"Listen to this story: There was a man that owned a vineyard. He put a wall around the field and dug a hole for a wine press. Then the man built a tower. He leased the land to some farmers. Then he left for a trip. Later, it was time for the grapes to be picked. So the man sent his servants to the farmers to get his share of the grapes. "But the farmers grabbed the servants and beat one. They killed another one and then killed a third servant with rocks. So the man sent some other servants to the farmers. The man sent more servants than he sent the first time. But the farmers did the same thing to the servants that they did the first time."
— Matthew 21:33-36 NLT
Key Thought
One of the primary designations of God's prophets in the Old Testament was the phrase "my servants the prophets." For the most part, God's prophets were feared, mistreated, cast out, and even murdered. Respect and honor were not usually reserved for them or given to them. But God loved them. God has a special place for them.
Like we learned from John the Baptist, integrity and faithfulness do not insure that our discipleship will be easy. They do insure that God will reward us, but there is no guarantee that we will experience this reward in this life. If Jesus, the Son, was murdered by a hateful mob, can his servants expect anything else? The goal is faithfulness. We'll leave it to God to take care of everything and everyone else!
Today's Prayer
Holy and righteous God, I entrust my life and my future to you. I confess to you that I struggle with my own weaknesses. Please strengthen me so I may serve you as a faithful servant no matter how others may treat me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
- Zech. 1:1-6
- Rev. 11:13-17
- Matt. 23:11-12
About This Devotional
What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.
What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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