How we respond

Daily reading: Mark 12:1-12

Monday February 29, 2016

The parable in Mark begins, “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower.”  There is nothing odd about the beginning of the parable.  It is reminiscent of the parable of the vineyard found in Isaiah 5:1-7.  

The original audience would have known well the system of land owners and farming tenants and they would have known well that the land owner owns the property and the tenants do not. 

Yes they work the land and are able to benefit from its produce, but they do not own it.  

Yes they benefit from its produce, but the yield is so abundant the intent was never for them to hoard it and keep it to themselves.  

In other words the land owner does not have them working on his vegetable garden that will feed only his family, but on a vineyard that is the means to providing financial support for the land owner and for the tenants and their families.  

They will need to yield enough grapes to make at the very least ends meet and hopefully to make a profit.

At this point in the parable, we can ask ourselves what do we do with the gifts that God has given us?  Think in terms of both spiritual and physical gifts.  How do you use what you have to embody the fruits of the spirit?  How do you use what you have to provide a space for the presence of God to shape and grow your community?

Prayer:  Holy God, thank you for never giving up on me.  Help me to be a good steward of all that you have given to me.  May my words and my actions be fruitful in my community.  Amen.