A Vineyard
Isaiah 5: 1-7; My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He
dug it up and cleared it of
stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower on it, and
cut out a winepress as
well. The he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.
What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it ? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only
bad? The vineyard of the Lord Almighty
is the house of
This passage from Isaiah reminds me of the lament I hear from many parents
regarding their
teenage or early adult children. I’m sure my parents shared those feeling
about my sister and I at times,
when we were that age. Parents and teachers prepare a fertile vineyard to
raise their children. They clear the stones from their children’s environment
by providing them with food, shelter, family support, and a strong moral foundation.
They build a watchtower of good parenting, a safe and effective school system,
and a supportive and loving church family. Yet, sometimes rebellious kids from
an otherwise sound upbringing can go astray, and find themselves in serious
trouble. Parents say, “What did I do wrong?” “What more could I have
done?” The answer is often “nothing” as all men have a free will to do
right or wrong, and can sometimes yield bad fruit on a good vine.
God protected the house of
We are choice vines
which have been planted in fertile ground. Let us strive to bear good
fruit in honor of the blessings we have from God and the nurturing of our loved
ones. Amen.
Susan