Parable of the Vineyard/Tenants

(S1) —

Stories have a way of sticking with us...but have you ever been told one that didn’t just quite hit home? It left you wondering, perplexed, confused?

A candidate for ordination as a minister was asked, "What part of the Bible do you like best?" He said: "I like the New Testament best." Then he was asked, "What Book in the New Testament is your favorite?" He answered, "The Book of the Parables, Sir." They then asked him to relate one of the parables to the committee. And a bit uncertain, he began...

"Once upon a time a man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves; and the thorns grew up and choked the man. And he went on and met the Queen of Sheba, and she gave that man, Sir, a thousand talents of silver, and a hundred changes of raiment.

"And he got in his chariot and drove furiously and, as he was driving along under a big tree, his hair got caught in a limb and left him hanging here! And he hung there many days and many nights. The ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink.

"And one night while he was hanging there asleep, his wife Delilah came along and cut off his hair, and he fell on stony ground. And it began to rain, and rained forty days and forty nights. And he hid himself in a cave.

"Later he went on and met a man who said, 'Come in and take supper with me.' But he said, 'I can't come in, for I have married a wife.' And the man went out into the highways and hedges and compelled him to come in!

He then came to Jerusalem, and saw Queen Jezebel sitting high and lifted up in a window of the wall. When she saw him she laughed, and he said, 'Throw her down out of there,' and they threw her down. And he said 'Throw her down again,' and they threw her down seventy-times-seven. And the fragments which they picked up filled twelve baskets full! NOW, whose wife will she be in the day of the Judgment?"

Series—The Whole Story of God—Parables of Jesus

What is a parable?

parabole (Greek/English) —"to lay along side” comparing one thing to another

Luke 13:18 “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?”

… a narrative that uses common/familiar things, practices, people, or events, to teach moral/ethical good; about God/Jesus/Kingdom; while revealing opposing views, persons, and outright evil.

“an earthly illustration with a spiritual application.”

1 /3 of Jesus’ teachings are in parables (38)—some are clear, some are explained, some leave the reader/listener wondering, hmm...and some mortified—today’s parable

(S2) — Title

…who is not worthy of the kingdom of God? Anyone who rejects Jesus and his place in it.

44 “Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

By his suffering, death, and resurrection, Jesus is ushering in something new; and he is at the center of it!

PRAY

(S3)

33 “Listen to another parable.”

The 2nd of three parables—Jesus’ authority is being challenged by Chief Priests…Pharisees…

They were concerned with the kingdom of God, but the furthest away from it.

{Matthew 21:31-32}

While this parable is directed at a certain group, it is a clear vision for the kingdom of God and the churches role in it.

So we can see its meaning more clearly, I have divided this story into four movements…and by identifying who Jesus is naming and talking about…

(33-36) Jesus is speaking directly of Israels history; their relationship between God, Israel…the Prophets.

— He relates something they would know (earthly)…to reveal a greater meaning…(heavenly)

I. God’s PROVISION—Israel’s PRIVILEGE

(S4) — {21:33}

God’s provision—planted a vineyard…put around it a wall of protection (fence around it)—and in it a winepress (for production)…with a tower (security)…

— Landowner: Yahweh or God...

— Vineyard: The nation of Israel; God’s chosen seed...

— Tenants (farmers): Jewish people/nation who were to tend to it…

Hearing this, would have immediately brought these words from Isaiah to mind

Isaiah 5:1–2 “I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well.

God bestows to them a wonderful privilege as caretakers of the vineyard

"The special advantages and opportunities which were given to the people as the chosen seed" (W.M. Taylor, The Parables of Our Savior)

So, entrust his vineyard to a certain group (priests); renting/leasing—to oversee it for a time (moved to another place)

God’s provision: having all they need for an abundant vineyard—the privilege of tending to it

How about us today?

Have we not received wonderful provision from God?

Grace: God’s mercy, forgiveness,

Can we not enjoy access God?

Relationship...His word...prophets, saints, disciples; martyrs of the faith

As the church, do we not have the privilege to worship and care for it?

II. This privilege BADLY misused

(S5) — {34-36}

Some time had passed...time for the harvest…the land owner sends those who were to collect his share

— Servants—Prophets…

Israel consistently murmured against God in the wilderness...turned away from God time and again...

Isaiah 5:2 “Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.”

Instead they persecuted his servants: many who were beaten, killed and stoned.

— Reference to Amos, Jeremiah, and the many killed by Jezebel (1 Kings 18:4)

Isaiah 5:7 “The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.”

Then showing restraint, God sends more of his own...John the Baptist...Stephen...

Doesn’t God show us the same restraint today?

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Do you see the whole of God’s redemptive story as God’s provision? Do you see grace as the privilege to be a part of it. Do you see God’s patience with the you; the Church…?

Matthew 13:16–17 “blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

The privilege that God had bestowed on them, they badly misused...parable of the EVIL tenants

Now, Jesus brings things closer to home...

