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THE PARABLE OF THE TENANTS

Mark 11:27-12:12

Key Verse: 12:1b “…He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.”

  Several years ago, I had a chance to visit Bonn Germany and to walk alongside the famous and beautiful Rhine River. One of the most impressive scenes which drew my attention was the green vineyards planted on the hillsides of the river. What do you think I considered at the sight of the picturesque vineyards? Tasty wine? My hometown?  No! I remembered the vineyard in the Parable of the Tenants. Remembering this parable, I thanked God who granted me the privilege to see the beautiful vineyards and showered blessings upon me and my family. I remembered our Creator God at the sight of the vineyards. We are going to visit Niagara Falls this summer.  What are you going to remember at the sight of the spectacular waterfalls? Swimming? The movie “Indiana Jones? I believe that you will remember the Creator God who provides such huge waterfalls as a gift to human beings. Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:1 says, “Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. However many years man live, let him enjoy them all….Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,…”

  Today’s passage has two parts. One concerns the religious leaders’ question about Jesus’ authority. The other is the parable of the tenants. In this parable, God speaks to his people Israel. Broadly speaking, this parable speaks to all men who live in this world. This parable teaches us the basic relationship between God and his people and all mankind. In this parable we learn about God’s divine love toward ungrateful and rebellious people.

First, by what authority? (27-33) Look at verses 27,28. “They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?” The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders were spiritual leaders in Israel. They were offended when Jesus cleared the temple, driving out those who were buying and selling in the temple courts. (11:15,16) They were also greatly challenged when Jesus taught the words of God to the people in the temple courts. They thought that Jesus’ behavior in the temple court was presumptuous and illegal. So they asked Jesus by what authority he was doing these things in the temple court.

How did Jesus answer them? Look at verses 29,30. “Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism-was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!” The religious leaders were in trouble. They never expected that Jesus would ask them such a difficult question. So they discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?” But if we say, ‘From men’…(They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.”) (31,32) So they answered, “We don’t know.” (33) Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” Here Jesus’ intention was not just to avoid the perilous moment, but to help them to repent of their sins and to accept him as the Son of God.  

We authorities as Bible teachers and missionaries may be questioned. “By what authority do you teach the Bible? Do you have a teaching license?” Our authority comes from heaven when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and obey his world mission command. Jesus, before he ascended to heaven, said to his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Mt 28:20) Some young disciples among us want to teach the Bible this summer. Let us pray for them to teach the word of God with authority and power which are given by God.

Second, the parable of the tenants (12:1-9). In this parable Jesus told the religious leaders about the broken relationship between God and Israel. Look at verse 1. “He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.” In this parable, the owner of the vineyard represents God the Father, the vineyard, Israel, and the farmers, the Israelites. Draw a picture in your mind how the owner God planted the vineyard. He provided all necessary things to make the vineyard fruitful. Recently Dr. Augustine Suh planted grass in the backyard of the Bible house. He turned the earth, pulled out weeds, removed rocks and roots, softened the hard soils for grass seeds and watered them. As you see, within a week what were sown began to sprout and grow fresh and green grass.

  In this parable, the man chose the best spot on the hillside for the vineyard. He cultivated the ground and fertilized the earth. Then, he erected a wall and built a watchtower to protect the vineyard from animals and thieves. He also dug a pit for the winepress for the convenience of the farmers. The man provided all things necessary to make the vineyard successful. Then, he went out to hire farmers to work in it. To the farmers, working in the vineyard was a great blessing and privilege not only to support their families but also to work in the best vineyard and be an envy to all.  “Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.” (1c) Before the owner left for a journey, he contracted the farmers with agreements that they would pay a fixed proportion of the harvest to the owner to keep the title for the vineyard. They agreed and the man left. But, what happened to them next?

  Look at verse 2. “At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.”  Here the farmers are described as tenants by indicating the contractive relationship between the owner and them.  The owner of the vineyard did not demand groundless or exorbitant amounts of the harvest from the tenants, but only some of the fruit - enough for them to recognize his ownership of the vineyard. How then did the tenants respond to the owner? Look at verses 3. “But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.”  Wow! The tenants’ vicious behavior is unthinkable. Why did they treat their owner and his servant in such a treacherous and hostile way? The owner must have been shocked by the news of the tenants. However, he thought that there could be mistakes or misunderstandings among them which caused the tragedy. So he sent another servant to them, expecting that this time the tenants might recognize him and fulfill their duty. But, how did the tenants treat the servant? They struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. (4) The tenants not only physically abused him but also humiliated him. But, the owner of the vineyard did not give up. Look at verse 5. “He sent still another; and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.”

