Empty-Handed

When David thirsted for water from the well near the gate in Bethlehem (2 Samuel 23), three of his mighty men went on a quest, despite the fact that the town had been overrun by their enemies, the Philistines. With joy and pride they must have returned, victorious, with water for their Captain and King.

And so, in Jesus’ parable (Luke 20:9-18), when the owner of the vineyard sends a servant, and then another, and then another, to bring back a taste of the fruit of his possession - with sorrow and shame they returned, since they came back empty-handed, if indeed they came back at all. One had been beaten; another humiliated, another thrown out and wounded.

As creatures of the Creator; and, further, as servants of the Redeemer, we want to place in the hands of our Captain and King, our Savior and Friend, that which rightfully belongs to him. But like the servants in the parable, can we not at times be stymied in our attempts to return favor to the Lord?

As the story goes, not only do the servants appear to strike out, empty-handed, but so does the son, sent by the father to accomplish what the servants could not. But they kill the son, and then the parable ends. The parable ends, but story does not, for we know that the son in the story is the Son of God, and that He rises from the dead, and is able to bring in hand to the Father both persons and property: all that is His.

And again, as the story unfolds, those who end up empty-handed are those renters of the vineyard who had sought to usurp ownership and honor. They are cast out - empty-handed.

Those in this world’s with “full hands” seem to be the bold and beautiful; the great and greedy. The contents of their hands continue to fill their own coffers, unaware that, at judgment, all will be returned to its rightful place. So, humble servants, despite setbacks, do not lose heart. Though the Son has been killed, He is alive, and His hands are full.