ESOCS Devotional 16 October 2024 – The Rejected Stone
MEMORY VERSE: ““A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.”Luke. 20:9
TEXT: LUKE 20:1-12
Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him 2 and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”
3 But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: 4 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”
5 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.
8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. 10 Now at [c]vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.
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A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time. They were the ones in charge of working the vineyard to make sure it produced good grapes. And then, the vineyard owner came back with an expectation (good grapes). “At the harvest time, he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.” Here, we find that the men in charge of the vineyard were corrupt, we already know the vineyard produced only worthless grapes, but now we know why. It was poorly managed. The people running the vineyard didn’t know what they were doing and when called to give an account of their operation, they responded by attacking the messenger (Jer. 10:21; Ezek. 34:5; Hos. 4:6).
We have seen God also hold the leaders of the nations doubly responsible for this rebellion. They were the ones who were called to oversee the vineyard. They were the watchmen. They were the pruners (church leaders inclusive). And they did not do their job. But instead of owning up to their mistakes and asking for mercy, they rebelled against the vineyard owner and beat up the slave who came to warn them. But to the shock of the crowd, the owner of the vineyard is MERCIFUL. And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. It’s hard to fathom that the vineyard owner would send that second slave, but what is even more unbelievable is that they treated him like the first.
These people had the chance to save themselves and repent and do what was required but again they refused. And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out. OK, now it’s just getting silly. What manner of mercy would send a third slave to that vineyard? Surely their intentions were clear by now. After all, we’ve all heard the famous saying, “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.” The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do?”
Take a few minutes and breath down awhile! But would you look at his shocking decision! “I will send my beloved son; perhaps, they will respect him.” And of course you’ve already figured out the meaning of the parable. God is the vineyard owner. The vineyard is Israel. The tenants are the religious leaders. The slaves are the prophets who came to warn. And the Son is none other than Jesus Christ. Prophet after prophet had come on God’s behalf warning the people and the religious leaders to stop their rebellion against God. And one by one those men had been rejected. Perhaps you remember Stephen’s sermon in Jerusalem.
- It is awfully dangerous to be found on the rebellious side in God’s scheme of things. Dathan, Abiram and Korah and everyone that belonged to them did not survive it (Numbers 16:1-35). Let us be guided.
- Lord, I will never rebel against your will. Help me to maintain this decision, I pray you.
Further Reading: Job 38:22-end; Proverbs 23:15-25; Luke 1:1-4
ESOCS Devotional 16 October 2024