  What are you supposed to do in this case if you are the owner of the vineyard? Some of you, I am sure, would punish them right after the first servant came back empty-handed. But, the man in this parable was totally different from us. He had compassion on the ignorant and malicious tenants. As much as possible, he did his best to turn their hearts to him. Look at verse 6. “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, “They will respect my son.’”  Generally a son has the equivalent right and authority of his father because he is an heir. So the man’s last hope was the tenants’ penitent repentance for their wrongdoings and for restoration of their broken relationship. In a word, the father lavished his love on such undeserved and ungrateful tenants.

  The lavishing love of the father reminds us of John 3:16 which says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” It is amazing that God so loved this world, the world filled with crime, violence, idol-worshiping, immorality and so on, that he sacrificed his one and only begotten Son Jesus Christ. In this parable, the owner was very patient and his love was extravagant. This is God’s love for undeserved sinners and for the wicked world. Romans 5:8 states God’s lavishing love like this, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

  How did the tenants respond to the man’s lavishing love for them? Look at verses 7,8. “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.” When the tenants did not repent and appreciate the owner’ love, they became more evil and cruel. They killed the son and threw him out of the vineyard.

This parable clearly tells us about the broken relationship between God and Israel. In the parable, the tenants represent the Israelites, especially the Jewish leaders; and the servants, the prophets and messengers of God who delivered the message of repentance to the unfaithful Israelites. First of all, God chose the Israelites as tenants for his vineyard. Before God chose the Israelites, they were slaves like barren, unproductive and sterile wilderness. But God delivered them from the hand of slavery in Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey. God provided the best environment for them to be fruitful and prosperous. Above all, God entrusted them with the law, the words of God, and established a covenant with them so that they might become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Ex 19:5,6)

It should have been a great blessing and privilege for the slave people to become a shepherd nation for the whole world. Above all, they were endowed with the precious words of life. Despite this privilege and blessing, they complained to God and rebelled against him. They turned their hearts from the Lord to worship the idols. They persecuted and killed many prophets and God’s servants who came to turn their hearts to the Lord. Finally, they killed God’s one and only Son Jesus Christ just as the tenants killed the son of the owner of the vineyard.

Then, what’s wrong with them? What caused them to degenerate to this point? First of all, ingratitude. Ingratitude is an ungrateful mind. An ungrateful mind is the root of sin, especially rebellion against God. In the beginning, Satan tempted men to rebel against God by taking away gratitude from men’s hearts. When men lost thankfulness, they became proud. Generally people become humble and obedient when they are poor and needy. But, once they are well fed and satisfied, they become proud. The tenants in this parable forgot the owner’s favor and took the privilege for granted.

While we are still young, we must remember God who provided all things for us. Then, we must be thankful to him in all circumstances.(1 The 5:18) My life is not my own, but God’s. We enjoy his life in us. We enjoy God’s life for a certain period and return it to Him as we would empty our rented apartment after using it for a while. Indeed God contracts our life with us, and He is the author and provider of our lives. Therefore, we must remember God and acknowledge him as God. That is why we come to church every Sunday and worship Him.  All problems and evilness in human beings come from their willful rebellion against God’s ownership of their lives. Romans 1:21 says, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”  

Since our life belongs to God, we should be good stewards over God’s blessings and privileges. We must live productive lives for God. We must use our youth, time, money, family, and talents to display the glory of God in our lives. That’s why God commanded men in the beginning, “Be fruitful and increase in number…” (Ge 1:28) When we remember God and have gratitude toward him, we don’t fall into a destructive illusion like the tenants in the parable. When we remember God and honor him as God and worship him, we have a right relationship with him and keep the creation order which God has established.

We live in the land of liberty. We are free to go, free to stop. We are free to do  whatever seems to be good. Indeed, we enjoy unlimited freedom when we are compared to other countries. However, we should remember our Creator God who provided us with the best environment for living, serving and caring. Above all, we must give thanks to him who sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Look at verse 9. God’s patience ended with his divine judgment over the evildoers. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” We must be always ready to empty our lives and turn them over to the owner. I wish that our day of returning may be the day of glory, not the day of eternal condemnation.  In order to help the religious leaders to understand the parable and to believe in him, Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22,23. Even though Jesus was rejected by his own people, he became the capstone for world salvation. (10,11)

In the parable of the tenants, we learned that God provided all necessary things for us to make our life fruitful and prosperous. This is a great blessing and privilege to us. We must remember God and be thankful to him and work hard to make our lives fruitful and productive for the glory of God as stewards of God’s vineyard. May God make America a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Amen.

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• THE PARABE OF THE TENANTS.doc