MARK 12:1-12
VENGEFUL VINDRESSERS VENERATE
VIRULENT VIOLENCE
I. THE ALLEGORY: *
A. Area.
B. Actions.
C. Anticipation.
II. THE ADVERSITY: **
A. Absence.
B. Assumption.
C. Acrimony.
III. THE AFTERMATH: ***
A. Advent.
B. Anger.
C. Angst
Jesus leaves little to be discussed or changed with this part of Mark’s gospel. He wastes little time to get to the nub of the matter regarding the situation of Israel and God’s plan for the nation. He has been ministering for now almost two years and He has not been able to convince the leaders of His own people that things are in a dire straight and need to be changed soon.
The people hear Him speak and see Him do many wonderful things, yet they have not turned in mass to accept His will. All they can think of and dwell upon is the need to set Israel free from the Romans. The leaders think that Jesus is a radical and that His inflammatory sermons will eventually bring the wrath of the mighty Romans against their land. Instead of embracing Him, they shun Him and would like for Him to fade away. The whole religious and political set-up of His day was cozy for the lot of the leaders and they would rather have it this way, rather than obeying Him and gaining religious freedom. Somehow, the religious leaders had allowed themselves to be deluded into thinking that all was okay as long as they continued their Temple services and paid their taxes to Rome.
Yet, the Wise One, looked down the road of the future and was saying things that were either ignored or beyond comprehension of the leaders. This did not impede the Messenger or His message as He tried to shake the present situation free from its apathy. Realizing that the only way He could make any common sense to the powers-that-be, was to state His message of dire warning in a language that all could grasp. Yet, even with the clarity He gave in these verses of Holy Writ, the message went largely unheeded.
The truth remained regardless of the actions of the leaders and many of them lived to see exactly to what He referred on the day He gave this message. I see three things before me in these verses as they relate to the title. The first thing I note is the massage He gave was in the form of an ALLEGORY. What He said that day was couched in the form of a vineyard which all could understand as He related the story of the owner and the workers of this vineyard. Next, I note the ADVERSITY of the situation at hand between the owner and the vinedressers. This, evidently was close to the truth of the matter in real life of His day: the vinedressers clashing with the owners on some issues. Only in this situation, things got out of hand very quickly. Lastly, I see the AGENDA that the owner of the vineyard had to adapt in order to rectify the situation. This story is a story of desperation between two entities and the struggle ended to the detriment of the workers and the hurt of the owner. The people who heard Him speak this message that day might have comprehended some of the intent but it was not until everything fell apart in Israel that the real message became apparent to everyone who endured the terrible time which lay ahead for the nation and its religious liberty.
* THE ALLEGORY: Jesus was a Master at teaching by parables and by using allegories. What He saw in this world never seemed to escape His mind. He drew lessons from the common, everyday things of this life. He used fishermen and shepherds to teach valuable lessons for all to hear. He saw a lady give her all in the Temple offering one time and from this event He was able to derive a whole lesson about giving one’s best to the Lord. He castigated the rich and the powerful through His many parables and allegories. The lesson He gave forth at this time was familiar to His audience-the vineyard and vinedressers. Everyone knew something about these entities since so much of the natural livelihood was tied to the grapes and their growing in special places called a vineyard. The country side was dotted by these many and varied locales where grapes were grown, harvested and then turned into wine. He did not need a large projection screen or a large easel to drive home His point. When He spoke about the vineyard-everyone knew something about that which He was addressing. May we preachers learn a lesson from the Master: talk to our people about things they understand.
The first part of His ALLEGORY had to do with a specific Area of land. In the only way He could, He began the story about an owner who had some land and decided to turn this area into a vineyard. Jesus never told His audience that the man bought the land, nor did He say that the man rented the land. He simply launches into the story by asserting that the man in question owned the land, lock stock and barrel. No one challenged the man as to his ownership, Jesus said that the man decided to do with his land what he wanted to do with it. How much plainer could He get to refer to God owning this world and doing what He wanted to do with it?
Just as the story does not have the man going to buy this Area, so the inference is that God did not have to buy the land in which He was going to build His vineyard.
I then note that the man did certain Actions regarding his choice of land. The man/the owner did a lot of work in preparing this section of his land for the coming vineyard. Jesus said that the man-no one else-did some heavy work. First of all, the owner planted the vines in the specific Area designated. Then, once the vines were planted, the man busied himself with digging a trench for the wine to freely flow, then he built a wall around it, then he built a tower for the watchman to inhabit.
This man was no lazy person. He worked hard at the job making sure that all was ready for an abundant harvest of grapes in the appropriate season. This man thought ahead and made sure that everything was ready for a good harvest. From his selection of the best spot for the vineyard to building a wall around the entire area, this man was astute and was always looking out for the best for his vineyard. His Actions were commendable. No one could accuse him of being lazy; he worked hard over his choice and rightfully expected a bountiful harvest after so many precautions were set in place. Certainly the crowd could not condemn this man. He was an astute business man and he had a right to expect much from his labors.
