The Parable of the Tenants

 

 

 

Mark 12: 1-12

 

The Parable of the Tenants

And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country.   When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.   Again, he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully.  And he sent another, and him they killed. And so, with many others: some they beat, and some they killed.   He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally, he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’   But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’   And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.   What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.   Have you not read this Scripture:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
 has become the cornerstone; 
 this was the Lord's doing,
 and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So, they left him and went away.”

I often ask myself, what’s happened to common sense, how did we get to a place of not being willing to listen to other opinions?  When did we allow greed and power to destroy a family, a church, a nation?  The answer is from the fall of man, it is not a new thing if only we would read and learn from history.  The enemy of all mankind the enemy of God said, if I remove all the history, all the statues, then I will get them to hate and even kill all authority, and replace it with a godless man they will worship.  Folks that is where we are going and the Church is silent.  It is not a new thing when you say so you only show your ignorance of history, have you read, 2 Chronicles 24:19-22, “Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen. Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’”

But they plotted against him, and by order of the king, they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.  King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.”

 if you are a follower of Christ, have you not read Matthew 24: and for the sake of keeping this a paper and not a book, let me share what Jesus has stated; about the signs of the close of this age in verses 9-14.  “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.   And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.   And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.   And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.   But the one who endures to the end will be saved.   And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

It is close to homecoming and it is time to let those in your circle of influence know that Jesus loves them and has the answers they are looking for.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice