01 Jun God’s Vineyard (Mk 12:1) by Dr. Rich Reich
“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.” ~ Mk 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 National LIFE Runners Team. He is married to Erica and lives in Colorado Springs, CO. Full bio..
Faith Challenge: Recognize the tools that God has blessed you with to do His will.
Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel..
.
Our Prayers: Pray LIFE Runners Creed to End Abortion. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, unceasingly. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
.
Feast Day: St. Justin Martyr
.
Faith Quote: “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie ten Boom
Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.