September 27, 2026 "What Fruit Are We Producing?"

Another vineyard story - here we go! Triumphal entry. Peaceful protest against Roman Empire and the religious establishment. Religious leaders are piiiiiissed. "Who do you think you are? Where did you get your authority?" they ask. Jesus is all - the tax collectors and prostitutes are in better shape than you a-holes. Then he tells the story about the vineyard. The owner gives the vineyard as a gift to the tenants. Trust is built into this story. The vineyard is a gift entrusted to the tenants. It all starts with gift. Of course, this is how life begins. Before we accomplish anything, even the ability to walk and talk, we are given relationships, food, water, air, a world we didn't create and bodies we did not design. It's all gift. And when we see everything as gift gratitude becomes something more than saying thank you. We begin to see differently. We see each morning differently. We see neighbors differently. We see everyone we meet differently. It's all part of the vineyard. We begin to see that the world isn't about competition or simply a collection of things to possess or acquire or use. It's all gift. Of course, the story moves on. The tenants beat, kill, and stone the servants sent by the owner to collect the fruit. He sends more. The tenants do the same. He sends his son. They kill him, too. Because they now see themselves not as stewards, but as owners. This can happen when we begin to think that something belongs completely to us. It creates a sense of scarcity and fear. We have to let everyone know that we own it. We have to protect it. If it's taken from us we or we simply give it away, it feels like loss. Perhaps there's an invitation here to hold things lightly, with open hands so that we can still give and receive. We'll end where Jesus ends. He pronounces judgment on those who won't produce fruit. But it's not just judgment, the vineyard will still go on. It will be entrusted to those who bear fruit. That's all the owner wanted: fruit. He wanted his gift to reproduce and make more gift. And what do we think of when we think of fruit? Love, joy, peace, and all the rest. We can add to it justice and compassion and empathy and equality. So the question becomes, what kind of fruit are we producing? Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: Matthew 21:33-46 http://bible.com/events/49670997