“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” 45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.
Jesus tells us a story to convict us of our sin. This isn’t a movie where we look on with righteous indignation while the bad guy get what’s coming to him. WE are the bad guy. We are field hands who need to bring in the harvest. But we try to keep the harvest for ourselves. We defy the owner’s messengers and send them away with nothing. We even maneuver to own the whole estate outright, robbing the owner. What will the owner do? Well, he sent his son, the one telling the story, the Word made flesh. Will you kill Him, or listen to Him? In your sin, you have already killed Him. But in God’s mercy it isn’t too late to listen to Him, and be forgiven even that grievous offense.
1/31/10
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