If you are a person with servant’s heart who is being harassed by coworkers who enjoy the status quo they have created from themselves, then you will understand the story Jesus tells in our next passage.

If you are among friends who do not believe in God, who consistently mock you with sarcastic comments while attempting to stop you from talking about Him; then you will begin to see the point of the story of the Vineyard.

If you are beaten and put in jail for believing in Jesus, (yes that happens in our present world), then you will “feel” the message of the Vineyard!

If you are a person who serves to feel good about yourself, loves only those you like and love you back, ignores outsiders, and feel strongly that what you do is of most importance in the work of God’s church Jesus established for believers; then this story may touch a nerve and reveal the truth of our character flaws.

Jesus’ story of the Vineyard reveals Truth.  Those listening who harass, mock, judge, and assume the worst with thoughts of murder—all because they are full of envy, prejudice, jealousy, and pride—know this story is about them.

Who are we in this story?

Luke 20, The Message

The Story of Corrupt Farmhands

^9-12 Jesus told another story to the people: “A man planted a vineyard. He handed it over to farmhands and went off on a trip. He was gone a long time. In time he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect the profits, but they beat him up and sent him off empty-handed. He decided to try again and sent another servant. That one they beat black-and-blue, and sent him off empty-handed. He tried a third time. They worked that servant over from head to foot and dumped him in the street.

¹³ “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘I know what I’ll do: I’ll send my beloved son. They’re bound to respect my son.’

^14-15 “But when the farmhands saw him coming, they quickly put their heads together. ‘This is our chance—this is the heir! Let’s kill him and have it all to ourselves.’ They killed him and threw him over the fence.

^15-16 “What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? Right. He’ll come and get rid of everyone. Then he’ll assign the care of the vineyard to others.”

Those who were listening said, “Oh, no! He’d never do that!”

^17-18 But Jesus didn’t back down. “Why, then, do you think this was written:

That stone the masons threw out—
It’s now the cornerstone!?

“Anyone falling over that stone will break every bone in his body; if the stone falls on anyone, he’ll be smashed to smithereens.”

¹⁹ The religion scholars and high priests wanted to lynch him on the spot, but they were intimidated by public opinion. They knew the story was about them.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) 

Many believers know this verse well as this truth leads us to repentance to Jesus who died and rose again to pay for our debt of sin.  But when we quote this verse as an excuse to throw up their hands, accept that we are not perfect, and keep on sinning then we have lost the meaning.

Let us broaden our view by expanding our lens: “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.”  Romans 3:22-25 

Jesus willingly laid down his life by shedding of His own blood on a cross meant for the punishment of all sin—yours and mine.  Jesus took our place for the punishment we deserve.

So, why keep on doing that which Jesus sacrificially redeemed us?  It seems we are mocking Jesus’ sacrificial act by returning to what He saved us from to make us right with God!

The Owner of the Vineyard repeatedly sent his representatives to the workers who denied their authority given to them by the Owner.  They not only mocked His “reps,” the workers beat each one black and blue and sent them packing!  Why? The workers wanted to claim the Vineyard as their own.  They refused what rightfully belonged to the Owner.  The workers sent a clear message back to the Owner that they are in charge over what the Owner created and provided for their livelihood.  How ridiculous, right?

Jesus’ story ends with the Owner sending His Son which reveals God’s Plan of salvation for all who have sinned: “I’ll send my beloved son. They’re bound to respect my son.”  But they did not.  God knew they would not even as Jesus is telling the story.  Given many chances to repent through prophets sent by God with His message of coming back to God, be made right with God, and enjoy the protection and provision of the Owner who indeed created and owns it all—sinners, full of pride reject the Son.

If you are one who knows where you stand in relationship to the Owner in this story of the Vineyard; you are either gratefully rejoicing with the Son or hardheartedly opposing the Son.

If you are sinner saved by grace but return repeatedly to the sins that severed your relationship with God in the first place, read what Paul who writes and be encouraged: 

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:1-4

Stop killing the messenger!  Believe, repent, receive God’s Holy Spirit who helps us as we learn to live this new life of redemption! All because of the relentless, unchanging, restorative love of God.  “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.” (John 3:16)

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” Romans 6:6-7

How do we do respond with respect to the Owner who sent His beloved Son?

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”  Romans 12:1-2, MSG

Christ knows we miss the target. He knows we can’t pay for our mistakes. But he can. “God sent him to die in our place to take away our sins” (Romans 3).  Since he was sinless, he could.  Since he loves us, he did.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1John 4:10).

He became one of us to redeem all of us. 

Lord,

Thank you for this story that reveals the Truth of your love and redemption for us. Thank you for yet another perspective that reveals the many facets of your relentless pursuit of us, even while we were yet sinners.

In Jesus Name, Amen