Mark 12:1-12 The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

Mark 12:1-12

And he began to speak to them in parables.

A pit for pressing grapes

“A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture:

Vineyard & Wall in Israel

“‘The stone that the builders rejected

    has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord's doing,

    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.

Comments:

Jesus was a "genius" at speaking parables that created a vivid word picture. He communicated a tremendous amount of theology through metaphors. So, to whom is Jesus speaking? We should observe that Jesus told this parable to those same people who had just questioned his authority.

This passage reminds me a bit of Proverbs 26:4-5 where it says in one verse that we should not answer a fool according to his folly and in the next verse that we should answer a fool according to his folly. Jesus had not “answered a fool” in terms of his authority, but now took this opportunity to teach against the scribes and elders who were abusing the people and failing to render unto God the things that were God's—namely the people and their worship.

I can observe at least four different facets of application in this parable:

1. The rights of ownership and personal property...this is the point of contact. It is what the people understood and what made the actions of the wicked tenants even worse.
2. The vine represented Israel and was a reminder that it was not the possession of the people (e.g., the scribes and elders) who lived there but of God, and the fruit of the land was God's as well. This is Isaiah 5:1-7 and the Song of the Vinyard acted out. Not only were the stewards of the vineyard not willing to yield or to show hospitality to the owner's son, but their bitter grapes included killing the heir of the Owner. Jesus was speaking very directly to the religious leaders in a way that revealed that he knew their intentions.
3. That the vineyard may now represent the church. We serve a Master who has done all the work required to plant the vineyard and may soon return to collect the harvest. 
4. Finally, the vineyard may represent the kingdom stewardship of our lives. God has done the work in creating us and equipping us in Christ. One day he will return for his share and what will we say? 

What did the religious leaders understand? They knew right away that he spoke of the prophets whom their fathers had abused and even killed. He also spoke of himself as the Son, the sole heir who was coming to them, one last visitation before judgment. All creation would expect that the Israelites should respect him, but they didn't. Ironically the kingdom started with their ancestors crying out for a king, and then here they were rejecting any such allegiance. Jesus was the Son of the King.

Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing that he would be rejected and killed.

Jesus knew that he would be cast outside the vineyard.

Jesus went to Jerusalem anyway.

The priests and elders also knew that he knew their hearts for they understood the point of his parable. Why didn't they take heed to the clear warning of approaching destruction?

This passage teaches us something about Jesus.

• He knew before...
• He went anyway…
• He forgave despite…

Forgiveness is never deserved, but it is offered by grace to those who would believe. One day, the Lord will return and it will be a terrible day for the wicked vinedressers.

Lord, help us to freely offer up to you that which you deserve. Thank you for not giving us what we deserve, but instead sharing your spreading goodness with us!

v. 10-11 "Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"