Bringing in the Harvest

Honor the Owner (English) 10.8.23

Pastor Joe Dietrich
Giving: It's our responsibility. It is Holy Week. Jesus sees his cross is near and he speaks about subjects that are real and of great importance. In Matthew 21 he tells the parable of the tenants who kill the messengers and, finally, the Son of the owner of the vineyard which they are renting. This parable highlights the ugliness of what the Jews are about to do by killing Jesus the Son of God. The tenants of the vineyard not only do not pay the fair rental value for the property on which they are making a living, they also despise and kill the owner's messengers and son. Jesus spoke this parable to describe the injustice and crime that the Jews carried out by rejecting Jesus and putting him on the cross. As God's children we can also apply the parable to ourselves. We live and prosper on an earth that we did not make and do not own. The Lord himself gives this earth to us to plant and harvest, to work and prosper. Furthermore, he gives us grace and forgiveness through his Son to make us rich in soul and spirit. But we are tempted to despise his goodness and take it for granted. We are tempted to not honor our God and not give to him what he deserves. In our world it is accepted and expected that those who rent property and receive value from it to give honor and payment to the owner of the property. In the same way, we are to bring offerings of honor and thanks to our God for bringing his salvation to us. To bring our offerings to our God is not only acceptable, it is by nature expected. So let us bring out offerings to the Lord regularly and faithfully. All that we have we have received from our Lord. Let us be generous and faithful to give him honor through our offerings.
Sunday, October 8, 2023