Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus told the chief priests and the elders of Jerusalem, “Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dug a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another” and in chapter twenty-one and verse thirty-six of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus continued, “he sent other servants more than the first: and they did … likewise” where we read:
Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
The verse reads, “Again, he sent other servants more than the first:” Matthew began with the words, “again” which means “furthermore and anew”, “he sent other servants” or “the householder dismissed and ordered to depart some more bondmen and men of servile condition” “more than the first” which means “to a greater and larger number than the householder sent the first time”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “householder” “sent” a larger group of his servants to the vineyard than he did the first time.
The verse continues, “and they did unto them likewise.” Matthew added the words, “and they did unto them” which refers to “the husbandmen, farmers and vinedressers performed and rendered to the second set of servants” “likewise” or “in the same manner as they did the first servants”. Matthew wrote how Jesus said the “farmers and vinedressers” who were initially commissioned by “householder” treated the second set of the “householder's servants” with the same beating, killing and stoning as the first ones.
When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we discover the persistence of the “householder” even though his “servants” were being maligned and killed. God is patient like this “householder”, and over and over He sends “servants” to receive His harvest of souls in the world. God's desire is for every person to be “saved from their sins” by believing and trusting in His Son Jesus as their “Savior and Lord”. Those who are in authority over His “vineyard” are to reap the harvest for Him and should never “malign” His “servants”. Let all who read these words understand the importance of the Lord's “reaping and harvesting of souls” and be certain to never mistreat His “servants”.
Next time Matthew writes how Jesus tells how the “householder”, “sent unto them his son”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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