Properly Approaching (American)privilege-1 Series

PROPERLY APPROACHING (American)PRIVILEGE-I—Matthew 21:33-46

OR:

A CHRISTIAN APPROACH To AMERICAN PRIVILEGE

Attention:

A reading of ‘The Declaration of Independence’

Need:

We are A Privileged & Proud Nation/People...But many Americans, including yourselves, may find your ‘privilege & pride’ are misplaced--or--centered on illegitimate sources.

Characters/Representations in the parable:

Landowner—God

Vineyard—Israel as the focus of God’s attentions & love(& thus also speaks to the Church)

Wall—Ownership/Separation/Protection

Wine Press—Anticipation of fruitfulness/A return

Tower—Concern/Protection

Vine-growers—Spiritual Leaders/Nurture

Slaves—Prophets(Apostles & speaks to(?Preachers/Teachers?)

Son—Son of God/Jesus

Thru this parable, Jesus highlighted/clarified a proper approach to an God-ordained privilege.

There is a Proper(Christian) Approach to (American)Privilege.

What is a Proper/Christian Approach to (American)Privilege?

Or

How should America approach her God-ordained privilege?

9 approaches to American privilege.

1—Approach your (American)privilege with...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT(:33a)

Explanation:(:33a)Recognition

:33a—“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard & set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it & built a tower....”

Jesus was still speaking to the chief priests & elders(:23ff.).

He presented “another parable” to them which related to the current situation of their failed spiritual leadership.

Their failure was previously(“another”) presented—probably(?) in the same conversation— thru a parable of two sons(:28-32), which contrasted obedience versus disobedience to God.

*Jesus tells of a “certain” “man”(untranslated) who was a “landowner” or “householder”[oikodespothv].

*This certain “Landowner” is none other than God.

He is the owner of all because He is the Creator of all(Gen. 1:1--2:3; Ps. 50:10; Jn. 1:1-3).

Gen. 1:31-2:3—“Then God saw everything that He had made, & indeed it was very good. So the evening & the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens & the earth, & all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, & He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day & sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created & made.”

Jn. 1:1-3—“In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, & the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, & without Him nothing was made that was made.”

Ps. 50:10-14—“For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, & all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High.”

*The “Landowner” intentionally “planted a vineyard.” He wanted the “vineyard.”

The “vineyard” represents God’s Kingdom/His people.

For it’s owner, a “vineyard” is a means of provision(fruition/income), obligation(meaningful work), expertise(knowledge), & joy(producing what is intended).

This particular “vineyard” ‘has an obligation’ to supply the needs of the “Landowner”(Master of the house).

*The “landowner” “set a hedge”/put a wall/ or fence around the “vineyard.”

a. The “hedge” represents the ‘firm boundary’ of His command/revelation/word.

b. It represents the ‘firm boundary’ of separation & sanctification of His people to Him.

c. It represents the ‘firm boundary’ of God’s protective watch-care over His people.

d. It represents the ‘firm boundary’ of corporate/shared Identification as God’s people & God as their only God.

e. It represents the ‘firm boundary’ of God’s ownership of the “vineyard” as as undeniable, being plain for all.

*God, the “landowner” put a “winepress” in the “vineyard.” This was directly associated with the crop—grapes, grape juice, raisins, wine. —Thus the ‘housemaster’ anticipated a future harvest & return for His investment.

*The Landowner also built a “tower” in the vineyard.

The “tower” represents the prophets & spiritual leadership.

The “tower” provided for continual surveillance of the land in securing it’s watch-care & protection...it’s doctrinal security.

This describes first of all, the creation of the nation of Israel, with it’s spiritual underpinnings taking precedence. It was & is a nation which intended to faithfully represent the blessings of God’s governance.

Likewise, our nation(America) has definite spiritual underpinnings! One of the major reasons for America’s being established in the first place, was to escape the tyranny & blasphemy of a politicised/state religion. That is what drove the English Separatists to undertake a journey on the ship, Mayflower, from London to the New World in 1620.

English Dissenters or English Separatists were Protestant Christians who separated from the Church of England due to disagreement in matters of Christian belief. They opposed official governmental control, subsidy, & interference regarding religious matters.

But more than anything, it is what America’s separation from sovereign British rule entailed in 1776.

*All this is to say that: God has blessed America with humble, yet decidedly biblical spiritual beginnings. And we are entirely blessed to be born here, work here, live here, love here. We live without threat from other nations.