The Longsuffering Landowner
Preached by Jason Abbott
April 6, 2014
Introduction
This week we’re going to do things a little differently than we normally do. We’re going to start with the point of the passage—the point of this little parable—then we’re going to look back at some of its details, in light of the narrative’s purpose or goal.
Now, you might ask, why do I want to do it this way? What’s my reasoning? Well, I want us to do it like this because (I’m convinced) the detail questions can, and should, lead us to some profound personal applications in our own lives.
See, we’re working things back to front so as to better understand the details. Think of it like one of those algebra problems where you’re given the sum but only one of the constants (e.g. 4 + x = 6). Without the problem’s answer, 6, we wouldn’t have any clue what the problem’s variable, x, could possibly be.
In a similar way, until we understand the goal of Jesus’ little story here, we’ll never be able to discern what its details mean for us! (This is often how it works with narratives—the ending helps to define the plot’s details.)
So, here’s the spoiler. Throughout this little story, Jesus is essentially telling all those who listen that:
He’s the Son (the heir) who will be killed (tossed out of the vineyard), yet none of these rebellious efforts will, in the least, overturn his Father’s authority.
Thus, Jesus’ story has some of the narrative’s details operating symbolically: “the vineyard is Israel; the owner is God; the tenants are the Jewish leaders; the servants are the prophets; and the only son and heir is Jesus.”1
Clearly, the Jewish leadership recognizes their position in the narrative. Therefore, Mark tells us that “they perceived that he had told the parable against them” (v. 12). In other words, the Jewish leaders perceived that they were the brutal and lawless tenants! And, furthermore, these leaders likely recognized that, in this story, Jesus was the son sent by the landowner, who represented God!
So, that’s the spoiler! That’s the story’s main point!
Now, how does the story’s main point shed light upon the parable’s details? How does it bring out some very important truths about life on this side of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Well, let’s read this story, pray for our time in it, and, then, ask the detail-questions of Jesus’ story.
Mark 12:1-12
1 And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11 this was the Lord's doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.
1. What do the tenants want (vv. 2-8), and will they get it (v. 9)?
In this story, it’s clear that the tenants want the vineyard for themselves. They don’t merely want to work the vineyard; they want to own the vineyard!
In this parable, it’s obvious these tenants don’t want the owner’s authority. Instead, they themselves want to rule. They will not listen to the vineyard’s master. They don’t want to be told what to do!
Remember from Benjamin’s sermon last week that the religious leaders were concerned with and, therefore, questioning of Jesus’ authority and power. Consequently, they came to him and asked:
By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them (Mark 11:28)?
Jesus, however, will not answer their questions unless they answer his first. Interestingly, they won’t answer Jesus’ question for fear of losing their own power. You see, Jesus has come to Jerusalem displaying great authority and great power, and these leaders are very concerned because his authority and power threatens their own authority and power.
They are the tenants in Jesus’ parable! They are the keepers of the vineyard! Like those tenants they do not simply want to tend the vineyard for its master. These religious leaders don’t want to merely shepherd the Israelites for God! Rather, they want to rule the vineyard! They want to rule Israel!
In my preparation for this sermon, I came across an organization called the Freedom from Religion Foundation. They want to free you from a religious prison. They want to release you from the despotic dogmas of religious authoritarianism! They want to save you from the oppressive power of religious faith!
Yet, ironically, they have a tab on their website entitled: Outreach & Events. You see, they want you to throw off the restrictive shackles of religious authority in order that you might put on another set of authority structures, in this case, atheistic authority structures—their authority structures!
The American prophet, Bob Dylan, has a song called Gotta Serve Somebody. In it, he sings:
You may be an ambassador to England or France. / You may like to gamble. You might like to dance. / You may be the heavyweight champion of the world. / You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls.
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed. / You're gonna have to serve somebody. / It may be the devil or it may be the Lord. / But you're gonna have to serve somebody.
Do you see? It’s not a question of if but of whom you’re going to serve. Dylan had it quite right in his little song.
By telling this story, Jesus confronts the religious leaders with that question. The story asks them: What kind of tenants are you? Will you serve the true master? Or, will you serve the god of your lust for authority and power?
This story should confront us with the same question. We serve somebody. Is it going to be our ideas of success? Is it going to be the quest to end religion? Could it be religion itself? (It makes a pretty convenient idol!)
