Annette Brady
This parable has six main characters: the landowner-God, the vineyard-Israel, the first tenant/farmers-the Jewish religious leadership, the landowner’s servants-the prophets who remained obedient and preached God’s word to the people of Israel, the son-Jesus, and the second tenants - us. In this parable, the landowner sends his servants to collect his portion of the harvest. They are cruelly rejected by the first tenants; some are beaten, stoned, and even killed. Then he sends even more the second time, and they receive the same treatment. Ultimately, the landowner sends his own son, believing that they will surely respect him. But the tenants believe that if they kill the son, they will receive his inheritance.
Jesus now asks the question, what will the owner do to the evil tenants? Jesus leaves open the question of what Israel’s leadership is going to do with the Son of God, which he refers to as the "cornerstone," the foundation of the church. The parable is explaining how Jesus will be rejected by the religious establishment and crucified.
The key to understanding this parable and what it says about the religious leaders is found where Jesus tells the leaders that, because of their disobedience, they will be left out of the Kingdom of heaven. He is saying that there will be a new people of God so that Jesus can establish his church. It will usher in a period of time where man will understand forgiveness of sins by the work of Christ on the cross.
Jesus continues the stone metaphor to show how a stone can be used to build something beautiful, such as his church, or it can be used to crush and destroy. This could be likened to God’s word -- to some it is salvation, peace and comfort. To others it is foolish and disconcerting because of its ability to convict man of his sins.
The chief priests are jealous of Jesus’ popularity with the common people. They realize that Jesus is talking about them. They understand the analogy of the son and that Jesus is referring to himself. The people think of Jesus as a prophet from God. Arresting Him could cause an uprising. And an uprising would jeopardize the leader’s relationship with the Roman authorities.
I apply this parable to my life by asking two questions. First, have I come to know Christ, or have I rejected him like the Jewish leadership did? Second, if I am a believer, what have I done with Jesus? Am I like the bad tenants, rejecting his Word and living a life of disobedience?
Like the tenants, we are free to choose, but we remain accountable to God. This story is a failure of stewardship and responsibility. The religious leaders failed to properly care for God’s people. They were entrusted with the care of the vineyard and mistakenly regarded it as their private business. We should be careful not to become so personally attached to a particular asset, lest worldly ideas replace those of the Holy Spirit. Any of us, with the best of intentions, can hinder God’s work and lose God’s will for our lives. To me, it is important to remember that we are trustees of God’s property in all areas of life and never its owner. We must give to others with the same generosity that God has generously and compassionately given to us. God generously provides for our welfare, is patient with our mistakes, and constantly appeals for us to change our ways. If you, as a parent, do not follow God wholeheartedly, how can you lead your children into obedient faith?
Being a good steward for me not only means being generous with others materially, but also being generous with my time. To me, where you spend your time most is really where your heart is. This is something I really struggle with. I am a very competitive person, and sometimes I get so caught up in learning a new technology or completing some milestone, that I forget about what really matters. I worry so much about how I appear that I overlook what is most important. As a result, I do not devote my time to things that I know I should as God's steward. Further, I use my abilities for things that are in my own self interest and not God's. I get the context of the message; I just don't always practice it.
As I get older, I have become keenly aware of my impact on others. The most specific impact I have is on my children. If I cannot, generously and compassionately, give my time to God's message, what legacy have I passed on to my children? More specifically, what tools have I given to them for spiritual survival? It is important to me to remember that as parental leaders, we are our children's first teachers.
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