(S6) — {37-39}

Sending his son; they would have understood as the landowner being dead...seeing their chance...for it all to be theirs! They assume ownership of the garden by killing the owners son.

Don’t we sometimes do the same? Assume God’s provision as ours? Its our life to do with it what we want. Its our church so it should be the way I like it. Its why we don’t give as we should…serve as we could…worship as often as we can…

— But, this was his ONLY son...and the owner of the vineyard was very much alive!

Then Jesus sets the trap with a question, and an obvious answer; they take the bait big time..

Matthew 21:40–41 ““when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.””

They are ready to throw stones in everyone else’s direction but their own; Jesus knew their intentions...

III. Jesus is REJECTED as the son of God

John 1:10–11 “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”

Are we so different? Do we see our own sin...as a rejection of God’s marvelous Gift? Do we place our desires, our position, even our place in the church over Jesus?

Who is WORTHY of the kingdom of God?

— Me, because I’m a pastor...come to church every Sunday...give more than most...serve faithfully...arrive early...is this our vineyard or God’s?

Problem; they did not see their own need for repentance...their Lording their religion over everyone else.

— Jesus had a similar discussion with his disciples {Lk 22}; arguing over who among them was the greatest.

Was their mercy for them...? Jesus knew...their hearts and what was coming and what they were about to do...

Jesus points them do what they should know: the Scriptures...quoting from

(S9) — {42}

As Israel had turned away...so to the religious leaders of the day, could not see what the Lord had done — the value of this marvelous gift right in front of them.

A small Cabarrus County farmhouse in North Carolina. A farmer’s son stayed home from church one Sunday in 1799, along his two siblings. While playing and fishing in the Little Meadow Creek, they found a rock, the size of a shoe. When little Conrad Reed picked up the rock, he found it was very heavy. As any little boy would do, he was proud to show it to his father. His father, took the rock to a Concord silversmith to see if it had any value. The silversmith quickly dismissed the idea of the rock being valuable. The farmer took the rock home and used it as a doorstop for three years. Little did he know this was the world’s “most expensive doorstop.”

Finding out later that this rock was in reality “17 pounds of pure gold.” He went on to find more gold in that stream and mines started popping up all over North Carolina, which became America’s first gold rush. (from Golden Promise in the Piedmont: The Story of John Reed's Mine, by Dr. Richard F. Knapp, revised edition, 1999.

Just think of it, a large lump of gold used as a door-stop! Jesus rejected by the very people who knew the provision of God and badly misused the gift—to care for the vineyard so it would be productive for God’s kingdom.

Jesus was more than anything this world could produce. The very cornerstone of faith in God; the church

Colossians 1:17–18 “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”

and...

Matthew 21:42  ‘the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

Then we get to Jesus main point in the parable

(S10) — {43, 44}

To be crushed by this stone is to reject Jesus

The people who once had God’s provision; the vineyard, and the privilege of tending it; those who rejected Jesus would themselves be rejected. Their unwillingness to repent (44,46) and would lead to being crushed by God;s judgement

— they took advantage of the privilege; misused what God had untrusted them with for their own gain

— Rejecting God’s son: who is the heir and the eternal inheritance for those who would believe.

to fall on the stone, is to just stumble over it—faithful Christians are prone to this stumbling...sin. But, there is a way of being restored of being healed from our stumbling

Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”

(S11)

IV. Rejection or Repentance? It’s a CHOICE

Jesus the stone that some rejected would become the cornerstone of our redemption and faith in God; but we have to choose the marvelous gift of God.

Mark 1:15 ““The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!””

What does this mean for those who profess Jesus as God’s stone...? For the church?

(S12)

1. Their is a NEW vineyard

...planted by God through his son

another people; another nation of many who will follow Jesus...gentiles and Jews alike

Revelation 21:5 “He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.””

It is leased/given and entrusted to the church

Matthew 16:18 “I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build MY church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Those in it are called to care for it...tend to it...

Matthew 28:19 “...go and make disciples of ALL nations...

(S13)

2. There is an expectation of FRUIT in the vineyard

John 15:1–2 ““I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

God has given his new vineyard — the church to produce...

There is and expectation of fruit in our LIVES...

(S14)

3. JESUS is its cornerstone

Jesus God’s stone can either be a stumbling block or a step up. People will either get crushed by it or saved by it

...REPENT and BELEIVE which the chief priests and Pharisees failed to do

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.””

Do you see your place in God’s vineyard?

— the provision of God and the privilege of being in God’s family?

Are you bearing fruit in it?

— Fruit that will last...

Is Jesus the cornerstone of your life, and all you do for God’s kingdom?

Do you Trust in Jesus as the son of God...your living stone

1 Corinthians 6:14 “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.”

Rejection or Repentance? Its’ a choice

(S15)

Will you CHOOSE JESUS?