Then, finally when he did all he could do, he hired workers to attend to his vineyard. This man was so astute as to all he did before he hired laborers that one would naturally expect him to hire good workers for his vineyard. After all, why go to so much work to make sure that the harvest would be plentiful and then hire out worthless workers? No, it can be assumed that this man hired the best for his field. This man had high Anticipations both from his vineyard and from his vinedressers. So far the people were with Jesus as he was telling this ALLEGORY. Maybe some of them caught what He was trying to say and maybe there were some who just missed the lesson altogether. For us, the meaning is now clear and we are able to grasp what it was that He was trying to say.
God certainly owns the world; He never bought it, nor rented it, He created it and He set aside a plot of land in His world to plant Israel. He planted the vines-the Jewish people in His vineyard. He constructed a vine fat, a place where Israel could give off its beauty and graces to the world. He built a wall around His choice area with His protecting power; He built a high tower, a place for Israel’s watchmen to run into and call on God for His help. God did a great deal for Israel and was expecting a generous harvest from His labors. He even took the time to hire the best workers in the world-the Jewish nation-to be the vinedressers of the vineyard for Him. He entrusted the entire nation with good respectable hardworking, spiritual leaders and then withdrew for a time watching to see what His vineyard would do for Him. How much plainer could He become with this lesson? Time would soon tell.
** THE ADVERSITY: One would think that with such a wonderful vineyard, that the workers would be content with their jobs. It appears that the owner did all he could to insure that all would turn out for the best. All the workers had to do was to simply take care of the vines, reap the harvest, press the grapes and collect the revenue for the wine from the grapes that would be sold. Then, when the owner returned he would give everyone his just dues. Yet, this was not the case and the results of these vinedressers turned sour, then murderous and then finally, they were replaced.
The ADVERSITY in this setting began when the owner left the vineyard and went off to a far country. Jesus did not say which “country” to which this man journeyed, He simply said that the owner was away and in his Absence, he entrusted all to his hired help. This was indeed a trusting move on the owner’s part. The owner picked out the best workers he could find, entrusted them with his newly developed vineyard and then took up his journey to another country. This was not a mistake on the owner’s part; the mistake came when the vinedressers turned vengeful and became unruly.
Knowing when he planted the vines, the owner calculated the correct time for the harvest to be gathered and the wine dutifully made, sold and the profits gained from all that was involved in the entire process. Hence, the Assumption by the owner was correct. With his calculations right on target, the owner sent his trusted servant to receive the money earned for all the labor involved in this enterprise. Note, the owner did not go to his vineyard this time; he sent one of his servants. Eventually, the owner does indeed come and see for himself just what had happened to his vineyard-but not now. Jesus related what took place. The vengeful vinedressers became violent. There was a digression of their violence and with each virulent violence, they became embolden in their vengefulness and the results of their anger became worse.
First, the owner sent one servant and these vinedressers beat him yet the envoy walked away, probably ran away for his life, escaping without any one seeing him flee. The second time a servant was sent, the vinedressers beat him and wounded him in the head, and he was “sent” away, with great shame. Apparently, he was not able to leave on his own ability but had to be carried away amidst the stares of the onlookers. This would produce great shame. The third servant never came back. With each servant sent, the violence became worse. The owner’s Assumption of getting his money and of having his servants treated as though he were there, was proven wrong.
Jesus does not relate why the vinedressers reacted as they did. Were they angry over the working conditions? Were they upset that they were not getting enough money? Were they worked too hard in too unsatisfactory conditions? Jesus does not say. However, the inference is that these workers usurped the place of the owner and they began to treat the vineyard as belonging to them and not to the absent owner. After all, he was gone away into a far country and he never came back to check on them-they must have assumed that he had forgotten all about his vineyard and in the process, these workers had the Assumption that the whole wonderful vineyard became theirs due to their living and working the vineyard on a constant basis.
Once this thought took hold in the minds of these workers, the next step was to take over the field and that was where the Acrimony began to fester and grow. At first this feeling was small and was ignored, but it was allowed to grow and fester until it consumed them. No where does Jesus relate that one of the workers stood and said, “Stop! This field is not ours and these servants are representatives of our master and we must treat them as if he were here in our midst.” It appears that the entire lot of them felt this Acrimony deep within them to the point that they finally committed murder-not feeling any shame or remorse.
