When the Time of Fruit Drew Near - Matthew 21:34

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus asked 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 in chapter twenty-one and verse thirty-four of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus told what happened, “when the time of the fruit drew near” where we read:

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen,

that they might receive the fruits of it.

The verse reads, “And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and when” which means “and at the time and moment” “the time” or “due moment, measure of time or a larger, smaller, fixed or definite time” “of the fruit” which refers to “pertaining to the effect, result and coming of the tree” “drew near” or “appeared, was at hand and was approaching”, “he sent” which means “the householder dismissed and sent off” “his servants” or “the householder's slaves, bondmen and men of servile conditions” “to the husbandmen” or “to the farmers and tillers of soil”. Matthew shared how Jesus referred to the time when “fruit” was to appear on the vines, so the “householder” sent his bondmen or “servants” into the vineyard.

The verse continues, “... that they might receive the fruits of it.” Matthew added the words, “that they might receive” which means “that the servants may have, take and carry away” “the fruits of it” or “the effects, results and coming of the tree”. Matthew wrote how Jesus said the “householder” sent his “servants” to his field so he could reap the harvest of his “fruit”.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how the “owner of the vineyard” naturally sent his “servile workers” to gather and collect his “fruit” within it. We might remember this is an “earthly story with a heavenly meaning”, so as we study this parable of Jesus, let us keep in mind that God is represented by the “householder” who owns everything, and the “husbandmen” are the people who are to keep charge of His Kingdom on earth. There is to be a time of “harvest” where God will send His “servants” to “reap” His “fruit”. God desires to have every person receive His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”, and when they come into His Kingdom, they are to be caretakers of His “earthly vineyard”. May all who read these words yield their lives to Jesus who is the ultimate and eternal “Householder” of the world.

Next time Matthew writes how Jesus tells how, “the husbandmen took his servants”, 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.