The Landowner and the Vineyard Workers
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There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He
planted a hedge all the way around it to keep the animals and trespassers
out. He dug a winepress in it, so that they could take the grapes,
and crush them, and turn them into wine. He built a watchtower,
so that it could be protected, and he hired people to work the vineyard.
The landowner went to a land far away. When it was time for the wine to have been made, the landowner sent one of his servants to the workers to get his share of the money. The workers did NOT pay the servant the money they owed him. Instead, they beat the servant up, and sent him away. The landowner sent another servant to collect the money that was owed him-and this time the workers KILLED him! The landowner sent another servant, and again, the workers beat him up, and sent him away. The landowner was about at his wits end-what was he to do!? He thought and thought, and finally decided to send his very own son. "They will respect my son, and treat him right" the landowner said. So his dear son got ready for the long journey to his father's far away land. After a long, long journey, he arrived at the vineyard that his father had leased out. "Hello, I am the landowner's son, and I have come for the share of the harvest that you owe him." "Oh, you have, have you?" What do you think those workers did for the landowners son? Do you think that they gave him the money they owed him? NO! What they did was - kill him! They killed the son that the father loved so very much! Now, we know that parables always mean something besides what the story is clearly about, and you might guess what this parable is about by the day that we are celebrating today! (EASTER) In this parable, the landowner is - God, The Son is Jesus, and WE are the workers! Now, what do you think the landowner should do to the workers? Do you think he will kick them out of the vineyard? Or put them in Jail? Or kill them? Well, not our landowner, not God! Even though He sent His only Son to us, and we beat him, and killed Him, God still loves us! He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us, so that we could be saved from all the bad things that we do, and go to Heaven to live with Him forever and forever! And all we have to do to get to live with him forever in Heaven is this: Believe that Jesus is God, that He came to earth to die for us, and three days later, he came to life again, and that He is in Heaven now, making a home for His children Ask God to forgive you of your sin Ask Jesus to be the Boss of your life! God Loves YOU! |
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