Jacob 5:26 - 5:30

Jacob 5:26 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck off the branches that have not brought forth good fruit, and cast them into the fire.

The reaction of the master to this last tree is to command the servant to remove the branches that have brought forth wide fruit and throw them into the fire. [Destroy those of this group that became evil in spite of the efforts of the Lord.]

Jacob 5:27 But behold, the servant said unto him: Let us prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season.

The servant seems to be a little hesitant to destroy the evil branches and asks if they can work with this tree a little longer in hopes that these branches will yet product good fruit. [There is no recorded reaction by the master of the vineyard to the servant’s request, but apparently, the servant has his way. Is this like Abraham negotiating with the Lord over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah? I’ve wondered, did the Lord want him to make the proposal because, obviously He knew he would do so? What was the Lord trying to teach Abraham by getting him to express his desire to preserve the city? Was Abraham learning just how he cared about people and maybe he needed to know that for future missions the Lord had for him to do? Or was it to show that the Lord can be approached and questioned without fear of being struck down for what might appear as rebellion? Apparently the Lord wants us to approach him when we are unclear about a message or mission. It is no sin to have doubts or concerns. When we have them the Lord wants us to come to him. I think He likes that very much. He loves to help people with concerns and wants us to have all the facts we think we need to do what is asked of us. He may not like blind obedience as much as we think. He wants thinking people using all of their gifts to carry out commands. We are here to use all our abilities to know what to do and how to do it without someone commanded standing over you every step of the way.]

Jacob 5:28 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did nourish all the fruit of the vineyard.

So the both the master and the servant work in the entire vineyard. [This obviously means the world wide missionary work and not just on the tree in question. Some spots are in need of work more than others but the whole world is the focus of the Lord and his servants.]

Jacob 5:29 And it came to pass that a long time had passed away, and the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Come, let us go down into the vineyard, that we may labor again in the vineyard. For behold, the time draweth near, and the end soon cometh; wherefore, I must lay up fruit against the season, unto mine own self.

After a while, the master told the servant it was now time to go back to the vineyard and work. Harvest time is near and trees will stop in the vineyard because of winter. It was now time to pick the ripe fruit and begin to store it for the winter. [The end of the world is near and the missionaries have less and less time left to proselyte for converts before it is to late.]

Jacob 5:30 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant went down into the vineyard; and they came to the tree whose natural branches had been broken off, and the wild branches had been grafted in; and behold all sorts of fruit did cumber the tree.

The master and the servant returned to the vineyard. They check out the main tree first. They find that there is all sorts of fruit on it.