Wednesday: Christ’s Parable of the Vineyard
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 12th of March 2025
In the parable of the vineyard owner, in Matthew 21:1-46, Jesus picks up where Isaiah 5:1-30 left off, shedding additional light on the character and actions of the vineyard owner on behalf of His vineyard.
Read Matthew 21:33-39 with particularly the question of Isaiah 5:4 in mind. What more could He do than what He has done?
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The first part of Christ’s parable quotes directly from the song of Isaiah 5:1-30 about the vineyard owner and His vineyard. Then, Jesus adds, the vineyard owner “ ‘leased’ ” His vineyard “ ‘to vinedressers and went into a far country’ ” (Matthew 21:33, NKJV). Yet, when the vineyard owner twice sent His servants (the prophets) to collect the produce, those renting His vineyard beat and killed His servants (Matthew 21:34-36). Finally, He sent His Son (Jesus), saying, “ ‘They will respect my son’ ” (Matthew 21:37, NKJV). But they murdered His Son, too, saying, “ ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him” (Matthew 21:38-39, NKJV).
What more could He do? The Father loved us so much that He gave His beloved Son (John 3:16). If the cosmic conflict is of the kind suggested here, it could not be settled prematurely by exercise of divine power but required first a public demonstration of God’s character. This demonstration has been set forth ultimately in the work of Christ (Romans 3:25-26; Romans 5:8). What more could we ask than that God (in Christ) give Himself to die for us so that He might justify us without in any way compromising His justice and perfect love?
The cross event demonstrates that God has done everything that could be done to mitigate and eliminate evil, but without destroying the context for the flourishing of genuine love. If there had been any preferable avenue available to God, would He not have chosen it? While people suffer greatly in this cosmic conflict, God Himself suffers most of all. When we look at the Cross, we can, indeed, see what suffering and pain sin has brought to God Himself. Yet, so sacred was the freedom inherent in love that Christ was willing to endure this in our behalf.
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Read Isaiah 53:4. Whose “griefs” and “sorrows” did Christ bear on the cross? What should this tell us about all that God has done for us and what salvation has cost Him? |
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When we lived in Adelaide, South Australia, we visited the Barossa Valley several times. For those of you who only know that Australia is where kangaroos live, here is a bit of extra Australian information for you. The Barossa Valley is one of the oldest wine growing regions in Australia. We went to a vinyard there to pick grapes to make grape juice. It was owned by a Seventh-day Adventist who of course did not supply the wine industry. So he would invite Adventists and their friends to go up there and pick the grapes to make their own grape juice. The vineyard was not well kept; the owner had other business interests that took his time. But the Dark Shiraz grapes grew densely among the weeds and produced some of the best grape juice I have tasted.
I know it is not quite the point of the gospel vineyard story but I think it is pertinent to recognise that there is still value in the vineyard. While the vineyard-keeper may neglect the vineyard, it is still capable of producing fine fruit. When we visited the Barossa Valley we passed through kilometres of fine well-tended vineyards, all producing grapes for alcoholic wine, to get to this old unkempt, weed-infested paddock of grapevines, because, hidden in it were some of the best juice-producing grapes in Australia.
In the parable, Jesus thinks the grapes are worth dying for. And while we marvel at his love, the salient point is that we too are right in the middle of this vineyard and we need to look around and value the "grapes" around us.
The two great commandments are just as relevant today. This is John's take on them:
The expression "love one another" is used about 20 times in the New Testament, often associated with the love that God has shown towards us. If God loves an unkempt weed-infested vineyard our best response is to love the vineyard too. There is good flavoursome grapejuice to be made!
The vineyard’s story (parable) in Matthew 21 (Mark 12 and Luke 20) mirrors the vineyard's story in Isaiah 5, which mirrors the vineyard's story in Isaiah 5, teaches lessons about spiritual responsibility and accountability. God has graciously provided us all that we need to live a righteous life.
“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence” - 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)
The love and mercies of God cannot be taken for granted. The salvation which is only found in Christ Jesus cannot be taken for granted. Salvation requires spiritual responsibility and accountability. God is graciously patient with us, but we cannot treat His patience with contempt. God is not mocked. “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant” (Galatians 6:7, NLT). God has lovingly cautioned us that those who abuse His love and mercies will face judgment (John 3:18). Like the wicked tenants in the parable of the vineyard, sadly time will run out for those who continue doing mischief in God’s vineyard. God has entrusted us with spiritual privileges, resources, and opportunities and He expects faithfulness on our part (1 Corinthians 4:2). One day Jesus said, "By their fruits, you shall know them" (Matthew 7:16). We are called to produce good fruit (John 15:8, Galatians 5:22-23).
“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body” – 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NLT).
It is comforting to think that God did everything He could to save His creatures; He even gave us His Son. For this reason, we must get a firm hold on the hope of achieving a complete restoration. God will finish His perfect plans of joy for us, and we will be free from this conflict with evil forever!
There's nothing more that God can do after emptying the treasury of heaven by allowing Jesus to pay the wages of mankind's sin. Those that reject that "payment" will foot the bill themselves. It will be their own fault.
The wickedness of the world and the cruelty of man hurts my heart. I can't watch the devil's daily activity report, the news. Too much lies, deception, disaster, and pain. I can turn it off or not watch it, God doesn't have that option. He sees it all. How it must pain his heart, knowing that it was never intended to be what his creation has become. Thankfully it won't always be this way.
Matthew 21:43-44
"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
I want to point out that in this parable, the landowner leased his vineyard to vinedressers that sought to seize the Son’s inheritance. The vineyard, Israel, belonged to Jesus Christ, but the religious leaders wanted it to themselves. The Son came to His people to help them produce good fruit, but their leaders taught them according to their own ways.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus Christ faithfully, patiently, and with great longsuffering worked in His vineyard - Israel, teaching them how to bear good fruit. But, just as they had killed God’s messengers before, they would do the same to His Son - Romans 11:3-5.
The enemy had found a strong foothold in the hearts of the priests, the Pharisees, and the people. But this could not prevent the Father to give the inheritance to His Son. Jesus' death was only the beginning — the moment when God's Truth and Light would be carried forward to increase Jesus Christs inheritance to include the whole world.
No longer confined to one people, His Light now shines into the darkest corners of the world, exposing its darkness in order to reveal the Way of God’s Eternal Light - John 15:1-17