose Jesus, anything less than genuine discipleship will lead to judgment, the stone will fall on and crush such a person.

We can apply this parable to our lives by asking two questions; first, have we truly come to know Christ as our Lord and Savior, or have we rejected Him like the Jewish leadership did? And second, if we are a believer, what have we done with and for Jesus? Are you like the bad tenants rejecting His Word and living a life of disobedience? If there is any question, we need to study His word, and pray fervently.  He loves us and wants us to be totally committed to Him. I can tell you, life this way is totally worth it now and eternally.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 13:31

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 13:31 

“He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field”. – Matthew 13:31

The parable we will look at today is the Mustard Seed.  Here is this parable as told in Matthew’s gospel.

“He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.” Matthew 13:31-32.

Jesus continues his parables with one that brings out the thought of growth.  This parable is important because over against the mighty numbers of the worshipers of heathen gods, along with the Jews who acknowledged the true God but not the Christ, those who proclaimed the kingdom Jesus spoke of were a small minority. He teaches them not to be convinced by size or numbers. These tiny beginnings would grow into something greater by far than any of the religions found in the disciples’ contemporary world.

The formula Jesus uses is one contrasting the smallness of the seed with the greatness of the plant.  He begins this parable by saying “The Kingdom of Heaven”.  This refers to the kingdom in which He, Jesus, is the King.  He predicts the amazing growth of this kingdom of heaven. The mustard seed is quite small, the plant that comes from it is quite large, up to ten feet in height, and Jesus uses this is a picture of kingdom growth.

The point of this Parable is that something big and blessed, the kingdom of God, had humble beginnings. Many were thinking, how significant could the short ministry of Christ be? He had but a handful of followers, He was seen as a man of no rank and without means, and He lived in what everyone considered a backwater region of the world. The life and death of Christ did not catch the world’s attention any more than a mustard seed would lying on the ground by the road. But God had an amazing plan. What seemed inconsequential at first grew into a movement of worldwide influence that no one could stop.  Gamaliel, speaking to the Council in Jerusalem said, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody; and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. And he was slain; and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away some people after him, he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. And so, in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action should be of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.” Acts 35-39.

And the kingdom is prophesied in the same way in Ezekiel. “Thus says the Lord GOD, “I shall also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I shall pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I shall plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the high mountain of Israel, I shall plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit, and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches. And all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it.” Ezekiel 17:22-24.

The influence of the kingdom of God would be such that everyone associated with it would find a benefit, pictured as the birds perched on the branches of the mature mustard plant. And in comparing the picture in Matthew with the prophesy in Ezekiel, we see that even large mustard bushes pale in comparison with the lofty cedars ; still Jesus may be employing deliberate irony. What may not look like much to the world will in fact fulfill all God’s promises.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.