Again, the meaning is clear for we who are on this side of the Cross. It might have become clear to the many listeners of His day, but there were some who did not get the parable until it was too late. The meaning had to become plain sooner or later to all of Israel. The vineyard had to be Israel and the servants were the prophets of the Old Testament. Carefully, forcefully, Jesus outlined what Israel had done to the prophets that came before Him. At first, the nation turned against the prophets, (the vinedressers-religious leaders) then later came the open abuse to God’s envoys and then there were the killings of God’s servants. The nation of Israel had falsely assumed that Israel was theirs and that God would not wreck or ruin their land; they treated God’s men as they wished, because the Law was now their law; God’s worship was now their worship and they could twist the Scriptures any way they chose to do. After all, God was away in heaven and they were on earth. God had set apart the nation of Israel for Himself and yet the religious leaders assumed that the nation was theirs and they could do as they wanted. Jesus was simply outlining what had been happening and what was to come with such an arrogant and false concept they had. Their anger over God’s messages and His prophets resulted in death to many prophets and would ultimately result in the death of God’s Son. Judgment was laying at the feet of the vinedressers and it would be swift and severe when it arrived.
*** THE AFTERMATH: I wonder what the listeners thought about the message which Jesus was delivering that day? I wonder if it dawned upon many that He was referring to Israel, its history, its present situation and what was to come in the near future? We do not have the answers, but the follow up to the vinedressers killing of the last servant was significant.
When the owner realized that his workers were now out of control and that they were in open rebellion to him, he decided to try once more to reconcile the lot and to have them give him his just dues. They had been in control of his vineyard long enough to have made a profit and all they had to show for their work was blood on their hands. In one last gesture to try and reach the miscreants, he decided to send his son, thinking they would respect the offspring of himself and give to him the profits that by now should have been paid to him-the owner.
The coming of the son to the vineyard is significant for we Christians who live this side of the cross. However, it was also significant for the vinedressers that day when the owner sent his son to try and reach these unruly people. The Advent of the son’s coming is very important. By the time the son arrived at the vineyard, the workers were no more inclined to assist him than they were the former servants of the owner. Notice the plot as soon as they saw the son. They recognized him as being the heir to the vineyard-that which by now they had claimed for themselves.
The use of the word “heir” is significant. They knew instinctively that they had usurped the owner’s authority and they wanted him out of the way so the vineyard would become theirs-all theirs. One wonders what they would have done if they could have laid their hands on the owner at that time. Were they ready to try and kill him? Later the owner came and acted swiftly, never giving the vengeful vinedressers a chance to respond.
It is also worth noting that the workers had a plan regarding the son of the owner. After they would kill him, they would cast him out of the vineyard. In so doing, he would have no claim on anything that would be connected to the vineyard. These workers knew what they were capable of doing and they were willing to go to any lengths to throw off all claims by the owner to that which was rightfully his.
The scene is drawing to a swift conclusion as Jesus then tells about the owner coming to settle the matter once for all. I notice the Anger of the owner, but before I see his anger, I see his patience. He stood by, trying to do all he could to help his vineyard to become prosperous, and all he received were insults, the beating of his servant and finally the killing of the last servant and his own son. The owner’s Anger had reached a place where there would be no mollifying it. The deeds were done and they were done for all to see. Likewise the master would react accordingly. The only way for his anger to be resolved would be to destroy the vinedressers but not the vineyard which he was going to give to someone else. This was in direct opposite of the wicked workers’ wishes. They wanted the vineyard all to themselves but as a payment for their wickedness, they would be destroyed and their place would be abrogated to someone else.
Finally, I notice the Angst of the listeners. The Bible says that as Jesus arrived at this final part of His lesson, the people, the leaders, left Him in hot anger and walked away, because they knew it was addressed to them. They left Him-how sad. Why did they not admit that they were wrong and accept Him? They understood all to well the meaning of this parable and they knew they were now exposed-they were going to kill Jesus. This was something they tried to handle with kid gloves because they did not want to upset Rome or the common person who liked and adored Jesus. But now, their diabolical plans were exposed and they left Him-He did not leave them. That has always been the case with Jesus-people leave Him for various reasons, but He never leaves them.
The story concludes with the death of Jesus now broached by Him. He also exposed their hypocrisy and alluded to them that they were killers/murders and as such, they were in direct violation of the Law. These religious leaders had by now taken over God’s vineyard and they had stifled the productiveness of its possibilities by their rules and regulations. They had grown introverted and wanted nothing that would upset their claim to the vineyard of Israel. They were ready to go to any length to usurp the nation of Israel for their very own and that meant killing the Son of God and ignoring God as the rightful owner. Jesus said that Israel’s time has now come and God would come, personally, to His vineyard and would settle the score with the vinedressers He had chosen. The rest is history.
May I live so that I never treat God’s representatives as being bad and deserving to be killed. May I always strive to be the best worker that I can be for Him because God has now entrusted His vineyard to me and I dare not fail Him. Would you join with me and declare that we are workers in His vineyard, that we are unworthy servants of Him, and that we will do all we can to make His vineyard grow and prosper? Then when the Son does come, we can say here is what I earned for you while I was working in the vineyard to which you entrusted me to work.
