Luke 20-A “Surely not!”

S = 20:13-16 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And 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 destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!””

O = This parable is a close parallel to Isaiah 5:1-6 and would have been a parable that Jesus’ listener would have been very familiar with. They would have understood right from the beginning that the vineyard was a symbol that represented Israel and that the ending of the story in Jesus’ telling boded badly for them. The key is not the wicked tenants as most editorial comments title this section but on the character and claim of the Noble Vineyard owner. Especially in light of Isaiah 5 where God asks the people to judge between him and his vineyard and asks the question, “What more could I have done?” Well in light of the NT our answer to the question in Isaiah 5 would be that God could have sent his son. We see here in Jesus’ expansion of the Song of the vineyard he has the noble owner of the vineyard not only sending servants (can we see the OT prophets?) repeatedly demonstrating great patience with his renters, but he sends his Son. But after his rejection and death, the renters will be destroyed and the vineyard given to others. The reaction from those listening was emphatically opposed to such an ending. Were they denying that they would kill the Son, or rejecting the idea that Israel could pass to others? Sadly, like Peter’s denial of Jesus’ mission to go to the cross, those that denied this message’s fulfillment would see it come to pass not 40 years later.

A = How do I respond to God’s claim on my life for good fruit? He has done so much for me, bringing me out of the Egypt of my former sinful life and has planted me in the land where I can rejoice and benefit from being in the presence of God. How can I produce violent greedy wild (sour/bitter) grapes? How do I respond to God’s patient, tender, and just promptings to yield my life to his Lordship, his authority? What do I do when I am convicted in my conscience? Do I lash out in anger and even violent defensiveness, or do I feel it and rush to self-medicate instead of repenting? This week I am choosing to confess when convicted and to yield up what is due to the owner of the vineyard…for I am merely a renter.

P = O Lord, please don’t stop speaking to my heart. Don’t stop asking me to yield to you. I pray that you would keep my heart soft to respond to your patient love with joy and faithfulness, not separation and selfishness. May I not hold anything back from worshipping you this week with all that is in my hands, and all that in in my soul. Lord, let me not forget that your song of the vineyard is a love song. Your motives in dealing with me and all that concerns me is love. May you receive back that which you are looking for, that which is yours by right of your faithful authority over me, good fruit. Amen.