Week 8: Wednesday Bearing Better Fruit

By its nature, law creates duty. We must obey the law’s commands. Wesometimes mistake grace as though it frees us from duty. Instead, gracedeepens duty. “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will berequired” (Luke 12:48, ESV). This is especially true when grace has beenextended so that we can serve a nobler purpose than mere compliancewith law.Isaiah’s parable of the vineyard describes God’s gracious blessing of Hispeople, Israel. He chose Israel as His vineyard to serve His purpose, apurpose that could only be achieved with the help of His blessing. Just asa vineyard in the natural world produces fruit that could never come intoexistence without careful cultivation, so God expects His vineyard to bearbetter fruit than the world would otherwise produce. Tragically, Israelfrustrated His purpose. His blessings were wasted. “[H]e looked for it toyield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes” (Isaiah 5:2, ESV).