Transcript

Presumption In The Vineyard

Matthew 21:23-46
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Pastor Randy Smith

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Matthew 21:28-32, "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.' And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father? They said, 'The first.' Jesus said to them, 'Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him."

What is Jesus getting at?

My first response was, "I'll never find the time for the responsibility." This year I ate my words as I found myself coaching my daughter's softball team. To my surprise, time wasn't the greatest issue. The greatest challenge was working with twelve adolescent girls, many of whom had never played the sport.

So as a coach, you need to make a decision. What are my expectations for the season? Are we going to seek to have fun or be competitive? Is it possible to do both? If a sixth grader wants to watch dandelions grow in right field will that be permitted? If a dominant seventh grader wants to boss other kids around will that be permitted? Will the girls be permitted to show up whenever they want and still expect the same playing time? Should effort be rewarded more than skill? Should I breakdown a girls awful batting stance even if it was taught to her by her father? To what degree should my Christian convictions be enforced on the team? The list continues… Each coach must establish some expectations.

The Bible uses several metaphors for the church. We are God's body (Rom. 12:5), His field (1 Cor. 3:9), His flock (1 Pet. 5:2) and His household (1 Pet. 2:5) just to name a few. It would also be fair to say we are on God's team. He is the coach, and we are His players. He purchased us to be on His team. He instructs us. He encourages us. He cares for us. He disciplines us. He trains us. He uses us in His game plan. He even guarantees us the victory.

So what does it mean to be a member on God's team? What are God's expectations? Can we take advice from competing coaches? Can we show up for games whenever it is convenient? Can we get by with a lazy and halfhearted effort? Can we set our own priorities? I am not aware of any human coach that would tolerate such behavior. Why should God when He is the Lord of the universe and it cost the blood of His Son to draft us!

This morning we will see God's heart on this subject as we explore His dealings with the nation of Israel. It was to these people that He gave His prophets and His Scripture and His protection and His mercy. They were His chosen people to be His special possession to extend His glory to the ends of the world. However, these very people, as we saw last week, failed to produce spiritual fruit (the cursed fig tree - Mt. 21:18-22). And because of their stubborn hearts that insisted on going their own way, God had now chosen to remove them from a place of blessing.

Great is the lesson we will learn today through a beautiful parable toward those who presume upon God's grace and conduct themselves in a pattern of willful disobedience, who determine their own expectations. This message goes out to all who call themselves members of God's team.

1. THE EXPLANATION

Let's first begin with an explanation of the parable, our first point.

In verse 33 Jesus says, "Listen to another parable." You recall that a parable is an earthly story using images familiar to the hearers to teach a valuable spiritual lesson. This is "another" parable because Jesus presented one parable in verses 28-32 (which I read earlier), and He will present a third one in the beginning of chapter 22. All three parables carry the same theme.

The story begins in verse 33 describing a "landowner that planted a vineyard" (read Isaiah 5:1-7). Part of his preparations are described: He "put a wall around it" (often it was a stone wall or thorny hedge used to keep out unwanted trespassers - either animals or people). He "dug a winepress in it" (often two large basins made of stone, one to press the grapes (often by foot) and a lower one to collect the juice). He "built a tower" (which provided aerial observation, shelter and storage). When the finest preparations were complete to ensure the greatest success, verse 33 informs us the landowner "rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey." The property was leased to share-croppers who were required by agreement to pay the landowner either in money or with a portion of the crops or manufactured product.

Verse 34, "When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce."

In his name and with his authority the landowner sent his servants to receive his due. In this case it appears it was a percentage of the "produce," either some of the grapes or newly manufactured wine.

How were these servants treated? Verse 35, "The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third."

The tenants now show themselves for who they really were. They were evil men, wicked, dishonest and greedy. Not only did they refuse to appreciate the landowner's trust in them and give the landowner what was rightfully his, they also, with no consistency, mistreat this man's servants with the utmost cruelty.

Verse 36, "Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them."

The extremely patient landowner is willing to give them another chance. Another delegation is sent this time larger than the first, and their response is the same in the ill-treatment of his servants and the rejection of his authority.

