Jesus continued His response to the religious leaders with a couple of parables.
The first parable talked about two sons. The father called them to work in the vineyard. One said he wouldn’t, but changed his mind and went. The other said he would, but didn’t. Jesus asked, “Which one did the father’s will?” They answered, of course, that it was the first son.
Jesus said that the tax collectors and prostitutes were like that first son. The religious leaders rejected John. But the tax collectors and prostitutes believed in him. The religious leaders stubbornly wouldn’t change their minds or believe.
Jesus’ next parable told of a vineyard owner who rented out his vineyard to tenants (echoing Isaiah 5). He left them behind and then sent them to get his share of fruit. But, they abused and killed the servants he sent. He said, “I’ll send my son. They’ll respect him.” But, they murdered him so they could have his inheritance. Jesus asked what would happen to them? The crowd answered that they’d be put to death and he would give the vineyard to other tenants.
Jesus cited Psalm 118 which said that the stone they rejected would become the cornerstone– the foundational stone that would lay the parameters for the rest of the building. Jesus was giving the answer to their question from earlier, “By what authority?” He is saying that He was the Son the Father sent to get the fruit. Now, He was the stone that they were rejecting but that God would use as the chief stone.
Jesus drew the conclusion: the kingdom would be taken away from the religious leaders and given to people who would produce fruit (like the tax collectors and prostitutes). They would not accept Jesus, so He would be a stone that they stumbled over and were crushed by.
The religious leaders knew He was talking about them. They wanted to arrest Him, but the crowds thought of Him as a prophet, so they were afraid to do anything.
Lessons to Learn:
Don’t be all talk and no action. Many religious people proclaim loyalty to Jesus but live for their own will. That makes us like a son who says he’ll do his father’s will but doesn’t. That’s hypocrisy and dishonesty.
If you’ve rejected the Lord’s will, turn back to Him. You may have refused to hear or obey Jesus. But, if you recognize your sin and repent, the Lord will be pleased with your obedience. He called even the wicked tax collectors and prostitutes. The invitation is open to you!
Jesus is the core of the matter. He will either be the foundational stone upon which we build our lives or He will be the stumbling block by which we are crushed in judgment. He is the great dividing line of all humanity. Our attitude toward Him is reflected by our obedience to His word (Matthew 7:21-27). What kind of rock will He be to you?
We are thankful to share considerations of God’s word. It’s best if you have a Bible close at hand and evaluate what we say. We always want to go “back to the Bible” for what we teach. To reach us with your questions and comments or to request a personal Bible study email us at info@backtothebiblepodcast.com.
