04 Jun God’s Vineyard (Mark 12:1) by Dr. Rich Reich
Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors. LIFE Minute radio.
“A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.” ~ Mark 12:1 (full readings)
Rich’s Reflections: In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the tenant farmers. He begins His parable by painting a picture of a typical first century vineyard. The vineyard is surrounded by a hedge. A vineyard hedge was a thickly grown hedge of thorns and briars which would naturally keep wild boars and such from plundering the produce and pose a hardship to grape-stealing thieves. There was a wine press dug out of rock, which typically consisted of two troughs, one slightly higher than the other with a connection between them at floor level. When pressed, the juice from the grapes would settle into the lower trough. There was also a tower, which served various purposes: the foreman could assess the work and give orders from the tower, its lookout could be used to guard against thieves, and its insides might provide a lodging area for the workers of the vineyard. It appears that the owner of the vineyard in the parable has thought of everything. He has created a workplace for his tenants with the resources necessary to do his will. In reflecting on this parable, think about how God our Father has prepared a workplace for us with all of the resources we need to do His will. Lord, thank You for blessing me with everything I need to do Your will. Amen.
* Dr. Rich Reich is the co-founder of the LIFE Group Devotions and the National LIFE Runners Team. He is married to Erica and lives in Satellite Beach, FL. Full bio.
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Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22
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