The vineyard belongs to God
At harvest time the Owner will send his servants for that portion which is rightfully His and that is when the difficulty often arises. When we have produced a bountiful harvest and are asked to give it up or let go of a portion our inclination is to resist, to claim the results as solely of our own doing, and to conveniently forget that we are only tenants, not owners.
We know from our own experience how hard it is to give up something we treasure. Sometimes it costs us dearly to give up the more precious produce of our lives. When children grow up their parents must let them go. Workers reach retirement age and have to give up their life-long occupation and their salary. In old age many must give up their independence and sometimes their familiar surroundings as they move to nursing homes. And death may take from us our nearest and dearest. Is it any wonder that we resist so vehemently when we are asked to give up the produce of our lives?
The remarkable thing is that people do give up what they treasure. Generous people give their time, energy and money in the service of their families and of others in their local communities and beyond. People accept the loss of health and youthfulness and independence, and the loss of those they love.
How much better our world would be if everyone saw themselves, not as the owners of what they have, but as tenants, ready to share their produce when they were asked to do so. We must keep reminding one another that the vineyard is not ours. We just work here. The vineyard belongs to God.
