Luke
20:9-20
The
wicked tenants
Almighty and eternal God, because it was Your will that You Son should bear the pains of the cross for us and thus remove from us the power of the adversary, help us so to remember and give thanks for our Lord’s Passion that we may receive remission of sins and redemption from everlasting death; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord,, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.[2]
How do you stand before God, with others, with Christ? In the words of our text, we have a clearer understanding of who we really are and how we stand now and into the future. This parable was given to teach us.
1. This parable was given to teach us all about humankind.
A. Man is only a steward. He is not the owner. As such, he owes God a return for what he has done with his life. On the last day, there will be a reckoning, an accounting of all that man has done.
B. But man is a rebel in constant rebellion against God. He refuses to render to God what is God’s.
From his youth, the Bible reminds us, man’s heart has been evil and prone to all sorts of sin. In this rebellion, man refuses to render to God what is God’s He rejects the servants, which God had sent. That was the history of God’s people of old. They killed the prophets. Which were sent to them by God and ultimately they rejected God’s own Son.
C. The problem is that man wants to be the owner. He wants to be God. He refuses to give God is portion and hopes to take over the vineyard by killing the Son. It’s man’s rejection against God and His Son that has caused all the problems, which this world has ever known.
D. And because of this rejection of wanting to do what God has forbidden and to act contrary from what God would have us do that man is prone to violence.
In the parable, they beat and killed the servants and the Son. Just a casual reading of the Old Testament will give us an illustration of man’s behavior.
Ø Elijah was driven into the wilderness
Ø Isaiah was sawn asunder
Ø Zechariah was stoned to death before the altar
Ø Herod beheaded John the Baptizer
Ø Stephen was stoned to death
Ø Jesus was crucified
Transition: Not only does this parable tell us about humankind it also tells us about God and His love for us.
2. This parable was given to teach us about God.
A. God is the owner of our world and is entitled to rent. Praise and honor are obedience is to be rendered to Him.
B. God is patient with us: three times, He sent a servant. He sent the prophets of the Old Testament. Finally, He sent His own Son.
C. God’s patience however, has an end. Judgment will be enacted upon all who disobey.
D. God has no other plan to reconcile the world. There is only one plan of salvation. Christ was God’s only Son. He can do no more. If the world does not accept Christ, nothing but destruction lies ahead.
Transition: But for us fights the valiant one whom God Himself elected. Jesus as God’s only Son was sent for the expressed purpose to redeem the world.
3. This parable also tells us about Christ.
A. He is God’s Son. Others before Him were only “servants”. The prophets were spokespersons but were not the only begotten Son of the Father. He holds the unique position with the Father. He has an intimacy and an oneness, which none other can possess.
B. He was sent by the Father to receive our obligation to God. Jesus had a mission. He was obedient to God’s good, perfect, and holy will.
C. He knew that His end was death at the hands of wicked men; His death was not an accident, not bad luck, not forced. In obedience to His Father, He faced the cross courageously and voluntarily. The parable thus announced His approaching end where He would die for the sins of the entire world.
A pass-time, which many like to do, is play cards. Two popular card games are euchre and penuche. The object of both games is to gain as many suits as possible. You can lead with a high card but when you lead with a trump card; in most cases, the hand is yours.
By this parable, God leads with the ace of trump – or with the right bower. This is the best He can offer. He offers His Son. In so doing, there is life in His name. Praise be to the Father whom through Jesus has gotten us the victory.
Words –840
Passive Sentences – 1%
Readability –82%
Reading Level – 4.8
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