“Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. 6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?” 12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.” Mark 12.1-12
One point of interest that stands out is Jesus quoting Scripture. He quotes Psalm 118:22-23 in this parable. A quick Google search yielded the following: In the New Testament, Jesus quotes from 24 out of 39 Old Testament books. Additionally, “The New Testament quotes from all Old Testament Books except Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon” (source: Bible.ca).
The New Testament is filled with Old Testament Scripture. When Jesus refers to “Scripture,” he is referring to the Old Testament. This parable told by Jesus references many servants that the owner of the vineyard sent to retrieve his crop of fruit. Jesus is referring to the countless prophets throughout the Old Testament whom God sent to redeem his people. However, the people often did not listen. They killed many, rejected most, and even killed John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin and the one who would prepare the way for the Messiah. When Jesus mentions the “son” in the story, he is speaking about himself.
Due to the rejection of many prophets of God and the Son as Messiah, God will bring judgment upon his people. For Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith, even though he was “the stone the builders rejected.” Today, we have been given an opportunity not only to receive Jesus as Messiah but also to spread the good news about his arrival, redemption, and love. As inhabitants of the 21st century, we have two thousand years of history to reflect upon and the ability to “seize the day” and be the voice, hands, and feet of Christ.
Despite the rejection of prophets and the Messiah by the Jews, God’s Chosen people, we Gentiles have been grafted in and fully welcomed by the Lord. As 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us, “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” Let us live in that mercy now. Let us receive the Messiah into our hearts and accept the mission to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
“O Lord God, you are good. Thank you for your kindness and your love. Thank you, Jesus, for showing us how you knew and loved Scripture. Come now, Holy Spirit. Fill us with your power and might. Help us be the people of your Word. For you are good, and your love endures forever.” Amen.