Mere Stewards

“He leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.” Mark 12:1

The man in Jesus’ story does not seem to be a wise businessman at all. He spends a lot of money planting a vineyard, building the wall around to protect it, providing a winepress, a  vat, and a lookout tower. Then he leases his property to tenant farmers and goes far away on a journey. 

At harvest time, he sends a servant to  the vineyard to collect his portion of the fruit. The tenants beat the servant and send him away empty. Every time the owner sends someone, the vine-growers either harm the servant or kill him. Finally, the man sends his beloved son thinking the tenant farmers will respect his only son. Alas! The farmers had other plans, and wanted the inheritance of the land for themselves! They killed the son and threw his body outside the vineyard. 

No, he is not a wise businessman at all! This is a story of the limitless love of God. He provides everything we need for us to bear abundant fruit. Most of the time we think what we have is ours, the fruit is ours, the time we have on this earth is ours. We claim the gifts without thanking the giver, without giving back to Him what is His. We accumulate and accumulate without asking the “landlord” what He wants us to do with His property, His vineyard, with the life He has loaned to us. 

How amazing is our God, that He showers us with gifts, and leaves us to multiply and use them! We are mere stewards of His property. He gives generously at first, and waits patiently for us to give Him good fruit. The more we give Him, the more generous He is with us! Woe to those who do not realize this! Like the tenants in the story, they too will be destroyed by their own greed and blindness!