Parable of the Vineyard Owner, Part 3 Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Parable of the Vineyard Owner, Part 3 Keywords: "vineyard" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Mark 12:1-5* 1. And He began to speak to them in parables: "A man PLANTED A VINEYARD, AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT, AND DUG A VAT UNDER THE WINE PRESS, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 2. "And at the [harvest] time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive [some] of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3. "And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4. "And again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5. "And he sent another, and that one they killed; and [so with] many others, beating some, and killing others. Questions 1. Who do the slaves represent in the parable?   2. How many slaves did the owner send? What happened to each of them?   3. How does this parable show God’s love and patience?   Practical help Although we humans owe God for all that he has done for us, we have become self-centered and selfish. It is not uncommon for those who carry the good news of the gospel to be persecuted by those who need it the most. If you are a Christian, you have already been warned that you will be persecuted when you live the life God calls you to live. If you are not a Christian, it is important that you know that giving your life to Jesus is the best thing you can do, but not necessarily the easiest. To me, I frankly did not seek to invest my life in something simple and empty. Our lives are more precious than that. Instead, I want to know that I am investing my life in something real and significant. If I am called to stand for something important in the midst of opposition, then so be it. Be thankful that God is patient with us. Rather than immediately destroy the vine-growers, the owner continued to send men to attempt to turn them around.  This is exactly how God is with us. Over and over again he warns us of impending danger. But this can't continue forever. Be wise and come clean with Him while there is time. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2003 by eXXit *Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. ---