Matthew 21:33-44 33 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.” 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 amazing in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.” *************************
This is another one of those parables
that make you feel less than comfortable... who are these "wicked tenants?"
Many interpreters say that Jesus was referring to the Jews as the
“wicked tenants” and since they didn't give God what's God wanted, the whole kit and caboodle of the vineyard has been left in the hands of us "capable
Christians…" (ahem) And others say that the wicked tenants are all of us- including
Christians- and we had better watch out- be careful to produce and give back, or
else God will crush us where we stand and turn things over to someone more
capable and trustworthy...
Still
others say that the landowner should never be interpreted as God- that the landowner
instead represents the oppressive forces in the first century, including the
Pharisees, who were misusing power. Under this interpretation, the first
century hearers would have said that the tenants had every right to stand up
for themselves and kill the slaves who were sent to collect the wicked landlord's
harvest.
Except in
this parable, we don't see Jesus talking to oppressed people.Jesus is having a conversation with the
Pharisees.Earlier in the chapter they
have questioned his authority- by what
authority do you say these things, and who has given it to you? And Jesus
has turned the tables on them twice- first with a question about John the Baptist,
Was his power from heaven or earth? We
don't know, was the Pharisees response. And Jesus tells them "Then I won't tell you by whose authority is
is that I say these things." Second, Jesus poses a riddle about two
sons asked to do work for their father- one son refuses, but goes to do the work
anyway, and one says "yes" but then refuses to go.Which
one did the right thing? Jesus asks...We
don't know, reply the Pharisees. So Jesus gives them this third story,
parable, riddle.... Let's see if we can form our own interpretation: Jesus begins… There
was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press
in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another
country.
The parable takes place in a vineyard.From the old testament, we have heard
over and over, that God's vineyard is Israel- not the land- the people... God's
people is the vineyard. So from the beginning of the parable, we know that
there has been care and planning on the part of the owner (God) to make sure
the vineyard (the people of God) have everything they need to make this thing
work. The landowner has planted vines, put up a fence, or wall around it-
(which would define it's boundaries) the landownerdigs a wine press in it, so the means of production is there- and builds
them a watchtower - (first century watchtowers were used for security.)
At harvest
time the landowner sends messengers to collect from the tenants. But the
tenants are opposed to giving up anything. We aren't told why- we are only told
they don't want to hand over the harvest to the landowner.Instead they beat, kill and stone the
messengers.
Now let's just stop here for a second. You’re the landowner.
Your slaves have just been killed by out of control tenants… what would you do?
Would you send in another group of
messengers to try it again? I'm not sure I would.I think I may be more apt to send in some guys
with guns and black hats and scars or something. The owner was wealthy
enough to hire an army… why send in a second group of slaves for the same thing
to happen to them? Yet that’s what the owner does. And when they are also
killed… the owner sends in his son… and adds these words…”Surely they will
respect him.” (seriously?)
Now, to the first century hearers, the only reason
the son of a landowner would come to the property instead of the landowner
would be because the landowner was dead.So the tenants, seeing the son, say- hey, here's the heir- if we kill him, we get everything for
ourselves; and so the son is killed as well.
This is where the parable ends. That is the story that’s laid out
for the Pharisees. Then Jesus shifts from storytelling and he asks “What
do you think will happen when the owner comes back?” And the Pharisees give him the answer that makes sense to them-
and frankly, makes a lot of sense to us too…“He will put those wretches to
a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him
the produce at the harvest time.”
And you expect Jesus to say “YES! That’s exactly what happens!” But he doesn’t. Instead, Jesus says, haven’t you read
that part in the scriptures where it says: ‘The stone that the builders
rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is
amazing in our eyes’?
A
quote from Psalm 118- The stone the builders rejected... the son is rejected
but God doesn't exact vengeance- God doles out mercy.God doesn't smite and kill and give what the
wicked tenants deserve- God gives love.Through the death of his son, God will give eternal life.God doesn't act like you Pharisees are
telling people God will act if they don't fall in line. God doesn't act like
you or I would act when people hurt or reject us... God acts like God.And Jesus goes on.... Therefore I tell you, the
kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces
the fruits of the kingdom.