Or, will we serve God? Will we submit to Jesus’ claim to ultimate authority? Which must mean the continual crucifixion of our worship of personal power!
We see that these leaders won’t submit! They continue to pursue power. Mark tells us:
And they were seeking to arrest [Jesus]…(v. 12).
They were seeking to end his authority; however, they will never succeed! They will never get the power they desire! For as Psalm 2 ponders:
Why do the nations rage / and the peoples plot in vain? / The kings of the earth set themselves, / and the rulers take counsel together, / against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, / “Let us burst their bonds apart / and cast away their cords from us” (vv. 1-3).
The psalmist goes on to explain that such a power grasp will never succeed. The Lord simply laughs (v. 4) at such a challenge to his authority!
And this brings us to our second detail question:
2. What does Jesus use Psalm 118 to indicate (vv. 10-11)?
In Judaism, the second half of Psalm 118 was interpreted with reference to David’s ascension to the throne. Thus:
David, although initially rejected, is ultimately appointed king first over the tribe of Judah…and then Israel. Psalm 118 thus becomes a celebration of David’s inexorable accession to the throne….2
In short, no matter the amount of opposition, nor the amount of rejection, God will have his way. In David’s case, Saul could not, in all his power, stop God. Now import that into Jesus’ parable! No amount of plotting, of beating up servants, of killing messengers, or even of murdering the only son and heir of the vineyard will ever stop the true master of the vineyard’s claim to total authority!
In fact, Jesus is saying (as he had already said in his 3 passion predictions): My rejection will be God’s victory! My crucifixion will be his accomplished plan! My resurrection will be God’s glorious good news and kingdom come!
You cannot control the rule of God, the reign of God!
Do you believe this? If so, it must change the way you live!
You see, the religious leaders aren’t upset with all of what Jesus does. Rather, they’re upset with the areas in which Jesus’ authority has threatened them! They are challenging Jesus’ authority precisely where his authority has put their authority in jeopardy.
Consequently, Jesus tells this parable against the religious leaders because being opposed to God’s authority in any area (no matter how small it may seem) makes those leaders totally opposed to God’s authority!
And, we must be careful to turn the lens of this truth on our own lives also! Do you acknowledge God’s reign in every square inch of your life?
Do you say: I’m a Christian and, yet, lie in your business practices?
Do you say: Jesus is Lord and, yet, get blitzed a couple times a month?
Do you say: I’m the body of Christ and, yet, unite yourself to internet pornography whenever you please?
I’m not talking to those who struggle against such sins! I’m talking to those who say: Jesus has no authority here! That’s the issue with these religious leaders! And, that’s why they find themselves on the wrong side of God in this story!
This brings us to our final detail question:
3. What’s the warning of the final verse (v. 12)?
You may be like, “Warning? Jesus isn’t even talking in the last verse!” Nonetheless there is a warning for us in it. Look at what happens:
And they were seeking to arrest him…for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away (v. 12).
Jesus has just told these religious leaders a story. And remember that the main point of this parable is that:
He’s the Son (the heir) who will be killed (tossed out of the vineyard), yet none of these rebellious efforts will, in the least, overturn his Father’s authority.
These religious leaders recognize that they’re enemies of God in this story. Jesus, in telling the story, has basically asked them to consider their opposition to himself, to the Son!
Yet, they turn away and do exactly what their counterparts in the parable do!
So here’s the warning for us in verse 12:
It’s possible to encounter Jesus; it’s possible to be exposed to the good news; it’s possible to be warned to turn to Jesus and come under the authority of God and, yet, walk away and remain in total opposition to God!
It’s possible to be warned to ask yourself:
Do you say: I’m a Christian and, yet, lie in your business practices?
Do you say: Jesus is Lord and, yet, get blitzed a couple times a month?
Do you say: I’m the body of Christ and, yet, unite yourself to internet pornography whenever you please?
And still to walk away and continue to purposefully resist God’s authority! Please receive the warning of the religious leaders! Don’t walk away unchanged!
Jesus lived a perfect life…for you! Jesus died the rebel’s death…for you! Jesus rose to offer resurrected life…for you! He’s not a cruel or oppressive master! Rather, Jesus is loving and compassionate, and his Lordship is glorious!
1 Walter W. Wessel, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Mark, 731.
2 G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, 213.
