A Chilling Story
| Welcome back to EmmDevs and our series, "Moments with Mark," after the Month of Mission. I think you will agree with me that our Month of Mission theme "Partners in Mission," was really inspiring and stimulating, and we give thanks for the variety of writers and perspectives. Now we return to "Moments in Mark." |
The devotion comes before the reading today...
Recap: It's Holy Week and we're at Tuesday, after Jesus overturned the tables in the temple courts on Monday. The Pharisees, Sadducees, Priests and Teachers of the Law have been opposing Jesus and trying to trap Him.
Jesus knows that their opposition will escalate, and so He tells a parable...
It is a very gripping parable that explains in a practical sense what the religious leaders have been doing and will do. In the parable, we see that Jesus is looking backward and forward. He's looking back at how the prophets were abused and mistreated in the past and He's looking ahead to what will happen to Him.
As such, this is a powerful example of speaking truth to power.
He is not making a flat-out accusation that could be dismissed on the basis of a tiny technicality, instead He tells it in the form of a parable where the dots can be joined but no slander or libel can be claimed. It's a case of "Well, if the shoe fits..."
It's also powerful because it is evocative. The story draws us in and we feel a sense of outrage at their bad behaviour. We also get a sense of the significant patience of the vineyard owner.
It's even more chilling because we know that this is what happened in the end... and so having Jesus "predict" this so graphically and poetically is quite profound!
It reminds us that we are indeed much loved...
| He 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 went away on a journey. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.' "But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. "What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Haven't you read this scripture: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes ?" Then they 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. (Mark12:1-12) |
