Pentecost 20

Matthew 21:33–43 (NIV): 33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. 38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 “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.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

This parable is straight forward in its message and the conclusion should be obvious to all. It tells about a landowner who entrusts his vineyard to some farmers and gave them the task to tend it and to harvest the fruit. The landowner even provides help by way of protection and a means for them to be productive. But when the landowner sends representatives to collect his share of the harvest, the farmers refuse to pay and even mistreat the reps. And it goes from bad to worse. Not only do they mistreat and kill some of the reps, when the landowner sends his son, they conspire to kill him and are successful in their evil plot.

The conclusion? What do the farmers deserve? The landowner should bring those wretches to a wretched end.

What is the message of this parable?

Immediate. Jesus is summarazing the centuries old history of the nation of Israel. God is the landowner who has given the land of Canaan (we will refer to it as Israel) to his chose people. This was promised to Abraham and given to his descendants by conquest at the time of Joshua. The Lord gave them success and gave them victory in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds at times.

God entrusted the land to his people and their leaders. He gave them judges and then kings to rule them and required that the leaders be faithful and that the people also follow his laws, commands, and decrees. He sought the praise and worship of his people and that they live according to his commands which would bless them.

History tells us that they did not always do this. They often turned to other gods, mistreated the poor, practiced injustice, violated the commands, and sought help from foreign governments in time of crisis.

So God would send his representatives to call them to repentance and warn them of impending disaster and promise forgiveness if they repented. All the time pointing ahead to the Christ who would come to free them.

But how did they respond?

Nehemiah 9:22–27 (NIV): 22 “You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. 23 You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess. 24 Their children went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. 25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness. 26 “But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. 27 So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

Matthew 23:37–39 (NIV): 37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

And they did not stop with the prophets or Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 (NIV): 13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

Those who rejected God rejected his messengers in the past, his Son Jesus, and continued to reject those whom Jesus had sent.

When Jesus told this parable, the time line was that God has sent him to his people and they were in the process of rejecting him and would very soon kill him.

But they couldn’t see it. Oh, they knew what should have happened to such impenitent farmers who mistreated and murdered people. But they couldn’t see themselves for whom they were. They were the farmers who were plotting to kill Jesus.

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the people.

Two thousand years later we look back at this parable and realize just how true it was and how the wrath of God has come upon those who rejected Jesus. But how does it apply to us?

It is a warning against rejecting Jesus. I would pray that our Lord is keepng us strong in our faith through the means of grace so that we don’t ever do that.

It can also be a parable to reinforce the importance of “producing fruit” as responsible stewards.

God had entrusted the people of Israel with their nation and ways to worship and serve him. What are the types of things God has entrusted into our care?

Time

Talents

Treasure

Temple

We realize that we are accountable for how we use these gifts. When we were in school, were we given homework to do? What did were we also given in connection with that homework? Time. One project my children were given was the “dreaded” fifth grade science project. They were given several weeks to choose, research, and produce that science project. But invariably we learned the night before it was due what materials were needed to complete it (which were not in our house). How often don’t I hear from confirmation students they didn’t have time to complete their homework (memory work for example) because something came up the night before even though I had assigned it a week ago.

We have been given spiritual gifts to use to benefit others instead of just ourselves or not using them.

Much can be said about the financial resources we have in the area of treasure. An even greater treasure is the truth of God’s word and the opportunities we have to share it and the warnings about keeping silent.

We also realize how we are to take care of our bodies so we can be as effective as possible in using our other gifts.

God has given us tremendous resources to be used to his glory.

He expects us to use them responsibly (passages)

Luke 16:10–13 (NIV): 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

And will hold us accountable (passages)

Hebrews 4:12–13 (NIV): 12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Does not have to be grand. Jesus cites the simplest of things in his parable of the sheep and the goats.

Conclusion: Just as the Lord God gave his people a wonderful responsibility to follow him and to proclaim him among the nations and held them accountable to that covenant, so to the Lord has entrusted us with an important mission. We are to live for Jesus and give glory to God by obeying him and serving out fellow man. May God strengthen us so that we will willingly respond to his love in way that are God pleasing.