Evaluation time

As I think about this parable I see so many layers of meaning that I can’t just not stop and give Jesus a hand for His brilliant use of story to convey such a rich and vivid content. It does touch the reader in so many ways.

First the main character: the vineyard owner. He had a big heart, very loving and graceful. He puts all this work in building the vineyard. I am thinking he could have hired these people to do the work of building not just give them a finished work. He wasn’t forced to give it to these particular people; he could have given it for rent to anyone he wishes. And when it came time for getting his rightful share all he wanted was just get “some” of the fruits. Wow! After all, He was the owner. So he gives the turn-key vineyard out of the goodness of his heart to these particular people and to top it off he lets them have most of its share. Lastly, he is so patient with them. He gives them chances after chances at his expense, as if he hopes they will change and he would not have to come in person and punish them. He was so willing to work with them that he sent his son knowing that they might kill him like they did with the other ones. You just can’t stop and wonder: why? Why would he do that? It doesn’t make any sense. This kind of love is out of this world. Nobody would do that? We would have punished them on their first misbehavior; but not this owner.

Against this background the tenants’ behavior and attitude just doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. Normally, you’re thinking the tenants would be very happy to be selected to be given this work and very grateful toward the owner. And after their first misbehavior they would come to their senses and change their attitude. But for some reason, the tenants just act strange, very ungrateful and hateful toward the owner. We don’t know why. They just don’t change their attitude no matter what happens and so the owner has to come in person to put things to rights, punish the tenants and give the vineyard to others to care for it. Amazing! All the reader can do is be amazed at this. Why? Why? Nobody in his right mind would do such a thing, right? As a reader you can’t help but wonder? Why would they act like that? What’s their problem? Where’s the ungratefulness coming from? They should be very happy they were given finished work to just care for it and show this by gladly giving back what the owner asked for (especially that it was not a whole lot). It just leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.

And that’s exactly the effect Jesus wanted: to see the stark contrast between the owner and the tenants and in that to see ourselves in the story. His first audience got the point, saw their place in the story and got upset. They did not want to accept the reality Jesus presented them with (v.12). Am I willing to evaluate myself honestly in light of this story and see where it places me?

Created almost 4 years ago