The Parables of JesusSample

EVIL FARMERS
Like so many others, the parable is primarily about our response. Will we respond to the claims God has on our lives? Or do we reject His messengers in favor of our will, our agenda? Do we live productively, working to "produce fruits" for God in response to Him blessing us with the privilege to serve Him? The parable reminds us of the privilege of living in covenant relation with God, but that privilege always brings with it responsibility.

It's also crucial to ask how we respond to the messengers of God in our lives. While God may speak to us through angels, dreams, or visions, throughout history His primary method of communication has been through people. God's people constantly rejected the prophets in favor of their own understanding and desires, and we can tend to reject the people around us who are speaking God's truth into our lives for the same reasons. Friends, family, church members, and church leaders are not called to endorse and encourage whatever behavior we take on to be appropriate. No, if they truly love Jesus and love us, they will confront and correct us so we can be more like Christ.

So how do you respond when God attempts to encourage or correct you through others, through the Holy Spirit, or through His word? Are you humble and receptive, carefully considering their words? Or are you stubborn and inflexible, set like stone in your ways?