1 And he began to speak unto them
by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and
set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower,
and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2 And at the season
he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen
of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they caught
him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4 And again he sent
unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the
head, and sent him away shamefully handled. 5 And again he sent
another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. 6 Having yet
therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying,
They will reverence my son. 7 But
those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill
him, and the inheritance shall be ours. 8 And they took him,
and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard
do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto
others. 10 And have ye not
read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head
of the corner:
11 This was the
Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 12 And they sought to lay hold on
him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable
against them: and they left him, and went their way. ()
The Old Testament Church of the Wilderness wherein was preached the Promise
made to Abraham is illustrated by our Lord in today's passage. This is he,
that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in
the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give
unto us: To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in
their hearts turned back again into Egypt.
(Acts 7:38-39) The Jewish rulers who presumed
to be the spiritual leaders of the people of God at the time of Jesus were
corrupt and unbelieving in their testimonies. But it had been so from Abraham
to Jesus, and from Jesus down to our time, that men of questionable heart have
infiltrated the Holy Place and brought in false doctrine and egregious error.
There is a continual need for the cleansing of the House of God. The Great
English and Continental Reformations were examples of that cleansing. How
desperately do we need a spiritual Reformation today!
I will lead off this devotion with a quote from the
venerable Matthew Henry:
"Christ showed in parables, that he would lay aside the Jewish church.
It is sad to think what base usage God's faithful ministers have met with in
all ages, from those who have enjoyed the privileges of the church, but have
not brought forth fruit answerable. God at length sent his Son, his
Well-beloved; and it might be expected that he whom their Master loved, they
also should respect and love; but instead of honouring him because he was the
Son and Heir, they therefore hated him. But the exaltation of Christ was the
Lord's doing; and it is his doing to exalt him in our hearts, and to set up his
throne there; and if this be done, it cannot but be marvellous in our eyes. The
Scriptures, and faithful preachers, and the coming of Christ in the flesh, call
on us to render due praise to God in our lives. Let sinners beware of a proud,
carnal spirit; if they revile or despise the preachers of Christ, they would
have done so their Master, had they lived when he was upon earth."
Jesus tells us a parable here of a 'certain man'
(God the Father) who planted a vineyard (those of the Promise made to Abraham -
church in the Wilderness). He prepared the soil carefully by calling Abram out
from Ur of the Chaldees and making him a separate generations from his kindred.
This 'certain man' set his protection
over the vineyard (hedges), and he also dug a provision for a wine vat (the
coming redemption of Christ). He also made provision for watchmen (prophets) to
keep guard over the walls and gates to prevent any hurtful thing from entering in
and to warn of the approach of the enemy.
. . . . a tower, and let it out to
husbandmen, and went into a far country. He placed his own people - those called by His name - to keep
and dress the vineyard (you and me).
And at
the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the
husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. Which season - the
season of harvest, of course. So what transpired when God sent His prophet to
the Vineyard? Were they entreated kindly and with reverence? Jesus describes
the conduct of the husbandmen this way: And they caught him, and beat
him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant; and
at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away
shamefully handled. And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many
others; beating some, and killing some. And
they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.":
"Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I
will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and
persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the
foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of
Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the
temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
(Luke
11:49-51)
The Lord of the Vineyard will not suffer a loss of gathering His rightful
fruit. What must He now do in order to gather his fruit? Having yet
therefore one son (His only Begotten Son), his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them,
saying, They will reverence my son. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth
his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Gal 4:4-5) He had every reason to expect
His Son to be treated with reverence - though in His foreknowledge and
providential predestination, He knew this would not be the case.
But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir;
come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. The Son was treated with far greater revulsion than the
prophets sent before. And they took him, and
killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What shall therefore the lord of
the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the
vineyard unto others.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified "without the gate"
(vineyard) on a mount called Golgotha.
Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own
blood, suffered without the gate. (Heb 13:12) What is the Christian's
response to this truth? Let us
go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For
here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore
let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of
our lips giving thanks to his name. (Heb 13:13-15)
Illustration
The Macedonian king, Alexander the Great, who, as in one triumphal march,
conquered the world, observed a very singular custom in his method of carrying
on war. Whenever he encamped with his army before a fortified city and laid
siege to it, he caused to be set up a great lantern, which was kept lighted by
day and night. This was a signal to the besieged, and what it meant was that as
long as the lamp burned they had time to save themselves by surrender, but that
when once the light should be extinguished, the city, and all that were in it,
would be irrevocably given over to destruction. And the conqueror kept his word
with terrible consistency.
When the light was put out, and the city was not given up, all hope of mercy
was over. The Macedonians stormed the place, and if it was taken all were cut
to pieces who were capable of bearing arms, and there was no quarter or
forgiveness possible. Now, it is the good pleasure of our God to have
compassion and to show mercy. But a city or a people can arrive at such a pitch
of moral corruption that the moral order of the world can only be saved by its destruction. It was so
with the whole race of men at the time of the flood, with Sodom and Gomorrah at
a later period, and with the Jewish people in our Saviour’s time. But before
the impending stroke of judgment
fell, God always, so to speak, set up the lamp of grace, which was not only a
signal of mercy, but also a light to show men that they were in the way of
death, and a power to turn them
from
it. (Otto
Funcke) Thusly did Noah also preach to those without the Ark for 100 years.
The truth burns as a night torch in the dark skies of the world. The Spirit of
God will not forever strive with the spirit of man: And the LORD said, My
spirit shall not always strive with man. (Gen 6:3) And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the
builders rejected is become the head of the corner: This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our
eyes? We are the
favored stones of God with which He is building His Temple; but there can be no
building without a Cornerstone, and that Cornerstone is Christ. He is the Head
and we are the Body (Church). In building the Great Pyramid at Giza, the
laborers drew great pre-cut stones on rollers for many miles from the quarry -
stones so large that modern technology would be challenged to move them. They
labored endlessly day after day for many years in the construction of that
great edifice. But there was a rather sharp and troublesome stone that lay
squarely in the way near the base of the pyramid. This stone the laborers
cursed because they found it necessary to change their direction in bringing
the large stones to the pyramid. It was ALWAYS in the way. But they found no
use for the stone. Later, as the pyramid was nearing completion and to their
dismay, they discovered that this stone that kept getting in the way was the
Chief Cornerstone of the pyramid; but too late to lift it now to its rightful
place. So the pyramid at Giza has no Chief Cornerstone to this day. That is the
result of doing things "our way" (with apologies to Frank Sinatra).
Our Lord Jesus Christ keeps getting in the way of worldly governments,
commercial interests, politicians, and the greedy of the world. They always
must navigate around Him. But the day is coming when the light on the walls of
Lachish will no longer shine - and the end will be at hand.
