God's Vineyard

All right, turn in your Bibles to Mark chapter 12. Mark chapter 12. I want to begin by reading from Mark chapter 12, verse 1: "And he began to speak to them in parables." I want to stop right there and talk a little bit about that.

First, we need to figure out what a parable is. I mean, I'm sure we've all heard the term, but let's make sure we understand it. Essentially, if we want a textbook definition, a parable is an instructive moral story often told with imagery or metaphor. The story supports a concept or instruction being taught. Sometimes, the parable is intended to reveal truth by making it more memorable, telling it in the form of a story, and using cultural imagery that people are familiar with and understand. Other times, parables are intended to mask or hide the significance by veiling them with metaphors. We see both of these in Scripture. We see both in the life of Christ. There's even a point in the Gospels where we're told that, after that point, Jesus spoke only in parables, and it was to hide and mask the truth about the kingdom of God that he was teaching. It was almost a form of judgment.

So, we're going to look at a parable, and this parable that we're going to look at this morning is known as a judgment parable. In other words, it's going to present the parable to you and then ask you to render a verdict or pass a judgment. What do you think? What should happen? What do you think we should do? What is your estimation of this circumstance? One of the most well-known examples of this was when the prophet Nathan confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba and his sin against Uriah. You remember Nathan began by telling him a story about a certain wealthy man who had all kinds of herds and flocks, cattle galore. Then there was this poor man, and all he had was one small ewe lamb. This poor man was very dear to this lamb, and it was his prized possession. This rich man had a visitor come to him, and he wanted to throw a feast for him. So, rather than sacrificing one of the cattle among his countless herds, he took that little ewe lamb, sacrificed it, and they ate it. Without Nathan even asking David to render a verdict, in 2 Samuel 12, David responds, "The man who has done this deserves to die." He instinctively says, "I've got the judgment, and here it is. This guy deserves to die." That's when Nathan says, "Surprise, surprise. This is just a parable, David, but it's actually about you."

So, this is that kind of parable. We're going to look at one that's going to ask the hearer to render a verdict. There's another thing you need to understand about parables, and this is often missed: parables tend to have one central point, and only some of the details are connected to that main point. Other details in the parable are there just to provide the story elements, make it more vivid, and help us grasp it better. When you come to parables, including this one, there are going to be details listed. They don't all have spiritual significance. They aren't all metaphorical. Some are there just to tell the story.

All right, so that's what we're talking about when we talk about parables. Let's keep reading in Mark 12. "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. When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent another, and him they killed, and so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally, he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard."

So, that's the parable. It's recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. All of them tell it with essentially the same details. Some have slight variations in wording and descriptions, but it's basically the same. We have a familiar scenario that the people of Jerusalem, the people of first-century Palestine, would have been well familiar with. We have it playing out even to this day. We have people who invest in land and lease it out to farmers and agricultural workers. This would have been the same thing. He buys this land, plants a vineyard there, gets it all set up, but he's not going to do the work. He's going to let somebody lease it from him. In exchange for leasing it, he is going to get some of the yield from this vineyard. Everybody listening to this story would have said, "Yeah, we've seen this done a thousand times. We know what you're talking about. This is everyday stuff."

It also wouldn't have been uncommon for the tenants, after the initial season, to want to renegotiate the terms, but it would have been very strange for them to be this aggressive toward the servants of the landowner who are coming to claim his fee for leasing the vineyard. As for the final step, when the son comes, their assumption would be that this means the vineyard owner has died, and the son is coming to claim his right to this vineyard. Therefore, if we kill him, then all bets are off, and we can do whatever we want. There are some assumptions made. That's essentially what's going on. It would have been a very disgraceful situation. Everybody would have been offended, at the very least, at how these people had treated them. In fact, I believe in Luke's account, when Jesus finally asks the hearers to render their verdict, some of the people just cry out, "This shouldn't be so. This isn't how people are supposed to act." That was their verdict: "This is unjust. This isn't right."

Let's talk about what the metaphor is, what all this symbolizes, and what Jesus is telling in this parable. As we're going to see, the vineyard essentially represents Israel and the old covenant that God gave them. The vineyard owner is God the Father. The fruit to be given to him would be the proper worship of him that he spelled out in the Old Testament. The tenants are Israel, but it is specifically directed at the religious leaders of Israel. That's who Jesus is pointing this parable to as he's telling it. The servants are the prophets that God sent to his people again and again, calling them to repent and give God the fruits of this vineyard—give him the proper worship that he alone deserves. Obviously, the beloved son is none other than Jesus, the Son of God. It's a condensed version of Israel's history as God's chosen people.

When we look at the judgment foretold by the prophets, judgment usually starts with the spiritual leaders. They are the ones who are most responsible for administering and upholding the worship of God and shepherding the people to worship God as he has prescribed. For example, in Malachi 2:1, we read, "And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of Hosts, then I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them because you do not lay it to heart." This is God pronouncing judgment through the prophet Malachi on the priests of Israel. They have not honored his name. We see this again in places like the book of Jeremiah. Much of the prophetic judgment pronounced by Jeremiah is against the religious leaders of God's people. Similarly, in Ezekiel, God shows Ezekiel the abominations involving pagan worship that the people of Israel have undertaken in exchange for the true worship of God, and the harshest condemnation is reserved for the religious leaders who have led the people astray.