Verse 37, "But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'"

I can remember the first time I read this parable thinking to myself, why in the world would he be so foolish to send his son? Isn't the outcome rather predictable? This parable is becoming unrealistic because no one would make that decision.

Commentator William Hendrickson brings wonderful clarification. "It might be argued that at this point the story goes way beyond the boundaries of reason, that in the ordinary course of life no proprietor whose rights had been so rudely trampled upon would have been generous enough to give the criminals still another chance, and certainly that he would not have delivered his own dear son to the whims and wiles of those who had bludgeoned his servants. This must be granted. But then, this is a parable. Moreover, as will be shown later [and I will explain later], it is a parable depicting sin most unreasonable and love incomprehensible! Considered in this light, the story is one of the most beautiful and touching ever told" (Matthew, p. 783).

For now, Jesus is using this fictitious story in His desire for you to feel the weight of this man's compassion. Trusting the best from the vine-growers, he thought for sure they would respect, as Mark's gospel calls him, "[My] beloved son" (Mk. 12:6). This was the dearest and last one this landowner had left. The generous man overlooked the rejection of the servants, but was optimistic they would accept the son.

Verses 38 and 39, "But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him."

Far from a thoughtless impulse - this was premeditated murder. The plot was carefully thought through. From their perspective this was the final obstacle to claiming complete ownership. Wipeout the man's only son and no doubt the inheritance will be theirs and the father will be too distraught with the loss of his beloved son to do anything about it. The folly of sinful actions! As the title of the sermon suggests, there was presumption in the vineyard.

The vine-growers were blinded to reality, but everybody listening to the story knew exactly what that father would do. So Jesus with the intention to trap the religious leaders asks the obvious. Verse 40, "Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?" Their response, verse 41, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons." The chief priest and the Pharisees in their desire to parade their self-righteousness gave the very answer that Jesus was seeking and in their response hung themselves.

2. THE INTERPRETATION

Well, as we move to the second point we have to admit that this was an interesting story, but we know that Jesus told it for more than our listening pleasure. As Jesus said, it was a "parable" (Mt. 21:33). It has a spiritual intent. So what is the spiritual interpretation?

The owner of the vineyard is obviously God the Father. Like the landowner who created the vineyard with everything in place to ensure success, God had placed Israel in His vineyard and has given them sufficient revelation to know Him and conduct themselves according to His expectations.

So the landowner sent his servants. As I read my Bible didn't God send His servants to Israel? Men like Isaiah who church history says was sawed in two and Jeremiah who according to Scripture was thrown into a pit. Tradition says he was stoned to death. They rejected Ezekiel. Amos had to run for his life. Elijah fought to stay alive (1 Ki. 19:2). Zechariah was rejected and stoned (2 Chron. 24:21-22). Micah was smashed in the face (1 Ki. 22:24). This is how "God's people" treated His prophets.

If you want a local reference look at our Lord's words in Matthew 23:31: "So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!" (Mt. 23:31-38).

After the mistreatment of His servants, God, like the landowner, forbears with those who owe Him their existence. He is patient and kind, and in His infinite love He sends a final servant. This was not any servant, but His one and only beloved Son. And these religious leaders with their self-righteous intentions rejected the Son of God, took Him outside the vineyard to a hill called Calvary and through premeditated plots had Him executed on a cross.

So chief priests and Pharisees, "When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?" (Mt. 21:40). In your own words you rightly said, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons" (Mt. 40:41).

And these religious leaders got our Lord's point. Verse 45, "When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them." Did it cause them to repent? Verse 46, "When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they [the people, you remember the Triumphant Entry - Mt. 21:1-11] considered Him to be a prophet." They wanted to kill Jesus all the more, but fear of the people for now prevented them. However, within two days they would have Jesus executed.

So is God the Father the ultimate loser in all of this? Did His compassion and mercy get the best of Him this time? Did human beings frustrate His intentions? Absolutely not! God used these wicked men and their hatred to bring His definitive plan to pass. Jesus knew He was coming to be crucified. He told this parable about Himself! We already heard Him predict His murder three times (Mt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:18). Though their malicious actions were not excused, God's purposes were accomplished.

