GROUND TO POWDER ~ ADVENT #16

Why Did HE+ Come ?

The FATHER spoke to  us  by HIS SON+ because . . .

• HIS SON+ became a man and was obedient unto death

• HIS SON+ became a man and was  tempted, like as we are

• HIS SON+ became a man and though tempted, did not sin .

The Husbandman, Who is identified as The FATHER in the John 15 vine-dressing passage, also appears in parable form as The Husbandman in nearly identical accounts in Matthew , Mark, and Luke. 

I+ am the True Vine+,

and My+ FATHER is The Husbandman.

John 15:1

In the Synoptic Gospel accounts, The Husbandman hires out his vast vineyard to local workers. At the time of harvest, The Husbandman sends his appointee to collect his portion of the harvest.

Strangely, the local workers refuse to yield over that portion of the harvest  to the Rightful Owner.

The local workers, not noble nor trust-worthy,  were not only thieves stealing the Husbandman’s goods but mistreated, beat, and killed even the very messengers of The  Husbandman ! Not once, not twice, but many times.

Realizing that the local workers were ignoble of character, The Husbandman sent to them SOMEONE whom they were FORCED to recognize as his  spokesman, as holding the Husbandman’s Authority: his well-beloved son. . .  saying:

But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying,

They will reverence my son.

Matthew 21:37

Having yet therefore one son,

his well-beloved, he sent him also last

unto them, saying,

They will reverence my son.

Mark 12:6

Then said the Lord of the vineyard, What shall I do?

 I will send my beloved son:

it may be they 

will reverence him when they see him.

Luke 20:13

They did NOT reverence him.

The local workers were so absorbed in their ill-begotten Lie, that they . . . 

did not even recognize the POWER,  AUTHORITY,  and MIGHT of the Husbandman !

They ignored the storm clouds gathering on the horizon, coming towards them, as they openly mistreated the appointees of the Husbandman.

Thus, pursuing their illusion of grandeur as “owners” of the vineyard, the local workers killed the beloved son of the Husbandman vineyard when he came to collect what was rightfully his father’s goods. 

Being absorbed in nourishing their illusion, the ignoble workers actually planned to take control of The Husbandman’s property once they killed the son of the father.

NOTHING could be further from the TRUTH.

Hear the truth-filled WORDS of CHRIST  precisely recorded in Luke:

So they cast him out of the Vineyard, and killed him.

What therefore shall the Lord of the Vineyard do unto them? He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the Vineyard to others.

And when they [ the listeners to this parable ]  

 heard it, they said,

GOD forbid !

And HE+ beheld them, and said,

What is this then that is written:

The STONE+ Which the builders rejected,

the Same+ is become the HEAD+ of the corner?

Whosoever shall fall upon that STONE+ shall be broken; but on whomsoever IT shall fall . . .

IT will grind him to powder.

Luke 20: 15-18

+  +  +

Let us Pray: 

O LORD, keep me away from workers in Your Vineyard who disregard YOU !  

Keep me away from workers in Your Vineyard who disregard Your WORD+. 

Make me recognize when they malign Your SON+ and teach us to cast away His+ yoke from us. 

Alert me when workers in Your Vineyard mutiny against YOU, ignoring Your  faithful Servants who have been sent to remind us that the DAY of Accounting draws near.  

Make me aware when those ignoble workers in Your Vineyard veer from The TRUTH. 

Help me to heed the WARNINGS sent by Your WORD+, sent by Your faithful friends, sent by Your Truth . . .  sent by Your LOVE. 

Help me to humble my soul and listen for Truth in these warnings, for I know YOU are no respecter of persons.

Your SON+ said: Take heed how you hear; take heed what you hear. 

Help me to lay that to heart. 

O LORD, help me to hold before YOU every warning, seriously evaluating it before Your SON+ and the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, so that I do not mistakenly side with Your enemies in my lust for this life.

Blessed be Your NAME , O LORD; teach me Your statutes. 

This I pray in the LIFE-GIVING Name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, Who+ came that we might KNOW TRUTH.  Amen.