Jesus, through this parable, reminds them of what God has done for Israel by planting this beautiful vineyard, providing it for them, and blessing them. In exchange, he expects to be worshiped as he has outlined. He's set them apart from the nations, provided for them, protected them, and blessed them, all under the umbrella of his covenant promises. Central to their protection and provision was worship. Indeed, the old covenant, the Mosaic law, is primarily about worship. "You shall have no other gods before me." This is the first commandment of the Ten Commandments. The greatest commandment in the law is summed up in the command, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind." God not only told his people to worship him; he gave them clear instructions about how they were supposed to do this.

Time and again, they not only rejected him but chose to worship other gods or simply lived for themselves, putting themselves in the place. Perhaps the most familiar example is in Exodus 32, with the golden calf. Seemingly no sooner had God delivered the people from Egypt, brought them out of captivity and that oppressive situation, and taken Moses up onto Mount Sinai, than they felt he was up there too long. They needed a god they could see and worship. So, they took all their jewelry and the gold God had blessed them with as they left Egypt, melted it down, made a calf, and worshiped it. Early in God's history, he used the judges to correct Israel's rebellion and bring them back to a right place, though usually short-lived. Later, God sent prophets to warn the people and call them to repent and return to the proper worship of Yahweh, their God. These prophetic warnings came with a foretelling of judgment if there was no repentance. How were these prophets treated? How were they treated? They were treated poorly. Their message was rejected, and they were harassed, persecuted, and even killed.

Listen to the words of Jesus. Turn to Matthew chapter 23, beginning at verse 29. Jesus says: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding in the blood shedding of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors fathers, you serpents, you brood of vipers! How are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore, I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have longed to gathered gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and but you were not willing!"

Jesus makes it clear that it was often the so-called spiritual leaders of Israel who were most complicit in the rejection and even execution of these prophets. Now, God has sent Jesus, the Son of God, his beloved Son, and he, too, is going to be killed. This is what the parable tells us.

So, let's look at verse 9: "What will the owner of the vineyard do?" This is Jesus saying, "Okay, render your verdict. What's to be done in this situation? What does justice look like?" He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? 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."

Jesus invites the hearers to make their judgment. What will the vineyard owner do? What is the right thing to do? What should be the consequence of the tenants' actions? They accepted the lease, were blessed by the vineyard, but harassed, threw out, disgraced, and killed the servants sent to them. They behaved shamefully and did not render the fruit due to the owner. He even sent his beloved son, and they killed him as well. The vineyard owner is not going to be passive. He will take action. There will be consequences for the tenants. But the vineyard of God's blessing and provision will endure. It will be given to others. The rejected stone, Jesus the Messiah, will become the cornerstone of new covenant worship. He will fulfill the old covenant. The old sacrificial system will end through his perfect sacrifice.

A couple of weeks ago, we talked about Jesus going into the temple mount, turning over the tables, and chasing out the money changers and those selling pigeons. We said he wasn't just being disruptive but indicating that he was going to tear this whole system down. This old covenant system, now so corrupt and defiled by how it was being abused, would be torn down, and he would institute a new covenant worship system.

This parable illuminates three truths about God that should lead us to understand him better and worship him with greater joy. One truth, which we kind of shot through quickly, is that God is patient, not powerless. The fact that the vineyard owner sends servant after servant does not indicate that he is inept or unable to enforce the rules of the vineyard but demonstrates God's patience with his people, calling them to repentance again and again. Consider how many times the vineyard owner sends servants. It gets to the point where it says, "And so of many others." He sends a servant, they throw him out; he sends another, they kill him; and on and it goes on. This shows grace and mercy as he sends them repeatedly. If you look at your Bible, about a quarter of it is taken up by these prophetic witnesses calling God's people to repent.

Even within the prophets, knowing that the people will reject them, there are promises of things to come, blessings for the faithful remnant who will worship and serve God as he ordained. Over and over, God sends prophets to warn his people and call them back to true worship. In other words, the Bible would be a lot shorter if God not been so patient. If God wasn't patient, the Bible would end in Genesis chapter 3. When Adam and Eve sinned, if God wasn't patient, that'd be it: "I gave you this beautiful garden, everything you could want, literal perfection. I gave you one rule. You can't keep it, I'm done with you." That's what it would be like if God was not patient.

David says, "Lord, if you counted iniquities, who would stand?" If God was like, "One strike, and that's it," number one would be the end. In Exodus 34:6-7, Moses is on Mount Sinai. He asked God, "Can I see your glory?" God says, "No, you would be obliterated if I showed you my glory. But I'll put you in this rock, cover you, let you see the shadow of my back, and tell you my name." It says, "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation.'"

