Pastor Rich's Sermon, October 6, 2002

I want you to imagine for a moment that you are here to help design a sequel to the story, The Parable of the Wicked Tenants.   The characters in the first story were: The landlord played by God.   The role of the vineyard played by Israel.   The villainous role of the tenants played by the Jewish religious leaders.   The role of the landowner’s servants played by the prophets.   The role of the Son played by Jesus.   The role of the other tenants played by the Gentiles.

The story line of this first story was that the landowner God entrusted His people Israel to the leadership and care of the Jewish Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes.   The Jewish leaders loved to masquerade in religious clothing and take the seat of honor.   They did not follow the wishes or the orders of God when it came to taking care of God’s people.   God sent his prophets, a number of times to instruct and to chastise the Jewish leaders for their foolishness, but they chose to ignore them as well as beat them and kill them.   God saw that the villainous tenants did not respect His servants so He sent His Son.   To God’s dismay the tenants chose to treat His Son, Jesus as they treated His prophets.   The story ended with Jesus asking the question “When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

As we think about a 21st century sequel we must begin by identifying who will play which role.   The roles of landowner and son obviously will remain the same.   God is the landowner and Jesus is the Son.   The role of the vineyard, tenants, servants and the other tenants is where your help is needed.

Since this morning is worldwide communion Sunday the obvious answer for the vineyard is the world.   However lets not rule out the possibility that the vineyard could be any nation or state or county or city or neighbor.

What about the villainous tenants, the servants, the other tenants?
I want to say a word of caution here.   Lets us not be so quick to point the finger at whomever we happen not to like at this moment or at whomever doesn’t believe as we believe or live as we think they should. The first notion is to make this story into an us verses them story.   The danger in doing so is that this would lead to a sense of contempt for others.   The kind of contempt that the Jewish religious leaders had toward Jesus.   The kind of contempt Hitler had against the Jews.   The kind of contempt Ben Laden and his followers had for the USA.   When ever one group of people or when ever one individual sees another person or group of people as an obstacle or an object in their way they have become terrorists.

If this story is going to mean anything to us we must consider that this story is about us. It is about us:

When are our actions are in conflict with the will of God.

When our decisions are in conflict with the word of God.

When we seize control of our lives and push God out of the way.

When we choose to follow the darkness instead of living in the light of Christ.

When we choose political correctness over Biblical correctness.

When we say all religions are the same, even though Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life.”

What is important is not who is playing which role? What is important is which role are you playing? Are you tenant? Are you the landowner’s servant? Are you the other tenant? What kind of fruit is your life producing?

Although God offers mercy and forgiveness to everyone, your response to the Son Jesus, determines God’s judgment.

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of
God will be taken away from you and given
to people who will produce its fruit. He
who falls on this stone will be broken to
pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”