Losing Pride

The Condensed History of Salvation

4.6.25 [Luke 20:9-19] River of Life (5th Sunday in Lent)

Slaves born 100 years before Christ are usually unremarkable. Publilius Syrus was special.  Publilius Syrus was clever, witty. His master liked him enough to free him. Publilius parlayed freedom into fame. He coined many pithy quotes. A judge is condemned when the guilty are acquitted. A rolling stone gathers no moss. 

Publilius’ insight into people that made him remarkable. As a former slave, he recognized and understood how people think and work. He offers us this warning. Beware the fury of a patient man. 

In our Gospel, Jesus, who has the most insight into the human psyche, gives us a parable, an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, that seems to make a similar point. Did Publilius beat Jesus to the punch? Is that his point? It seems that way, doesn’t it? 

Jesus describes an absentee landlord & some bad tenants. The owner’s patient. Thoughtful. But in the end, these wicked, murderous tenants get what they deserved. The fury of a patient man. But is that Jesus’ point? What Jesus offers us is the condensed history of salvation. 

The owner of the vineyard is the Lord. He is generous. He blesses these tenants with everything they need to get their vineyard going. Matthew & Mark include more details for this parable. The owner built a wall, a watchtower, even cut a winepress out of stone. This was a pretty sweet set-up. 

And the rental terms were tenant-friendly. They didn’t have to pay anything until they harvested. Vineyards often take years of pruning and trimming to thrive. This took patience for everyone. Especially for the landlord. He invested a lot, but he had to wait. 

And he did. He let the vines mature. Gave the tenants time to do their work. He didn’t pressure them. But when the vines had developed, he sent a servant to go collect a sample, his fair share.            

The tenants grew accustomed to this rent-free arrangement. Even though they finally had income, they didn’t want to pay up. They beat up the servant. Sent him away empty handed. 

The landlord didn’t panic or overreact. In fact, maybe from our angle, he was too soft. He just sent another servant. It didn’t go any better. The tenants treated him even worse. Jumped him, maybe even took his clothes. Luke says, they treated him shamefully & sent him away empty handed. Then they traumatized the third. Physically injured him and threw him out the gate on his can.

So what’s Jesus describing? Israel’s history. Israel had been blessed by God. God gave them the Promised Land. He built a wall of protection. He removed Israel’s enemies. He gave them a unique relationship with him & directions for worship and life.

He built a watchtower. He warned them of future threats. 

He cut out a winepress for them. Handed them cities they didn’t build—like Jerusalem.  They had it good, but they forgot where it came from.

For generations, Israel should have brought God their spiritual first-fruits. They should have been loving and joyful, peaceful, kind, good, faithful, forgiving, gentle, and self-controlled. Instead they were selfish and spiteful. They envied their evil neighbors and imitated their iniquitous ways. They kept a mental record of all the ways that they thought God had wronged them and they were never faithful to their promises. They called evil good and good evil. They took advantage of the poor and the widows, the fatherless and the foreigners. They perverted justice when it was expedient.   

So God sent them prophets. Servants like Elijah, Elisha, & Jeremiah warned Israel about their selfishness & rebelliousness. God saw Israel’s defiance, but remained patient. 

They abused and harmed God’s prophets. King Ahab tried to kill Elijah. Youths mocked bald Elisha. Jeremiah’s neighbors plotted his death. John the Baptist was beheaded for proclaiming truth. God was aware. He knew, but he was still patient. Incredibly patient. 

God has blessed us tremendously, too. We live in a land of plenty. You go to the store and there are plenty of great things to eat that you can find and afford. But you don’t have to go there. Your pantry is full. Your  phone allows you to have food delivered to your door—ready to eat or ready to make into a meal. Not only that, but you have been given skills and abilities. You have a good job now, or at one time you did. You have a nice home and a reliable car. You have friends and family, good health, good weather, and countless activities to fill your free time. Your life is overflowing with blessings. 

But how many of those blessings have become a distraction? How many of those blessings have, at times, been reasons you worried or complained? How many times have you compared your plate of blessings with those down the block and felt like you’d been cheated? 

Even living in the comforts we enjoy, we still struggle to be joyful. Even living in a land of unprecedented peace, we pick fights and quarrel.

Even though God has been kind and good and faithful and gentle with us, we struggle to reflect his kindness, his goodness, his gentleness, and his forgiveness to those around us. God has been faithful to his Word—every single time—yet we make and break promises to him once our fears dissipate or our sufferings ease up. Though God has given us the blessings of companionship and relationships, we avoid tough conversations because they make us feel uncomfortable. 

If you were God, how would you deal with someone like you? Would you send painful wake-up calls? Would you pull back on some of the blessings? Would you show you some tough love? Would you turn your back on someone like you who always let you down? 

If God had done that, it would be understandable. But instead, he is patient. Incredibly patient. And loving. God sent his Son. The one he loves. Instead of sending a legion of angels to discipline us, instead of letting harm destroy us, he is patient with us. He sends his Son. 

God sent someone whom the tenants would recognize, someone who would speak for him, represent him, someone who was God. His Son brought the same message that so many before him preached. Mk. 1:15 Repent! And believe the Good News! And the world treated him shamefully. Though the vineyard owner says perhaps they will respect my Son, God the Father knew better. He knew what would happen. He knew how the world would despise him. But he was still patient with us. We deserve the fury of a patient God. 

We deserve that reaction. But instead: This is how God showed his love among us. He sent his one and only Son into the world, not to destroy us, but so we might live through him. Our God is love. He loved us even when we despised him. 

So he sent his Son to rescue us from the sin we got ourselves wrapped up in. The pride. The worrying. The selfish thoughts and manipulative actions. The fruitless, faithless, selfish, and foolish way we live when we think we don’t need God or his Word. God sent his Son, who is the fullness of the Father in every way to live among us so that he might rescue us and redeem us from all unrighteousness. 

Jesus rescued us, by giving himself up to be killed. He allowed himself to handed over. An innocent man considered guilty. A man who came to offer life to the full, experienced death for all. 

On the cross, Jesus experienced more than physical pain. He experienced the fury of a patient and all-powerful God. For us. 

This is patience. This is love. This is why we love. Because God loved us first. This is why we are patient. Because God has been patient with us. This is why we forgive. Because God forgave us. 

Though our actions merit the fury of a patient God, we receive mercy. God’s love doesn’t stop at rescuing us, it changes us. God’s grace works in us to will and act according to his will. To live like Christ. This is amazing. But God’s love doesn’t stop there. He changes our attitudes & actions, and he prepares good stuff, fruits of faith, for us in advance. He promises we have a purpose.

Sometimes we wonder what we’re supposed to be doing. What kind of harvest he expects. You. Your heart. Your life. Your all. You are a living sacrifice to your God. And he’s pleased with it.

Though there are times we’re frustrated with our own spiritual progress, God assures us it’s going according to his plan. Peter writes  This is our confidence. Our God is loving, forgiving, and patient in dealing with us. This truth is the cornerstone of our faith, because God’s patience & love is revealed in Jesus Christ. Remain in Jesus and you will produce a harvest of righteousness. Remain in Jesus and his Word and you will be loving and joyful, kind and peaceable, gentle and generous, self-controlled and quick to forgive. 

Maybe Publilius knew people, but Jesus knows God and man. He is true God. And he is true man. He reveals, through this story, the condensed history of our salvation. Our Lord transforms unremarkable people like us, those who would live like wicked tenants by nature, into good and faithful servants who bring a harvest of righteousness to our God. Amen.