God Refuses to Give Up

Transcript

Auto-generated from the audio. Click a timestamp to jump to that part of the video.

[0:00] Our sermon text today comes from Matthew verses 33 through 46 and today I'll be reading from the NLT version. This picks up just after a confrontation, well during a confrontation Jesus is having with religious leaders and he has just told one parable about two sons and now he is about to tell another parable. Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. I hope now that George read Isaiah 5 1 through 7 that that has some spark of recognition for you because it's almost the same wording.

[1:02] Then he leased the vineyard to the tenant farmers and moved to another country. At the time of the grape harvest he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop, but the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him.

[1:28] Right at the time he was alive he had TWO homes in the valley. Right at the time he was alive he had TWO homes in the valley. Right at the time he was alive he had TWO homes in the valley. Right at the time he was alive he had TWO homes in the valley. Right at the time he was alive he had TWO homes in the valley. Right at the time he was alive he had TWO homes in the valley. Right at the time he was alive he had TWO homes in the valley. Right at the time he was alive he had TWO homes in the valley. Right at the time he was alive he had TWO homes in the valley. Right at the time he was alive he had TWO homes in the valley. Right at the time he was alive he had TWO homes in the valley. returns, Jesus asked, what do you think he will do to those farmers? The religious leaders replied, he will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest. Then Jesus asked them, didn't you ever read this in the scriptures? The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing and it is wonderful to see. I tell you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who

[2:40] stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces and it will crush anyone it falls on. When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them. They were the wicked farmers. They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds who considered Jesus to be a prophet. Let's pray. Our good and gracious God, we ask for your wisdom. We ask for you to speak to our hearts and our minds and we ask a blessing upon you. Amen.

[3:23] Righteous brother Jesus, you have the Righteous brother Jesus, withers and dies and we're kind of wondering what was the point of that but that is the beginning of this section of conflict with the religious leaders he cursed the fig tree for not bearing fruit and it withers and dies so the fig tree ultimately represents these religious leaders who've been given everything that they needed to bear fruit but they've refused to do so and so then everything they needed to bear fruit was going to be taken from them and they would wither so this idea becomes fleshed out then as the chapter and this conflict progresses so then we see the parable of the two sons the first son was asked to work the field and he said no but then later on he decided he would go out and do it anyhow the second son was asked by his father to work the field and he says yes but ultimately he did not go out to work the field at all the first son represents the tax collectors and the prostitutes who obeyed the call of john the baptist the second son represents the religious leaders who were outwardly obedient to god's law but uh inwardly they were less obedient inwardly there was corruption and when god sent his messenger god the john the baptist they did not obey god's message

[5:25] so the point is that the sinners who repent will obey god and show it by their repentance and it does not matter if they once turned their backs on god what matters is what they did eventually and that was become obedient to god god wants their obedience god wants to obey them god wants their hearts the jewish leaders are hypocritical in that they talk the talk but they don't live up to that talk ultimately it's in the fruit of our lives that that we prove whether or not we are submissive to god's message through his messengers so this was the message that the religious leaders received immediately before jesus told them the parable that we're focusing on today Their guard was probably already up, like their hackles already raised because of it. And after all, Jesus had just outright said that the prostitutes and tax collectors, those who are known as the filthiest sinners among them, would enter God's kingdom ahead of them. And they believed themselves to be the ones who were handpicked by God himself.

[6:43] So that brings us to our scripture today. Slipping into the context of the time, this could almost just be like any other story. It was common practice to build vineyards. In fact, grapes were some of the most common and necessary crops in Israel.

[7:03] It was also common to build walls around the vineyards. It was common to put up watchtowers because these things protected them from thieves and wild animals. And it was common for wealthy Jews or wealthy foreigners to rent out this kind of land to the more poor Jewish farmers who couldn't afford their own land and so made their living by renting plots of land, working off of it, and paying their rent in crops.

[7:38] So that way the wealthy landowner could tend to other things on their agenda and leave the care of the land to the renters. And still make a hefty profit. So at a certain point, the landowner would return and get the rent either in money, but more often than not in the actual crop that was gathered.

[8:00] And all of this was pretty standard. So what would have caught the attention of the religious leaders was the very deliberate mention of the wall and the watchtower and the wine press, wording it just as it was, in Isaiah 5, 1 through 7. He wanted them to be thinking in terms of God's own vineyard. And they caught on right away. And there were some strange things also in this parable. Like the way the tenants treated the master's servants.

[8:35] It's backwards. It's not that there wasn't cruelty in these business arrangements, because there definitely was. But it's not that there wasn't cruelty in these business arrangements, because there definitely was. But it was not uncommon for the landowner to be the one to treat the tenants cruelly.

