Matt. 21:33-46
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37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
In 2007 a remarkable thing happened. A brand new Plymouth Belvedere that was buried in a vault in the ground in 1957 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Oklahoma statehood was unearthed. 50 years after it was buried the ground was moved away from the top and the concrete slabs that entombed the car were removed. A crane lifted the car in celebration of Oklahoma’s Centennial, though the result that emerged was not what was expected when the car was first buried. 50 years of water underground had turned a once new 1957 Plymouth into a pile of rust.
Not even the key for the car’s ignition survived fifty years under ground and under water!
So too the things of this world; what we hope to preserve in this life will be destroyed but what God changes by his word of truth will be preserved by his work for eternity!
Following our lesson last week where the Chief Priests and elders questioned Jesus’ authority and which ultimately caused Jesus to ask them this question; “John’s baptism was from God or man?”
37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
In 2007 a remarkable thing happened. A brand new Plymouth Belvedere that was buried in a vault in the ground in 1957 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Oklahoma statehood was unearthed. 50 years after it was buried the ground was moved away from the top and the concrete slabs that entombed the car were removed. A crane lifted the car in celebration of Oklahoma’s Centennial, though the result that emerged was not what was expected when the car was first buried. 50 years of water underground had turned a once new 1957 Plymouth into a pile of rust.
Not even the key for the car’s ignition survived fifty years under ground and under water!
So too the things of this world; what we hope to preserve in this life will be destroyed but what God changes by his word of truth will be preserved by his work for eternity!
Following our lesson last week where the Chief Priests and elders questioned Jesus’ authority and which ultimately caused Jesus to ask them this question; “John’s baptism was from God or man?”
“I don’t know” was their reply fearing both Jesus and the people.
So too Jesus also refused to tell them where his authority came from.
Today we see also Christ’s continued teaching to the Chief Priests and Elders with his use of parables. And we know that a parable is a story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.
So too Jesus also refused to tell them where his authority came from.
Today we see also Christ’s continued teaching to the Chief Priests and Elders with his use of parables. And we know that a parable is a story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.
33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.
Jesus here begins with an image of a vineyard, life, fruit and sustenance.
You can imagine a beautiful vineyard contained within a fenced [walled area] and all within the vineyard is the masters having been leased to the tenants to tend and produce fruit. So too, this world that God created and gave to the children of Israel who were to manage his creation and produce fruit.
34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
As the harvest approaches the master sends servants to get what is His. But they are mistreated, beat, stoned and one is killed.
The message of John the Baptist to the Pharisees and Sadducees was to bear fruit in keeping with repentance, to turn away from sin, and to receive the washing of repentance in the baptism he offered - pointing forward to the one that was to come whose sandal he was not worthy to untie.
Those who study the Law and the Prophets should have connected this to the Book of Isaiah, but they had hardened their hearts and refused to hear.
John was sent to prepare the way. He ultimately was killed.
The question asked last week by Jesus in our gospel lesson, 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” put the Chief Priests and Elders on notice. Jesus simply asks them, do you trust God or man? Their answer was a decisive, “We don’t know,” coming out of both fear for Jesus and the crowds.
36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them.
Our Lord here shows the Chief Priests and Elders that they too acted like the tenants in the parable, treating the servants sent from God as despised and rejected. They were caretakers of the Lord’s vineyard and they have fallen short.
37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son … they said to themselves,
‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’
It is no coincidence that the tenants killed the son for in keeping with the parable Jesus was showing the type of death he too would suffer.
39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Jesus was led outside the city gates where the prisoners were taken to a small hill called Golgotha to be crucified, so the image of the master’s son being thrown out of the vineyard parallels the Lord’s own rejection and so to those who name the name of Christ, whether Apostle, whether King or just simply you and me.
So Jesus asks this question …
40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” What will he do to those who have been given the responsibility to care for all that is the masters?
We’ll, the Chief Priests and Elders answer for themselves:
41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
The point is; that those who had been given the vineyard as tenants to care for the master’s property thought more of the property for themselves than the master.
Even His son they killed. The analogy of heaven and hell is a good one for Chief Priests and Elders desired a heaven apart from Christ and a heaven apart from Christ … is hell.
43 Therefore [Jesus says] I tell you; the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.
A baptism of repentance with John has become a baptism of forgiveness in Christ. Physical Israel, those born of the flesh, has given way to Spiritual Israel, those born of the Spirit, born again, born anew and born from above.
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3:5-7
You dear friends, who have been baptized, who have been born of the Spirit, who have been born from above, have been given the Kingdom.
You have been marked as Christ’s, and redeemed by Christ.
He has washed you clean and you have been given the Vineyard and heaven is your home and God by his Spirit, continues to work in you and me to bear fruit for his Kingdom!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
Jesus here begins with an image of a vineyard, life, fruit and sustenance.
You can imagine a beautiful vineyard contained within a fenced [walled area] and all within the vineyard is the masters having been leased to the tenants to tend and produce fruit. So too, this world that God created and gave to the children of Israel who were to manage his creation and produce fruit.
34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
As the harvest approaches the master sends servants to get what is His. But they are mistreated, beat, stoned and one is killed.
The message of John the Baptist to the Pharisees and Sadducees was to bear fruit in keeping with repentance, to turn away from sin, and to receive the washing of repentance in the baptism he offered - pointing forward to the one that was to come whose sandal he was not worthy to untie.
Those who study the Law and the Prophets should have connected this to the Book of Isaiah, but they had hardened their hearts and refused to hear.
John was sent to prepare the way. He ultimately was killed.
The question asked last week by Jesus in our gospel lesson, 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” put the Chief Priests and Elders on notice. Jesus simply asks them, do you trust God or man? Their answer was a decisive, “We don’t know,” coming out of both fear for Jesus and the crowds.
36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them.
Our Lord here shows the Chief Priests and Elders that they too acted like the tenants in the parable, treating the servants sent from God as despised and rejected. They were caretakers of the Lord’s vineyard and they have fallen short.
37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son … they said to themselves,
‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’
It is no coincidence that the tenants killed the son for in keeping with the parable Jesus was showing the type of death he too would suffer.
39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Jesus was led outside the city gates where the prisoners were taken to a small hill called Golgotha to be crucified, so the image of the master’s son being thrown out of the vineyard parallels the Lord’s own rejection and so to those who name the name of Christ, whether Apostle, whether King or just simply you and me.
So Jesus asks this question …
40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” What will he do to those who have been given the responsibility to care for all that is the masters?
We’ll, the Chief Priests and Elders answer for themselves:
41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
The point is; that those who had been given the vineyard as tenants to care for the master’s property thought more of the property for themselves than the master.
Even His son they killed. The analogy of heaven and hell is a good one for Chief Priests and Elders desired a heaven apart from Christ and a heaven apart from Christ … is hell.
43 Therefore [Jesus says] I tell you; the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.
A baptism of repentance with John has become a baptism of forgiveness in Christ. Physical Israel, those born of the flesh, has given way to Spiritual Israel, those born of the Spirit, born again, born anew and born from above.
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3:5-7
You dear friends, who have been baptized, who have been born of the Spirit, who have been born from above, have been given the Kingdom.
You have been marked as Christ’s, and redeemed by Christ.
He has washed you clean and you have been given the Vineyard and heaven is your home and God by his Spirit, continues to work in you and me to bear fruit for his Kingdom!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
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