God is gracious and merciful, patient, and slow to anger, but that doesn't mean judgment will never come. It doesn't mean he's sweeping things under the rug or stacking them in the closet, pretending they never happened. For those who reject him, there will be consequences. In 2 Peter 3:9, Peter addresses this: "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." In verse 15, he says, "Count the patience of our Lord as salvation." He's addressing people harassing persecuted Christians, mocking them about Christ's return: "You talk about Christ coming back, but look, it's the same as always for thousands of years." Peter says, "First, that's wrong. Things change. Second, just because God hasn't come yet doesn't mean he's slow. His timing isn't ours. He's patient with a purpose: he wants more people saved, to come to faith, and be welcomed into his kingdom."

Even now, the Lord is patient with us, allowing time for people to put faith in Christ and repent. In his death, Jesus takes on the punishment for sinners like you and me. Through his resurrection, he secures a pardon for sin and righteousness in God's eyes for believers. The Bible says all who trust in Christ's work alone to save them will be saved. This is what God's patience allows—time for more to be saved. That means today, not tomorrow, is the day of salvation. Today is the day to let go of your sin and brokenness and cling to Jesus Christ for new, eternal life. This is what God's patience is about. He shows it in the prophets, in sending Jesus, and now as he allows the church to proclaim the gospel that salvation is available in Christ.

Another truth in this parable, often lost in modern Christian culture, is that God cares about worship—how he is worshiped. Some of God's strictest judgments were for those who perverted his worship. Look at Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, priests whose father was the high priest. They offered strange fire—whatever that was, they didn't worship God as he wanted—and were struck dead. Saul grew impatient waiting for Samuel to make sacrifices at Gilgal after a victory and took it upon himself to offer them. Samuel told him, "What have you done? You can't change how God wants to be worshiped just to hurry up. It's not up to you." Because of that, Saul lost the right for his descendants to inherit the throne.

In Ezekiel, God shows the terrible things Israel's people did to his worship. God still cares about worship, not just in the Old Testament. John Calvin said, "The first foundation of righteousness is the worship of God." If you want to live right before God, start by examining how you worship him. Worship should be a source of joy, encouragement, and peace, but it's not about us. It's an opportunity to exalt God's glory, honor him, praise him, and declare his goodness. We should be reminded of God's undeserved goodness as we pray, sing, fellowship, read his Word, give tithes and offerings, hear his Word preached, and share testimonies. It should fill us up, and enliven us, but It should remind us that God is great, worthy of worship, and It must always be about him Him and for him Him.

This is why you and I must prepare for worship. We don't just roll in haphazardly, whether to church, small groups, or private devotional time. Clear away distractions, confess sin, and focus your mind and heart on God. God cares about how we worship him.

The third truth dovetails with the first: God gives 480 second chances. God's patience is needed because we fail so often. Turn to 1 Peter 2:4-10: "As you who come to Jesus Christ him, a living stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen by God and precious, you yourselves, like living stones, are You are being built up as a spiritual priesthood house, a holy nation to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture, : 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a cornerstone stone, a stone chosen and precious, cornerstone; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.' So the The honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, 'The stone that the builders rejected has become has been made the cornerstone,' and 'and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.' They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do so."

This is the same idea that Jesus is getting at in Mark 12 when he talks about the stone rejected by builders becoming the cornerstone. Revelation 21:9 5:9 tells us Jesus, by his blood, bought ransomed for God people from every tribe, language, people, and nation—people, both from God's chosen people and from the Gentiles, those formerly opposed to God. We see God's patience in giving second, third, fourth, and 482nd chances in that even reality. Even though Even though the religious leaders of Israel rejected God's covenant and Messiah, and others in many from Israel did the same, that it doesn't mean no one from God's chosen people can be part of his God's kingdom. God has always been faithful to preserve a faithful remnant, and the gospel is for both Jews and Gentiles now.

We see God's patience in New Testament characters. Peter denied Jesus at his arrest. All disciples except John fled at the crucifixion. Paul, a Pharisee, persecuted the church, calling himself the chief sinner. Yet they are among millions, perhaps billions, whom God, in his grace, has redeemed through Christ's blood to build the church. I love the expression we use for church people: "instruments of grace." It means that, as messed up as we are, failing thousands of times, God uses us. We are instruments of his grace, imparting grace to others and receiving his grace as he uses us for his kingdom.

At the end of Mark 12, the religious leaders understand in verse 12 that Jesus is talking about them. They knew they were the tenants, and he was the beloved son, yet they wanted him dead even more—a tragic irony. We get to be beneficiaries of God's grace, hearing this after the crucifixion, resurrection, New Testament, and thousands of years of church history. I'm glad God is just but also patient. The next time you or I are quick to write someone off as irredeemable, remember God's patience, giving 480 second chances. When was the last time you thanked God in prayer for being patient with you? We often ask for patience but need to realize how patient God is with us and thank him. But let's not forget: God's patience won't last forever. Today is the day to receive his grace.

Let's pray.