[8:55] And what could a tenant do? They were poor and they didn't have the kind of social power that a landowner had. But here in this story, the tenants are the ones who are abusing the landowner. They're foolish. They must know that ultimately the landowner is going to have the power to get what he wants. But they kill his servants anyhow. And then the landowner sends his son. And even more foolishly, they kill him too.

[9:26] Actually, there's a tremendous amount of foolishness going on here. Because why would the landowner send his own son, knowing that the servants have just been killed? Why wouldn't he just call in some sort of authority to have, for backup, to have these wicked tenants dealt with?

[9:45] Why wouldn't he just call in some sort of authority to have, for backup, to have these wicked tenants dealt with? But we know from other parables that God's love for us is foolish in human standards. He loves us so deeply that he sent his son to take the punishment for our sins.

[10:00] And he loves us so deeply, so much, that he sent his son to willingly die. So we are direct recipients of this foolish love over us. And we are eternally lucky that God's wisdom is not the same as the love of the landowner. is not the same as the love of the landowner. But that's all a tangent. The point is that this is unusual treatment. The tenants are somehow brave enough to mistreat the master and his servants. Under normal circumstances, this simply wouldn't happen. Under normal circumstances, this simply wouldn't happen. And so it stands out. In fact, not only would it not happen, but like I said, it's backwards. In fact, not only would it not happen, but like I said, it's backwards. So not only does it stand out, but it's weird. And it makes them pay attention. And it makes them pay attention. Right? Right? And this story should make it sound completely unreal. But the fact is that this really did happen. The treatment of the master's servant is the same treatment that the prophets of the Old Testament endured. And God sent more and more of the prophets, even as the prophets were ignored, even as the prophets were abused, even as the prophets were even killed.

[11:11] But each time their words and their warnings went without heed. And so you would think God would send someone to deal. Like in the parable, you would think God, the master, would have sent some sort of authority to deal with the wicked tenants. And you would think that God would lose his patience with the people Israel and just send his authority over them and either force them to comply, or wipe them out.

[11:44] It's within his realm of power. But God wasn't done yet. Because God wouldn't just give up on his people, even though they were cruel to his servants. And the landowner in the story didn't give up either. So last of all, he sent his son. And this is one of the few times that Jesus makes a blatant hint toward his divinity. At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus had made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. So this is the final week of his life before his crucifixion. So it's time for him to reveal his divine sonship. And there have been a few other hints leading up to this. And the religious leaders are really trying to catch him in what they see as blasphemy.

[12:33] The religious leaders have not acknowledged Jesus publicly as God's son. But they also haven't publicly condemned Jesus because they were afraid of the crowds. But Jesus is foretelling what they are about to do to him. They will have him killed by the Gentiles. And they're thinking that if they have him killed, that's going to enable them to reclaim this religious authority in Israel. Right now, Jesus is kind of thwarting that plan. Like every time they try to kill him, they're trying to kill him. And every time they try to do something, Jesus is there diminishing what they're trying to do. Diminishing what they're trying to say. Questioning their authority. Making the people question their authority. With Jesus out of the way, there's nothing to thwart that authority. They can reclaim all the religious power in Israel.

[13:30] And I find it interesting that at this point in time, knowing that he's going to be dying soon, Jesus doesn't just give up on the cross. He gives up on the religious leaders. I mean, really, what would you do if you knew you had a limited amount of time left before you were killed? And not just killed, but killed by these people.

[13:53] Would you waste your time telling them stories and debating with them? What is Jesus doing? And yet God has a plan for them. So next, Jesus makes the Jewish leaders proclaim their own judgment. Proclaim their own judgment. He asks them, given the facts of the story, how should the landowner respond?

[14:17] And they're stuck. They have to say what they say next. Because it's the only logical response. Their only possible response is to proclaim judgment on the tenants. So the religious leaders have to admit that judgment is the only way forward. And again, why is Jesus spending his time on this? Was it really so important for him to taunt them with their own doom and destruction when he only has days left to live?

[14:51] And then we almost seem to switch gears completely. Jesus starts quoting Psalm 118. And it's a little poetic. Because at the beginning of this chapter, the crowds were crying out. And they were crying out also a glimpse of Psalm 118. Specifically verses 25 and 26. O Lord, save us. And then here he ties in verse 22 of the same Psalm. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. So depending on your translation, you'll either see cornerstone or capstone. Which means either the stone that held the two rows of the corner together in place. Or a wedge-shaped stone in a pinnacle of an arch that locked together the ascending stones.

