Hey Advent Family,
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him and say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed your thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison and visit you?” And the King will say to them in reply, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these, you did for me.” – Matthew 25: 35-40
I started this week thinking about finding my place in the vineyard. I can see the vineyard in my mind: the walls to keep danger out, the beautiful trees heavy with luscious fruit. But what if the vineyard isn’t a place at all?
We may spend our lives searching for our place in God’s vineyard, trying to find our purpose, seeking the answer to the question, “What do You want of me, Lord?” But what if the vineyard is simply wherever we have an opportunity to share His love?
In Matthew 25:35–40, Jesus has already given us an answer. The vineyard is wherever we visit the sick, comfort the dying, encourage the lonely, feed the hungry, or welcome the stranger. It might be a homeless shelter, a soup kitchen, a hospital, a church, or our very own homes.
Our invitation may change over time, and sometimes we may be the ones who need comforting. But our ability to receive and share the Landowner’s love and grace doesn’t disappear.
Perhaps that’s what I’ve been overlooking. Our place in the vineyard isn’t defined by how much we can accomplish or even by what we have to offer. Sometimes we are called to serve, and sometimes we are called to allow others to serve us. In both, there is an opportunity to encounter Christ.
The Landowner is still calling, and His invitation may look different at every age and stage of our lives. Perhaps finding our place in the vineyard is less about discovering where we belong and more about recognizing that we already belong.
We don’t have to keep searching for a place He has already made for us.
To Ponder: What might change in my life if I stopped searching for my place in God’s vineyard and simply recognized that I’m already there?
Let’s Pray, “Lord, thank You for continuing to call us into Your vineyard. Help us recognize Your presence in the people we meet, share Your love generously, and receive it graciously when we need it ourselves. Amen
Still listening, still learning, still answering His call.
Cecilia Carroll
Advent Square Director