URC Daily Devotion 27th March 2025
St Luke 20: 8 – 19
Jesus began to tell the people this parable: ‘A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went to another country for a long time. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants in order that they might give him his share of the produce of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Next he sent another slave; that one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third; this one also they wounded and threw out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, “What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.” But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, “This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours.” So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.’ When they heard this, they said, ‘Heaven forbid!’ But he looked at them and said, ‘What then does this text mean: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”?
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’ When the scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people.
Reflection
Just imagine if a homeowner let out their home and the tenants allowed all manner of alterations to be carried out. Some awful mistakes can happen when those who are tenants begin acting as if they are the owners. The Jewish leaders asked Jesus about the source of His authority, so he answered their question by telling a parable about some wicked tenants of a vineyard, who had wrongfully assumed ownership of that which was not their own. If God owns the vineyard and Jesus is the Son and rightful heir to it, then He is acting under God’s authority. The religious leaders have wrongfully usurped the authority of God, the rightful owner.
On hearing this parable, Jesus’ audience would immediately have thought about Isaiah 5:1-7, where the prophet called Israel God’s vineyard and warned that He would lay it to waste because it produced only worthless grapes. Jesus showed that God expects fruit from His vineyard, but emphasized God’s great patience and love in sending many messengers and finally, His beloved Son. If His people produce no fruit and kill His Son, they will face His terrible judgment. But even though they kill His Son, He will triumph by becoming the chief cornerstone.
These things apply not only to ancient Israel, but also to us, whom God has graciously grafted into His vine (Rom. 11:17-24).
The parable reveals five things about God and those who profess to be His people:
1. God expects fruit from His people
2. God’s great patience, seen in His repeated, gracious messengers should motivate us to live accountability to Him.
3. God’s great love, seen in sending His beloved Son, should motivate us to live accountability to Him.
4. God’s righteous judgment on those who reject His Son should motivate us to live accountability to Him.
5. God’s certain, final triumph in Christ should motivate us to live accountability to Him.
Prayer
Let the love of God course through our veins.
Let the goodness of God pulse through our bodies.
Let the power of the Spirit flow through our souls.
And let the wonder of God
resonate through our minds
as we seek to serve and live accountability to Him. Amen