[15:47] So in other words, the suffering of the Son will be turned into the position of ultimate prominence and importance. Then just to make it absolutely clear what the parable is about, Jesus says, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces and it will crush anyone it falls on. And then they knew that he was speaking about them.

[16:26] They were not fulfilling their obligations to God. Remember, outwardly they were. Outwardly they looked like they were doing all the right things. Outwardly it looked like they were following the law. But inwardly their hearts were corrupt and full of selfish ambition. And they were not caring about who came to know the kingdom of God. They were not caring about the poor. They were not caring about God's people. They did not care about the rival of the kingdom. Instead they are rejecting the very Son. This person that they think they can just wipe off the bottom of their shoes and return to their religious power, he's actually the cornerstone. And they're rejecting the very stone, the very Son, who announced the arrival of the kingdom.

[17:24] And this is a statement to them personally of the judgment that they will receive. So the privileged role in the religious leaders in caring for God's vineyard is now being taken away. But this is also a hint of Israel's privileged role in the establishment of God's kingdom that will also be taken away and given to another people. Now this does not mean, this is not an exclusive thing for the nations. This is not God excluding a people. In fact, it's inclusive. It does not mean that Israel is taken out of inheritance.

[18:07] The word people here refers to a people made up of both Jew and Gentile who will inherit God's kingdom. So all who individually follow God will be members of this people. That does not exclude anyone. That does not even exclude these religious leaders.

[18:29] Instead, it includes far more than it included before. Anyone who individually follows God will be unified with those out of many nations who do the same. And then once again, why? Why would Jesus waste his dying moments on these wicked tenants?

[18:51] And the answer is that I don't think it was a waste at all. I think that somehow, somewhere, some of these tenants saw the error of their ways when Jesus spoke to them. I think that Jesus was unwilling to give up on them, even in his final days.

[19:11] Just like God sent his servants, and sent more and more servants, and finally sent his own son, our God is a God of second chances. And sometimes our God is a God of third and fourth and fifth and countless more chances.

[19:29] He wanted the religious leaders to get it. He wanted them to experience life in this beautiful vineyard as God intended it. And he wants that for us too. This parable and the confrontation that this parable provokes are like a mirror held before us, so that we can see and recognize ourselves, in ourselves, what Jesus also sees and recognizes. So this is not to condemn us, but to recover us from the places of our self-exclusion, to call us back to life and lead us home.

[20:08] Jesus doesn't exclude us, or anyone else, from the kingdom of God. He doesn't have to. We do it ourselves, and we're pretty good at it. That's what the Pharisees have done. The Pharisees have excluded themselves.

[20:26] And there is judgment, ultimately. That's a hard reality, and we see it in this parable. There is judgment. In fact, that's the point of this parable. Jesus didn't want anyone to have to face that judgment. His hope is to recover us from the point of no return. And he makes the Pharisees come to that conclusion and voice it for themselves so that it makes sense. What should the landowner do with these wicked servants? And all of a sudden, they knew. It was them he was talking about. They were the ones facing condemnation. But there was still a chance that Jesus was talking to them in that very moment meant that he was giving them a chance to repent. And so Jesus shows us a glimpse of ourselves. He shows us our corruption, our wickedness, our brokenness, not to condemn us, but to give us a chance.

[21:24] He wants to see us producing real fruit in our lives. And what do these fruits of the kingdom look like? Just look at the life that God revealed in Jesus Christ. What do you see? You see love, intimacy, mercy, forgiveness, justice, generosity, compassion, presence, wisdom, truth, healing, reconciliation, self, surrender, joy, thanksgiving, peace. Obedience, humility.

[21:57] I'm not talking about these things as abstract ideas because the Pharisees had these abstract ideas from the law. But I'm talking about these as lived realities in the vineyards of our lives. We've all been given vineyards.

[22:17] They are people. They are relationships. They are circumstances and events of our lives that God has entrusted to our care. That means spouses and marriage. That means children and family, work, the church, our daily decisions and choices, our hopes, our dreams, and our concerns. These are the vineyards in which we are to reveal the presence and life of God. These are the vineyards where we're meant to produce fruit in our lives.

[22:55] The vineyards work, the work in those vineyards and the fruit produced come together to show us to be sharers in God's kingdom. Or not. And the choice is ours every day. We make that choice every time we wake up. We make that choice multiple times a day.

[23:15] So my question to you as we close out now is a very simple one. But where are the vineyards in your lives? And where is the fruit that you're producing in each of those vineyards? Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the many chances you have given us.

[23:42] And we repent from the times that we have not produced fruit and even become hostile toward you. God, would you work in our lives to help us to work to produce fruit for you. These things we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.