A Good Story, With a Tough Point

Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Mark 12:1

Jesus told some stories with sharp points to them, and the religious leaders of Judea did not fail to understand some of the more pointed ones. The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers got them right in their religious pride and they sought to harm the storyteller. You can read the rest of the story in Mark 12:1-12, of how the wicked vinedressers hurt and killed the owner's servants until finally the son was sent. "They will respect my son," the owner thought. But the hearts of the vinedressers had become so evil that even the son was murdered by them. Was this foolishness on the part of the owner?

To the world, what is a provision of many opportunities to do the right thing looks like foolishness. We forgive seventy times seven times and the world calls it foolishness. The Lord continues to send prophets, preachers, missionaries and ministers; and these are slandered and slain, and the world may see this as foolishness. "Why does the master not come himself with force to slay those wicked vinedressers," one might ask. They will not see that when our Lord does come with the force of His vengeance against those who would hurt and kill His servants that it will all be over. No more chances to repent and do the right thing. The wicked vinedressers of the world will be cast into the outer darkness. It is a tough point, and one the world would deny. That denial will not change the ending of this story though. Repent while the Lord allows time for the world to do the right thing.

Bucky