In
other words, because you (Pharisees) have perceived God in your image, because
you have made God into a being who acts like human beings act- you'll never be
able to live out life in the vineyard. And
the stone who is meant to be your foundational rock, you'll continue to stumble
on. You, Pharisees, have made God out to be the oppressive landowner- as
oppressive and exclusive as you are...
You see this parable isn’t
as much about who gets what they deserve as it is about who is being judge over
others. (Which is exactly what the Pharisees were doing) And lest we remove
ourselves from being" parabled" for the Pharisees here this morning-
it highlights our propensity to make a ruling- to cast a sentence- to want
justice exacted on those who deserve it in our eyes)
Jesus is saying, it’s not up to us to be judge and jury for other
people. It’s not up to us to decide who gets forgiven and who doesn’t-
and make up your own interpretation on the laws and limits of God’s love. God planted the field,
God set up the fence, God knows the boundaries… not us (thank God!)
Yet, when it seems so clear cut to us who is guilty and why
they are guilty, we are more than ready to bring down the hand of judgment on
someone… when we see a behavior we’ve deemed “wrong” we want folks punished,
especially when we’ve been hurt. Except God sees something beyond what we can fathom. God
understands more than we can comprehend. God’s ways are not our ways… God
loves and forgives and cares for all of us beyond our reason… and because of
our reluctance to embrace that… we miss out. We lose our participation in
the shalom making, peace constructing, love building process that we could be
enjoying. The richness of Kingdom life that we could be living out is taken
from us. And I can hear you under your breath… “What does she mean our reluctance
to embrace it? I’m not reluctant. I want to understand. I yearn
to forgive and love unconditionally.”
Really? Because when you do that, that means you sign away your
right to hold grudges… and you give away the fun of talking about people behind
their back… and no more off color jokes about how fat she is, or how wrong he
was or how much “they” messed up… and, oh yeah, no more making another person’s
life miserable just because they said or did something in 1968 to tick you off…
hummmm…
And of course you would have to give up comparison shopping… you
know what that is right? Holding you up for comparison against everyone else?
(Appearance, weight, job, home, kids, money, behavior, spirituality) Yeah… that
no judgment thing holds true for self-judgment as well…
So how do you live then? How do we function on a day to day, and
figure out how to love each other as God would have us do? Go back to the
first verse again… within this beautiful vineyard God has given us to tend,
there is a wine-press… I told you earlier, this was a means of production.But let me explain how a first century wine
press worked.It looks like a big
shallow pit… “The top side of the wine press has a steep rectangular floor where
the grapes were arranged. The workers squashed the grapes with their feet, and
the juice would flow down to the lower side… into a collecting basin. As a
filter, these holes were filled with a collection of thorns or brushes. On both
sides of this pit there are two vertical holes, where poles were held by
the workers during the pressing over the grapes, providing shadow for the comfort
of the workers.”[i]
The
work was tiresome, hot, and messy.Sounds
kind of like kingdom work, doesn't it? But built in to the system, God has
provided not just a means, but also a way to make it more comfortable for each
other while we work and learn. So some stomp grapes, and some spread
thorns, and some clean filters, some even hold a pole providing shade and
coolness and relief!
And
I know sometimes we get to thinking that the whole thing is just all too much! Some
of us think “I haven't lived up to what
God wants of me; all I've done is sit in the shade" or "I feel like
all I do is stomp grapes when others just stand on the sidelines" or maybe
even "I'm not qualified to do anything in the vineyard and I'm sure I'll
be found out eventually..." (1)
Stop Judging yourself! Let God be God! (2)
Go back to the beginning of the passage one more time. Along with
planting the vineyard and putting up the fence and digging out the wine press…
God put a watchtower in the vineyard…
God built-in a giant stronghold, visible from anywhere in the vineyard, from
anywhere you are, to let you know you are secure! To remind you that you’re
safe in God’s care. That you don’t have to worry about being thrown out
beyond the walls for not producing enough, or being resentful of others, or unsure
of your gifts…
That
from fences to watchtowers, God’s got it covered. And if we might embrace
the truth that God put us in this vineyard on purpose- that we didn't sneak in
under the fence … and that you really are a valued, and loved, and accepted…
then it would change everything about you! And you wouldn’t miss out on a
thing!