God sends helpful people into our lives throughout our lifetime. Life is like a stage; throughout our lives, God sends helpful people to us in His grace. Some people may be on our stage for an extended time, while others may briefly appear. But they are all significant. Think of the helpful people the Lord has blessed you with along your journey. How did each person influence you? Whom did the Lord send into your life to tell you about the Good News of Jesus?
The older I become, the more I appreciate the helpful people the Lord brings to me because they are few but great in impact. Galatians 6:2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. [1]
God Sends People into our Lives to Call Us Back
Have you ever been lost? If you have, it can be a scary experience. We can be lost spiritually in life, but the Lord has mercy on us. He sends others to call us back to Himself. God may do this through personal contact, worship, media, or Scripture.
In our story, the Lord tells a parable to the religious leaders. It is a story of the Lord sending servants out many times to call the nation of Israel back. A vineyard represents Israel. Although the Lord may send people into our lives to call us back, we have free will to refuse. In the parable of the vineyard, the Lord’s grace falls on hardened hearts.
Parable of the Vineyard
Mark 12:2At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. 3 But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. 4 The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head. 5 The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed, 6 until there was only one left—his son whom he loved dearly.
The owner finally sent him, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’ 7 “But the tenant farmers said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 8 So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard. [2]
The Lord Calls the Backslidden
To backslide means to go backward spiritually. It is not unusual during our spiritual journey to backslide. The Lord wants you to know that He loves you and wants you to return. The Lord has a plan to restore you in the middle of your mess. When we humble ourselves, the Lord is always there to take us back to Himself. Remember, God sends helpful people into our lives. To hear more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/mark-jesus-authority-challenged
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ga 6:2–3). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 12:2–8). Tyndale House Publishers.