Peter said it best in Acts: "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know - this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power" (Ac. 2:22-24; cf. 2:36).

This was the final straw that brought salvation to those who believe and judgment for the pretenders.

The judgment is further spelled out. Matthew 21, verse 42, "Jesus said to them, 'Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'the stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes.''"

There is debate as to exactly which cornerstone in a building Jesus was referring to. Most believe it was the large foundational stone that supported the walls. This stone was the key to stable construction. As Jesus said, this was the stone that made the building one of quality, but originally this was the stone rejected by the builders.

Once again Jesus goes back to the Bible (Mt. 12:3; 19:4; 21:16). He takes this verse from Psalm 119 and applies it to Himself. As Israel rejected God's final prophet, the Son of God Himself, Jesus would soon be recognized as the foundation, the cornerstone to God's glorious church.

This truth of Jesus Christ as the cornerstone became prominent in the early church. Paul quotes it in Romans 9:33. In Ephesians 2 he says, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone" (Eph. 2:19-20). Peter uses it in 1 Peter (1 Pet. 2:6-7) and refers to the church as "living stones" (1 Pet. 2:5) built upon this cornerstone. Earlier in Acts he preached, "Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead - by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Ac. 4:10-12).

The consequences for rejecting this stone, Jesus Christ? Verse 44, "And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust." The overall message to the Jewish leaders? Verse 43, "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it." God's kingdom will come through people who trust Christ and bear spiritual fruit. This is a clear foreshadowing of the Christian church comprised of Jews and Gentiles, people from all nations.

We know before our Lord's return many Jews will come to embrace Jesus as their Messiah, but for the time God is no longer working through Israel because of their willful disobedience and rejection of the messengers He has sent them. That grim reality is clear from this passage.

3. THE APPLICATION

But as we move to the third point we have to ask, what is the spiritual application for me, a Gentile, living in the twenty-first century?

First of all, have you accepted Jesus Christ? Is He is both Lord and Savior of your life? He is as Peter said, "[The only] name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Ac. 4:12). He is God's Son given for sinners to pay our penalty on the cross and promise the gift of eternal life to all who come to Him in faith. He is the Judge you will one day stand before. Will the rock, verse 44, on that day "scatter [you] like dust?" After all God has done to provide hope for sinful humanity, how can you expect to escape if you neglect His loving sacrifice? Will you reject the Son like the vine-growers or accept Him?

And second, if you profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ are you submitting to His authority? That is the overarching principle in verses 23-27 that kicks off these parables. It is so easy to condemn the Jewish leaders, but are we rejecting Jesus Christ by our actions? Is He your final voice of authority? Ignoring the commands of Christ is the same as rejecting Christ. We are like the Pharisees when we tell Jesus that our way is better and we would be happier if He just went away and wouldn't be Lord of our lives. Are you really coming to the Scriptures, examining God's will for your life and then joyfully seeking by grace to be found pleasing in His sight? Honesty? Attending church? Serving in the church? How you spend your money? Purity? Putting others before yourself? Encouraging? Submission to authority? Self-control and patience? Kindness and love? Faithfulness and perseverance? Overcoming addictions? Casting out idols? Claiming to be a person of God is not enough. The Jewish leaders claimed the same thing, and they were as religious as they come. Yet we learned God's verdict of their actions. Are you indirectly rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ in a desire to do it your own way? Will Jesus Christ one day reject you? Matthew 7:23, "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'"

God is building a team of people redeemed by the blood of the Lamb that prove the reality of their faith by living obedient lives that bear fruit. They show themselves by recognizing and submitting to His authority. Are you on God's team? Are you moved by the patience and compassion of the Father? Are you listening to and obeying the commandments of your Head Coach? You can reject Him and suffer the same severe consequences we learned about in this parable. Or you can submit to Him and enjoy the assurance of your salvation and the pleasures of building His kingdom and the knowledge of His smile upon you and the delight of walking in union with the Head Coach and Savior.