Mark 11: 27 – 12:12
But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So, they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes?”
Stories. To tell them well is an art form. A preacher friend is a master storyteller, and I could listen to him preach for hours. Jesus’ oft used method of teaching was stories. For his first listeners, it was most effective. Today’s story is told in Jerusalem, and specifically in the Temple courts. He begins to talk about a man who planted a vineyard. The man left the vineyard in the care of others, but the people who worked for him had no respect for the owner’s representative. So, he then sent his last option – his son.
Jesus often was not so obvious in his parables; the analogy was not often so clear to the listeners. But this time, he knew his life was ending and there was still so much he had to teach them about God’s Kingdom and how to live in relationship with Him. This time, the chief priests, teachers, and elders knew they were the murderous tenants. What had been a low simmering anger burst into a flame, and they began to truly look like the subjects of the story Jesus had just shared.
It’s not comfortable to realized you precisely like the person in a tale of caution. It’s convicting and it doesn’t feel good to have our shortcomings or failures pointed out to us. We are still behaving like the tenants. We reject the words of the prophets, the teachings of those whom God has gifted to illuminate His Word to us. We choose to ignore the teachings of The Son. We live as if His death and resurrection mean nothing.
This Easter, make the decision to not be like the tenants in the parable. Learn from His teaching. Glean from His wisdom. Let Him be your Saviour and forever friend.
Joyfully Yours 