Jesus 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 moved to another place. 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 passage of Scripture: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’ ?””

--Parallel verses:
‭‭I John‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭10‬
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

If you have a hard time understanding why the owner of the vineyard kept sending his people to connect with and share in the fruit, join the club … so do I! Over and over again it seems this owner was trying to be gracious with these tenants. Don’t they deserve to be judged? Finally he sends his son, and they kill him. Now Jesus says they will be judged.

For our human minds, born into sin, this type of all-out grace, this love that keeps loving when all around it would give up, this persistence in trying to create a bridge in relationships to people — it all seems foreign to us. We have expectations, rules, “no pain, no gain” reward systems, etc.

When we look at this parable as a summary of Jewish history, it makes a lot of sense. God sent prophets and judges to turn the people from their sins time and again. He kept sending people and the Israelites (for the most part) ignored, mistreated, and even killed his messengers.

And now he has sent his Son to save them. His love is relentless and great! But his justice is coming for those who reject his Son. And so this parable serves as a warning to those who, back then, continued to ignore God’s truth and his messengers.

It also serves as a warning to me today. How many times has God called me to produce fruit and offer it up to him? All that I have he has given to me. How many times have I rebelled against him?

Lord, forgive me for, at times, having such a cheap and shallow view of your love and grace. You went all-out for me. Teach me to better receive your grace and love and to spread it around to those who are in my path today!