Have you ever heard a story that put your life at risk?
Jesus told one!
The parable of the Vine Growers is an illustrative way of describing how Israel treated God and His messengers throughout history.
God repeatedly sent prophets to appeal to the nation to follow Him, but Israel constantly rejected them, rebelling against God. (As the tenants in the vineyard reject the owner and his representatives in the story).
The son, the final messenger, represents Jesus and he too is rejected and ultimately murdered. Jesus is teaching this is what Israel will do to Him and it’s directly addressed to the religious leaders who instigated the total rejection of Jesus.
3 days later they moved against Him, and as He had taught in His parable, He was completely rejected, as was the Father Who sent Him.
There are some important warnings in this story we all need to listen to.
Firstly, we’re all susceptible to stubbornly rejecting the truth, even when it’s obvious. The things Jesus said and did clearly marked Him out as having been sent by God – the Pharisees knew this – but their spiritual pride led them to willfully reject Jesus, and ultimately, the God they claimed to serve. We can do the same. We can be convinced Jesus is Who He claims to be – God’s Son – yet still refuse to submit to Him!
Secondly, Jesus is God’s final Word to the world. “My son is my final attempt to appeal to these rebellious tenants of mine” says the vineyard owner, “there will be no other.” Likewise, the sending of Jesus is God’s final appeal to a sinful world – there is no other.
Finally, we reject the Son at our peril. When news of his son’s death reaches the owner’s ears, “he will come and destroy the vine growers.” Similarly, if we reject Jesus now, we will spend eternity away from the presence of God.
Jesus’ story was risky because it gave His enemies one more reason to reject Him, but there is a greater risk for us – that we will not heed the powerful warning it contains and by doing so, be rejected by Him for eternity.
Today’s Bible reading: Mark 12:1-12