22 Days until Easter

22 Days until Easter

How did the religious leaders take to Jesus coming into the Temple and driving out the corruption?  Well, they didn’t like it in the least.  It was a “Who in the world do you think you are?” kind of moment.

“And when He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” -Matthew 21:23

They had been given the opportunity to be a light for all nations, but instead squandered the opportunity by pleasing themselves.  Instead of taking the shape of righteousness, they had taken the shape of self righteousness.  So Jesus, being the teacher He is, puts things into perspective through a parable.  He wanted His lessons to really connect to their understanding so He confronts the leaders in relatable terms by teaching them how they have mismanaged His vineyard.

Jesus tells the story of how a landowner planted a vineyard, dug out a winepress, built a watchtower, and then fenced it in.  The owner then hires tenants to manage the property and cultivate the land.  So here we have an investment property, being owned by one person and being managed and worked by people hired by the owner. The time came that the owner sent representatives to gather the fruit from the vineyard, but instead of handing the produce over to the owner, they take the representatives.  They beat one violently, they kill one and then they stone the other.  The tenants were hired by the owner to cultivate the vineyard that he owned and set up.  The produce was the owners return, not the tenants hired to manage the property.  Yet, when the time came to give up the fruit, they killed and beat those who came to take it to the rightful owner.  So the owner sends more servants.  And again, the servants are killed by the tenants.  These hired workers were in a full force rebellion.  So what does the owner of the vineyard do then?  He sends his son.  Surely the tenants will respect the authority of the owner’s son.  I mean the son is the heir, he embodies the father.  Well, they reject the son.  The tenants see the son, throw him out of the vineyard and kill him, with intentions of taking his inheritance.  How did it come to this?  How could the hired tenants begin to think that the vineyard was rightfully theirs?  What happened to their hearts to make them think they could do as they pleased with the property?  That they could kill off and reject anyone representing the owner?  Nothing belongs to them, yet they feel entitled.  So finally the owner goes to the vineyard himself.  How will he handle the hired workers?  In fact, Jesus stops the lesson and asks the chief priests that question.  Jesus was quite the teacher!  He had their attention.  So when given the opportunity to participate in the lesson, the religious leaders answer that the owner will put the tenants to death and hire new tenants to cultivate the vineyard.  But Jesus quotes scripture  and relates the son that was rejected by the tenants to the stone rejected by the builders (keep in mind that buildings were built of stone).

“Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes”. -Matthew 21:34

And He tells them that the kingdom will be taken from them and given to those who produce fruit.  Jesus establishes Himself as the Leader because they have thoroughly mismanaged the kingdom of God.  Standing there teaching with great purpose, He leaves a strong message; just as the tenants rejected the son and just as the builders rejected the stone, Jesus the Messiah will be rejected.  But God has the last word.  He chooses the rejected stone and makes it the cornerstone.  The cornerstone is the foundation that supports the entire weight of the building.  God raises the rejected Son.  

Jesus was teaching a lesson to the chief priests and elders.  However, I’m a huge part of this lesson.  Jesus has been given all the authority, both in heaven and on earth.  I am a follower of Jesus Christ.  I was bought with His blood. 

After Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead, He came back and gave His disciples some instructions.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:20

As I look back at the lesson Jesus taught the religious leaders, I want to reflect back on how I relate to His teaching and who the key players are in His story.  God the Father is the landowner.  Jesus is the rejected son.  The chief priests were the tenants.  The prophets were the rejected servants. The followers of Christ are the new tenants.  I am a new tenant.  This is not my vineyard, it’s His.  This life is His.  It all belongs to Him.  So here I am in His vineyard and what should I be doing?  Producing fruit.  So how am I doing?  Am I managing what He has given me properly?  Am I producing fruit for the Kingdom of God?  God did something so incredibly marvelous.  He took His rejected Son and brought Him back to life.  And in us and through us, He cultivates.  As a follower of Christ, I have a responsibility to manage what I’ve been given and to bear fruit. 

Let me get introspective for a moment.  How often do I go about my life acting like I own the vineyard?  When I look at every aspect of my life, I need to examine how I’m doing in managing and cultivating what is His (which is everything).  Do I live my life the way I want  because I’ve assumed ownership?  Do I act like the Landowner doesn’t have a say on my decisions and thoughts and actions?  Do I raise my children the way I want or do I raise them to produce fruit?   Do I walk into church like it’s my life, it’s all about my growth? I’ll do church my way.  Or do I walk in as a tenant trying to work the vineyard and produce fruit?  Do I live in the community the way is best for me or am I out serving and loving and producing fruit for the real Owner?  

I am getting it, Lord.  You have pricked my heart and I have felt it. Fruitfulness is Your expectation.  You have given me a new perspective on my management and cultivation of Your vineyard.  I have assumed ownership over certain parts of my life that were never mine to begin with.  I’ve allowed a sense of entitlement to creep in at times.  I pray that in every part of the vineyard, I’ll abide in You while working it with knees on the ground, picking out the weeds, taking special care,  extra attention, and the time needed to produce the most abundant and healthy fruit. 

“By their fruit ye shall know them.”  -Matthew 7:16