Yield Him Fruit Series

ESSENTIAL KING JESUS: YIELD HIM FRUIT

MARK 12:1-12

#kingjesus

USE AUDIO BIBLE: Mark Chapter 12:1-44 [6:16]

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Mark.12

PARABLE 1 (p)

Once upon a time there was a flamingo herder who lived in a land where flamingos were the most prized animal one could own. The flamingo herder did her absolute best to provide for the flamingos. She built the flamingos a coop in the middle of a pond. The coop was painted with trees and wonderful scenes which made the flamingos feel right at home. The pond was filled with shrimp which she cultivated so no bird went hungry. What did go hungry were the local foxes and coyotes who never got any of the flamingos because the flamingo herder built a strong electric fence around the pond.

It came time… that one time a year… for the flamingos to earn their keep. The flamingo herder put on her rubber boots and marched out to the coop in the middle of the pond. She brought along a big bucket to collect the flamingo eggs which all of the local restaurants used in their cuisine. Once a year the herder would collect some eggs and sell them. The rest she would leave to grow the colony. The herder got to the coop, opened it up, and there was not one egg in the coop. She quickly looked around for a video camera to see if she was being punked on a TV show. The herder marched around to the other side of the coop where the flamingos were standing on one leg looking disinterested in the world. She asked where the eggs were. All the flamingos just shook their bent beaks no and squawked there would be no eggs. Flamingos could be temperamental and very self-centered.

Sometime later, after the no-egg incident, the flamingo herder came upon a business opportunity for local homeowners. A plastics maker wanted to make plastic flamingos for people’s yard and wanted a model. The flamingo herder put on her rubber boots and marched out to the middle of the pond. She brought along the artist and the CEO of the plastics company. Not one flamingo was in sight. The entire colony of flamingos had either flown away or were nestled in the coop and would not come out. She banged and banged on the flamingo coop door, but all she got for her trouble was a squawk and the artist got pooped on as a flamingo flew over. Flamingos could be very uncooperative when they felt their rights were being violated or they felt they were being forced to do something they didn’t want to do.

After the no-show-modeling incident, the flamingo herder in patience went out to the flamingo colony and decided that she could take pictures and videos and sell those on the internet to make money. The flamingo herder put on her rubber boots and marched out to the coop in the middle of the pond. She brought along her fancy-dancy camera she borrowed from a neighbor and was excited to take pictures and video. The herder got out to the coop in the middle of the pond and every single flamingo was there, but each flamingo was on one leg and had tucked its head into its body. It was like she was looking at a pond full of pink lollipops. None of them moved. None of them flew. None of them ate or did anything flamingo-ish so she could take a picture.

She had been patient when there were no eggs. She had been kind when they refused to model. Now they were being obstinate and would not let her take pictures. The flamingo herder marched out of the pond splashing all the way. The flamingos kept themselves tucked in, but they did hear an engine starting. The flamingo herder hopped into her Komatsu P&H L-2350 Loader and began driving towards the pond. The flamingos heard the roar of the engine and the sound of the large earthmoving machine coming closer. They all flew away as the flamingo herder bulldozed over the strong electric fence and the pond with shrimp and the nicely painted flamingo coop. She then called in the paving company and made it all a parking lot. She rented out spaces for people to park and lived happily ever after.

ESSENTIAL KING JESUS

We are making our way through the Gospel of Mark that I’ve themed ‘Essential King Jesus.’ Each week we are taking a look at one passage in a chapter. Each week I want to share with one essential truth that is important for us to believe and then also communicate to others about Jesus. We are focusing on the Essential King Jesus. I don’t want us to lose what we are doing so this is a summary of the truth we have covered thus far in each chapter in Mark…