Giving Up – October 19, 2020

“Listen to another parable: [Jesus said] There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.”
Matthew 21:33-37

Giving Up

At a certain point, you just have to cut your losses and move on. The car that has been in the repair shop multiple times this year might need to get sold. That house plant you have been trying to grow keeps dropping leaves, and it may need to get thrown away. Sometimes, you have to cut your losses and move on.

Jesus shared a parable about a landowner and his vineyard. In the parable, the tenant farmers who rented the vineyard from the landowner turned out to be rather terrible. Worse than being lazy or dishonest, they actually harmed or killed the servants the landowner sent to collect the rightful rent. You would expect the owner to give up on the renters, drive them out, and move on to new renters. Instead, the landowner sent his son to people who had mistreated everyone who has been sent to them.

This is precisely what God did after so many of the prophets he sent had been harmed or killed over the centuries. Instead of giving up on the people of this world, God sent his Son, Jesus, to save the people of this world, including you.

Isn’t it comforting to know that you have such a loving God, one who has not given up on you, one who sent his own Son to restore your relationship with him and give you eternal life in heaven? Spend this day being thankful you have a God who won’t give up.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for not giving up on me. Amen.