God and the Vineyard Owner

By Samantha Rodriguez

“‘Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son,” he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.” So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,’ they replied, ‘and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.’”—Matthew 21:33–41 (NIV)

Yesterday, we read a parable Jesus shared that exposed the Pharisees as disobedient and unrepentant. In today’s passage, He continues with another parable! This time, He uses the scenario of a landowner who has a vineyard. He rents this vineyard to some farmers and moves away. When it’s time for the harvest, he sends multiple servants over to collect his fruit but the men he rented the vineyard to beat and kill all of them. Finally, he sends his son to them thinking they will respect his son, but the tenants kill him, too, and take his inheritance. Jesus then asks another simple question, “When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” The Pharisees respond with the obvious answer that he will “bring those wretches to a wretched end . . . and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

The Pharisees knew how to answer this question, so why was it so hard for them to recognize they needed to repent and believe? Even if the Pharisees understood the general message of Christ, they still refused to believe He was the actual Savior and Messiah. In their pride, they refused to believe that He could be the Son of God because that would mean they had to repent of their pride and false righteousness.

Yesterday, we examined ourselves to be sure that a Pharisee heart was not being grown secretly in our own hearts. Today, I want us to focus on a character in the story Jesus is telling. It seems crazy to imagine the vineyard owner was this naive. Why would he keep sending servants if they were being beaten and killed, and why would he send his son after such evil actions? It seems like a no-brainer to me that these men had no hope and should have been quickly punished for the sake of justice! But that’s not how the story goes.

God the Father sent Jesus to the world despite knowing people would reject, beat, and kill Him! Why would He send Jesus knowing this? Because it was all part of His plan in the first place. God loves us with a love that is not human. He loves us with His divine, perfect, holy, unconditional love. It’s agape love! We can’t even begin to fathom it, but the very fact there would be people to kill and reject Jesus is part of the reason God sent Him—to save us from ourselves. If we repent and turn to Jesus, receive His sacrifice and forgiveness, surrender ourselves to Him, and place our faith in Him and His promises, then we will experience redemption! We’re made new and made clean. God gives us His Spirit to help us change our motives, desires, and habits. He walks alongside us in that process. Even on the cross, we see a criminal have faith and Jesus tells him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43 NIV).

It doesn’t make sense, but it is who our God is: a God of grace, hope, and redemption! Let’s worship Him today!

Pause: How has God shown you unconditional love and grace? Why is this so hard to accept at times?

Practice: Praise God today for His love and grace. Ask Him to show you how you can show it to others.

Pray: Father God, You are amazing! I can’t even begin to comprehend the height, width, and depth of Your love and grace. Thank You for sending Jesus even though You knew there would be people who reject Him. Thank You for withstanding the pain of His death knowing the resurrection would come and allow us to be reconciled to You. I pray for those who are still rejecting Christ, those I know personally, and those around the world. I pray their hearts would be softened and they would also turn from their sin and darkness and find light, forgiveness, and life-changing truth in You! May I live a life of boldness in light of this wonderful hope. Amen.