Drifting Too Far

Imagine someone owes you payment against a contract and refuses to pay.  What do you do?

He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went to another country for a long time. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants in order that they might give him his share of the produce of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Next he sent another slave; that one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed. And he sent still a third; this one also they wounded and threw out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Heaven forbid!” But he looked at them and said, “What then does this text mean: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.” When the scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people. - Luke 20:9-19

If someone fails to deliver on a contract, we might start out with a call, then a letter, and maybe then take them to court.  

We expect people to live up to their agreement, right?  It is what we would do.

But Jesus used this parable to teach us that we don't necessarily look on our commitments to God the same way we might with one another.  We make a promise and then feel we can break it without consequences, because God is good.  God forgives us.

But in this parable, Jesus recounts the way God's children have treated Him throughout time, from the beginning, through the prophets and then now, with Jesus, the son.  And it is not pretty.

So, when the owner of the vineyard finally comes, how will he treat those who broke their promise, beat the slaves and killed the son?

God is patient with us, but there is a limit to His patience, and there will come a time when we discover that for ourselves.

What we need to do is live up to our commitments with God.  And when we act against Him, we need to repent and come back to Him in sorrow, seeking His grace.

For if we keep drifting away, we may find we have gone too far to come back.

More to come...