The vineyard owner wasn’t the only one the tenants rejected. They also rejected the owner’s son. This daily devotional looks at the killing of the owner’s son and the dressing down of the tenants.
Nuggets
- The tenants thought killing the vineyard owner’s son would mean a victory for them.
- Though the owner’s son was rejected, He will be victorious in the end.
Devotions in the Luke’s Diagnosis and Prescription series
Devotions in the Parable of the Vineyard Owner series
In the last devotion, we started looking at Jesus’ parable about the vineyard owner. His audience would have known that God was the owner.
After the tenants injured the servants the owner sent, the owner tried a new route. Let’s see the end of the story.
Let's Put It into Context
The nuggets from the previous devotion were as follows:
- The members of the Sanhedrin and the Herodians questioned Jesus’ authority.
- By killing the vineyard owner’s servants, the tenants were rejecting his authority.
Killing of the Owner’s Son
“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him. But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, “This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours.” So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those farmers and give the vineyard to others.’ But when they heard this they said, ‘That must never happen!’”
The tenants thought killing the vineyard owner’s son would mean a victory for them.
If we would have been the vineyard owner, we would have been frustrated by then. Every servant — a.k.a. slave — was disrespected.
What to do!? The vineyard owner brought out the big gun — his heir.
Did the vineyard owner hesitate? Maclaren wrote, “He must have known that he was running a risk in sending his son, but he so much desires to bring the dishonest workmen back to their duty that he is willing to run it.”
Resource
I don’t think God hesitated. Before He even created us, He knew we were going to disobey Him. So, before we disobeyed Him, He designed the Plan of Salvation to restore our relationships to Him.
That isn’t hesitation.
Glossary
Did the tenants respect the son any more than they did the servants? A big, fat NO! The tenants thought if they would kill the heir, the vineyard would be theirs.
Seriously? They thought they could get what they want by murder?
Not. Going. To. Happen. “… What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those farmers and give the vineyard to others … ” (Lk. 20: 15-16 CSB).
Maclaren interpreted that the way it is written — a new set of tenants would be found for the vineyard. He wrote, “The transference of the vineyard to another set of tenants, which Christ threatened at the close of the parable, has been accomplished, and so we, by our possession of the Gospel, are entrusted with the vineyard, and are responsible for rendering the fruits of holy living and love.”
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We know that the new set of tenants are those who have admitted that mankind was separated from God after the original sin, making us sinners; believed Jesus paid the penalty for those sins to become our Savior and Redeemer; confessed God as Sovereign God; and demonstrate that commitment by submitting to living our lives following His laws and commandments. They include Jews and Gentiles.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
How did the members of the Sanhedrin and the Herodians respond? God forbid.
But what were they forbidding God from doing? Probably giving the vineyards to others. They didn’t want Gentiles taking over the vineyard.
What? They didn’t think the owner of the vineyard should protect his property? He shouldn’t expect his share of the harvest? He shouldn’t expect a specific conduct out of the tenants?
Stated that way it really does drive home the contrast between God’s expectations and the worldview people’s conduct.
But don’t we do that? We think God should give in to us stomping our feet and throwing our hissy fits. We think He should sit back and just accept whatever actions we give Him. We want to call the shots and be in control.
Maybe the members of the Sanhedrin and the Herodians were thinking that they would never act in that manner. However, Clarkson’s wrote, “These Jews shrank from an action which was described to them, as a thing too base for them to commit; and yet they were in the very act of committing it.”
Resource
Mears made a great observation. How many books of the Bible are written by priests? None. How many by prophets? 18.
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God didn’t leave the sharing of His word to the religious leaders. It is sad when religious leaders lead us away from God because of their desire for power.
Most of the prophets were ordinary people.
Jesus Calls Them Out
“But he looked at them and said, ‘Then what is the meaning of this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him.’ Then the scribes and the chief priests looked for a way to get their hands on him that very hour, because they knew he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.” (Lk. 20: 17-19 CSB)
Though the owner’s son was rejected, He will be victorious in the end.
I like how verse 17 starts. “But he looked at them and said …” (Lk. 20: 17 CSB).
Jesus looked them in the eye and called them on their actions. It is another question, another “Riddle me this.”
But Jesus doesn’t let them off the hook. He didn’t back down.
Maclaren thought it broke Jesus’ heart to have to deal with this opposition, but He dealt with it. Jesus was true to His mission.
Resource
The members of the Sanhedrin and the Herodians were, once again, shown that Jesus could read hearts and minds. We’ve talked about this a couple of times already in this series.
Glossary
Jesus was quoting Psalms 118: 22. Again, He is calling on the religious leaders for not following God’s Will.
Clarkson brought up a whole bunch of “how could” questions. They were all different aspects of how could the religious leaders reject the Messiah?
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Verse 18 is a doozy. “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him” (Lk. 20: 18 CSB).
Jesus is the cornerstone. Everything depends on Him. It branches out and revolves around Him.
Clarkson said that we are injured whenever we are counter to Jesus. We will be judged for not following God’s laws and commandments. “And saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mk. 1: 15 ESV).
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I read that a different way.
- “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces …” (Lk. 20: 18 CSB). Disciples are broken. We break when we see how much sin is in our lives. We break because we are separated from God. God cannot save us until we break.
- “… but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him” (Lk. 20: 18 CSB). If we do not ABCD, come judgment day, we will be shattered. Jesus will fall in us and defeat sin once and for all. We will spend eternity shattered.
We must put our faith and trust in the Son. We can’t kill our opportunity for salvation. We need to accept the Vineyard Owner’s Son and rejoice that He has come.
I have always found it amazing that the religious leaders were afraid of the crowd. “Then the scribes and the chief priests looked for a way to get their hands on him that very hour, because they knew he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.” (Lk. 20: 19 CSB).
Making the Connections
Clarkson pointed out that not all of our questions get answered. God, in His wisdom, may make us wait for the answer until we get to Heaven.
There are things we just don’t need to know. If we are asking in any form of sin, God will not answer us. If we are trying to do something upside of His Will or in our own way, He will not answer us.
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Jesus suffered the pain and humiliation of the cross for our sakes. He didn’t have to — but He did. He was the only worthy Sacrifice.
If Jesus would have said, “No, I’m not going to do it,” we would not be saved. We would spend eternity in hell.
But Jesus went to the cross and rose again victorious.
How Do We Apply This?
We have to take care. Thomson warned us “that if we cease to bring forth the fruit of holiness, the kingdom of God will also be taken from us.” We have to continue to grow in godliness.
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- We need to be thankful that God is our father and is a forgiving Father.
- We have to give the Lord His due.
- We have imitate God, not Satan.
- Jesus has to be our foundation.
- We must make sure sin is not in our hearts.
- We must watch and pray so that we keep in God’s Will.
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God is very clear that He is Sovereign God. The Plan of Salvation is straightforward. The Son will be victorious in the end.
Father God. You are Sovereign Lord. You are Creator of all. You have designed the Plan of Salvation so that we may be restored to You. This could only be done through the life and death of Your perfect Son. We admit, believe, and confess we need Jesus as our Savior and You as our Father. Amen.
What do you think?
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