A Little Problem With the Tenants

Numbers 27:12-23; Philippians 3:12-21; Matthew 21:33-43

There is, indeed, a lot we could learn from the parable Jesus told his disciples about the tenants in the vineyard. It has much to tell us about God. It has much to tell us about human beings, like you and me. And, it has much to tell us about Jesus.

Now, getting to the first of these three points, we should ask, "What does this parable tell us about God?" Well, first of all, it tells us about God's trust in humanity. The owner of the vineyard entrusted it to the tenants. He didn't even stand over them to exercise a police-like supervision. He went away and left them with their task. Likewise, I believe that God pays us the compliment of entrusting us with His work. Every task we receive is a task given to us to do by God.

Indeed, it is a compliment to be given God's work to do, here on earth. Take that dinner the other night, as an example. How many of us, perhaps, dreaded all the work that we would have to do to get that dinner planned, cooked, and served? And, yet, doing that dinner was a real task give to us by God to do. It was a compliment that God was giving us to be able to do something for him. And, I know that there were those of you who went home after working hard that night thankful to God that you were given that opportunity to serve. There is, indeed, a wonderful feeling that can come from serving God. And we are allowed to serve God because God trusts us.

But, what else does that parable tell us about God? Well, for another thing, besides telling us that God trusts us, it tells us that God is patient with us. In the parable that Jesus told, the master sent messenger after messenger. He did not come with sudden vengeance when one messenger had been abused and ill treated. He gave the tenants of the vineyard chance after chance to respond to his appeal. What does this tell us? Well, it tells us that God is patient with humanity, despite all their sinning, and will not throw us out of his kingdom.

When we think about this, we can truly be thankful. For, how many times did God's loving Spirit call upon us to give our lives to Jesus before we actually did? Indeed, we can thank God that the opportunity to repent is given to us time and time again. We can thank God that he doesn't simply turn his backs upon us when we rebel the first time, or the second time, or even the third time. Rather, God's love is so great for us that he will send his messengers to us over and over again.

But, more, this parable tells us about God's judgment, as well. In the end of the parable the master of the vineyard took the vineyard from the tenants and gave it to others. God's sternest judgment is when he takes out of our hands the task which he meant for us to do. A person has sunk to his lowest level when he has become useless to God. So, this should be a warning to all people. It should be a warning to our society. It should be a warning to the church, itself. For those who have been called by God to do something must not wait forever to respond, lest they become useless to God.

But, not only does this parable tell us about God, it also talks about human privilege. The vineyard was equipped with everything -- the hedge, the wine press, the tower -- which would make the task of the tenants easy, and which would enable them to do their work well. Likewise, God does not only give us a task to do; but he also gives us the means for doing it.

As we look at our nation, we realize that we are, as a whole, the wealthiest, most prosperous, most fortunate and blessed nation on the face of the earth. We have everything we need. We have natural resources. We have oil wealth. We have the largest body of fresh water in the world. And, yet, we complain because we think other countries are getting ahead of us. The fact is that we don't really realize how stable and well off we really are in comparison to other nations surrounding us. Indeed, we are like the tenants in Jesus' vineyard who had everything they needed to do their master's work.

But, not only did those tenants have everything they needed, they also had freedom. The master left the tenants to do the task as they liked. Likewise, God is no tyrannical task-master; He is like a wise commander who gives his people a task and then trusts them to do it.

Certainly, we value our freedom in our nation, today. Nevertheless, how important it is that we use that freedom wisely. All of us can remember the days of free love, and doing your own thing. And certainly there are persons all around us, today, who think that they can do anything they want with their lives: take drugs, use pornographic literature, and do other sinful things. We all are familiar with the philosophy of doing anything you want as long as it doesn't hurt somebody else. But, of course, this is an irresponsible use of freedom. And it isn't the freedom that God give us. And it isn't really the freedom that was granted to us by our forefathers who framed the Constitution. For when the Bible talks about freedom, it really is referring to the freedom of being able to do what God wants us to do. Freedom is the joy of doing God's will.

But, not only does this parable tells us about human privilege, and human freedom, but it also talks to us about how humans are finally accountable for their sins, for sin is deliberate. To all human beings there comes a day of reckoning. We are answerable for the way in which we have carried out the task which God gave us to do. And in the parable the tenants carried out a deliberate policy of rebellion and disobedience towards the master. Likewise, sin is deliberate opposition to God; it is the deliberate taking of our own way, when we know quite well what the way of God really is.

Yet, finally, the parable of the tenants in the vineyard tells us much about Jesus. It tells us about the claim of Jesus. This parable shows us that Jesus didn't consider himself to be simply another prophet. Those who came before him were the messengers of God; no one could deny them that honor; but they were simply servants. Jesus, however, was the Son. This parable contains one of the clearest claims which Jesus ever made concerning his unique nature. For, indeed, he was different, he was special, he was set apart from even the greatest of those who had come before him.

But, more, this parable tells us about the sacrifice of Jesus. It makes it very clear that Jesus knew what lay ahead of him. In the parable the hands of wicked men killed the son. Jesus was never in any doubt of what lay ahead. He did not die because he was compelled to die. Rather, he went willingly, with eyes open wide to his death upon the cross.

It is this Jesus who is the cornerstone of our salvation. It is this Jesus who is our last hope. It is this Jesus who has become the Judge and King of all the world. Amen.