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9 Jesus told the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, rented it to tenant farmers, and went on a trip for a long time. 10 When it was time, he sent a servant to collect from the tenants his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants sent him away, beaten and empty-handed. 11 The man sent another servant. But they beat him, treated him disgracefully, and sent him away empty-handed as well. 12 He sent a third servant. They wounded this servant and threw him out. 13 The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I’ll send my son, whom I love dearly. Perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when they saw him, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 They threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “May this never happen!” ~ Luke 20:9-16
As we come back to the narrative of the Lord Jesus' last week on earth, it is still Wednesday. In just two days, Friday, He will be crucified. The Lord Jesus had long told His disciples this would be His conclusion when they arrived in Jerusalem.
In our text today, the Lord Jesus tells a story of a man who owned a vineyard and entered into a contract with some tenant farmers to run his vineyard. After a while, the man sent three different individuals to the tenant farmers to collect his portion of the fruit. He did this to no avail. Then he sent his son who the tenant farmers murdered.
In Luke 9:22 we read, "And he said, 'The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.'"
The word translated “rejected” means “to reject after careful investigation.” It was required that the Jews carefully examine the Passover lambs from the tenth day to the fourteenth day to make sure the lambs had no blemishes. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was watched and tested by His enemies during that final week, and yet in spite of what they saw and learned, they rejected Him.
In response, the Jewish religious leaders responded in a senseless way. Instead of nustling up to God with a heart full of gratitude for their blessings, the Jews rejected their Savior.
God displayed great patience with Israel. He sent them one messenger after another, yet they refused to allow their hearts to be vulnerable with God. Finally, when He sent His Son, they killed Him. In telling this story, the Lord Jesus gave His own death announcement.
In v.13 we read, "The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I’ll send my son, whom I love dearly. Perhaps they will respect him." What an act of grace. The lengths God has gone to rescue us and to earn our trust. But, the gospel only sounds good to those who are convinced that they need a savior. Those who think they’re good, grace is frustrating. For people who know they’re not, grace is exhilarating.
Shockingly, in v.14-15 we read, "But when they saw him, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours. 15 They threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to them?"
The religious leaders of Israel had full knowledge of who the son was. They understood more than they let on. This describes the religious leaders of Israel, they understood more than they let on.
In v.16 we read, "He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “May this never happen!" He will destroy them, and he will give the land into the care of others. This is appropriate judgment and no one would argue with that.
The second half of v.16 is most interesting. “When the people heard this, they said, “May this never happen!” When they heard it, the people said, "Μὴ γένοιτο" in the Greek. This is the strongest negative possible in the Greek language. It means, "Never, never, never!" This response proves they had come to understand the verdict of the man whose son was murdered. But, there is no sign of regret or even guilt.
In Revelation 2-3 there is a repeated phrase, “Let him who has ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says.” The Lord is not talking about hearing sounds. He is not talking about hearing words or grasping messages. This kind of hearing brings with it the sense of understanding.
This story is about how God established Israel through the faith of Abraham. He gave Israel His culture and they distorted it and rejected it. And, God holds the religious leaders, partly accountable, for Israel's condition. And, now, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus was in just two days. And, the religious leaders had been long planning it.
The Bible is not a testimony to the best people making it up to God. It is a witness to God making it down to the worst of us. The Bible is one long story of God meeting us at our worst and in our greatest need. Will we be like the religious leaders of Israel who thought they deserved the kindness of God? Or, will we humbly live in such a way that brings glory to this God who has loved us with an ever lasting love?
