The parable of the vineyard, first told by the prophet Isaiah, becomes in the mouth of the Lord Jesus the summation of all sacred history. The Lord makes it clear that...
The parable of the vineyard, first told by the prophet Isaiah, becomes in the mouth of the Lord Jesus the summation of all sacred history. The Lord makes it clear that the whole history of the Almighty's attempts to proclaim His will and His truth to humanity was a history of resistance. The messengers through whom God addresses people were 'sometimes beaten, sometimes killed.' In this series the Lord also speaks of the final Messenger - of Himself, who, according to the word of the prophets, came into the world to open to people the possibility of salvation - a possibility that did not exist before and does not exist outside Christ.
The bitter words of Christ expose the religious leaders who constantly resisted the saving action of the Creator for the sake of their own quite base interests - and here we, too, have something to think about. After all, this is not about some pagans who are 'darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart,' as the apostle Paul writes in today's passage from Ephesians. It is not even only about bishops, theologians, and ascetics, as we might render 'chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees' in our own terms. All who are called by God, all who have taken upon themselves the responsibility of being His people, turn out to be wicked workers in God's vineyard.
That is why today's words of the apostle are so important, calling us to 'be renewed in the spirit of our mind,' so that we do not become the same kind of worthless workers.
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4:17 This therefore I say - He returns thither where he begun, Eph 4:1.And testify in the Lord - In the name and by the authority of the Lord Jesus. In the vanity of their mind - Having lost the knowledge of the true God, Rom 1:21. This is the root of all evil walking.
4:18 Having their understanding darkened, through the ignorance that is in them - So that they are totally void of the light of God, neither have they any knowledge of his will.Being alienated from the life of God - Utter strangers to the divine, the spiritual life. Through the hardness of their hearts - Callous and senseless. And where there is no sense, there can be no life.
4:19 Who being past feeling - The original word is peculiarly significant. It properly means, past feeling pain. Pain urges the sick to seek a remedy, which, where there is no pain, is little thought of. Have given themselves up - Freely, of their own accord. Lasciviousness is but one branch of uncleanness, which implies impurity of every kind.
4:20 But ye have not so learned Christ - That is, ye cannot act thus, now ye know him, since you know the Christian dispensation allows of no sin.
4:21 Seeing ye have heard him - Teaching you inwardly by his Spirit.As the truth is in Jesus - According to his own gospel.
4:22 The old man - That is, the whole body of sin. All sinful desires are deceitful; promising the happiness which they cannot give.
4:23 The spirit of your mind - The very ground of your heart.
4:24 The new man - Universal holiness. After - In the very image of God.
4:25 Wherefore - Seeing ye are thus created anew, walk accordingly, in every particular. For we are members one of another - To which intimate union all deceit is quite repugnant.