Fruitful vines in a royal vineyard

Jesus spoke many parables to demonstrate spiritual realities. Vineyards formed the backdrop for a number of those stories. 

A vineyard demonstrated the people of the world and the vinedressers stood in for the spiritual leaders who were given responsibilities to take care of the vineyard much like Adam was placed in the middle of the Garden of the Lord, Eden, to dress and keep it. Adam’s choice left the garden without a keeper when he and Eve were expelled. The vinedresser’s unfaithfulness was shown in their lack of accountability to God. 

When God sent helpers to the priests such as prophets, judges, kings they responded in anger and disrespect killing some, stoning others. Finally, God sent his son believing they would respect his son, the heir apparent. But they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and crucified him. So, when God came to check on the vinedresser’s progress, the hearers of the parable said he should cast them out and put them to death and give the vineyard to others who would behave honestly toward him bringing the owner the fruit of his vines. 

It was this point in the story he recalled the Old Testament prophecy of Psalm 118:22 which describe the Son, the heir, Jesus as the stone (on which wise men build their houses – Matthew 7:24 – 27 –, the stone which Moses struck and water gushed forth and which Peter‘s confession of faith in Jesus as the Rock, the Messiah, which faith in his declaration would be the foundational rock on which Jesus would build His house, His tabernacle, His church. God removes the original caretakers, the priests, from their position of authority and gives the vineyard to people who will bring forth produce from the vines in the kingdom. 

The original vinedressers lost sight of who owned the field, the wine press, and the vines and began to think of the fruit as their own, evidence of their own work. Paul had a better understanding of how one became the owner. There is always sacrifice involved in those who wish to rule, to own. His best then would be to count his own works as nothing more than dung. Of greater value to him was relationship with the owner. Just knowing the owner, the Messiah, held value beyond anything else. He didn’t desire by arrogance and pride to gain his own righteousness (Exodus 20: 1 – 20) but rather the righteousness of God by faith in His provision. He valued Christ above all. He valued the gift of righteousness by faith in Christ, his resurrection, fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death. 

Paul’s future resurrection rested in Christ’s deeds. The substance of his earthly glory quickly faded into a ghostly past. He readily forgot the past in exchange for reaching into the future. He stretched toward the goal for prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:3 – 14)