MARKAN MEDITATIONS

Meditations in the Gospel of St. Mark

St. Mark 12:1-12

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THERE IS no doubt that Jesus told this parable of the Tenants specially to the people of Israel. The Jews plainly understood that he was speaking about them and their nation. We are told this in verse 12. Although the parable tells of the final judgement of the Jewish nation as God's special chosen people, the parable was not just a declaration of historical fact, it was also a warning. The sad thing is, as is illustrated in the reaction of the Jews to the parable in verse 12, the warning was not heeded, but rather it caused anger rather than repentance, and the nation became worse. The rejection of the Jewish nation as described in verse 9 is directed at the nation and its special status before God in Old Testament times. It does not preclude individual Jews believing the Gospel and joining the church. The church is referred to in verse 9 when Jesus speaks of the vineyard being given to others. Jews and Gentiles are on the same footing now before God. Both are saved and accepted in the same way, which is to believe the Gospel that Jesus is the Saviour who has borne all our sins in his body on the cross.

The representation in the parable is quite clear and precise. The vineyard represents the blessings of God given to Israel by God in choosing them as his chosen people. The owner of the vineyard is plainly God, and his seeking some of the fruit of the vineyard clearly represents God looking to Israel for some spiritual fruit of obedience and love. The servants being sent each year speak of God sending the prophets who called the people back to God and to the covenant ways of God, and the way the tenants treated the servants sent by the owner of the vineyard, represents the way the prophets were treated and received all down history. Jesus is speaking of himself when he says the owner of the vineyard sent his son, and is foretelling his death at the hands of the Jews when he speaks of the tenants taking the son and killing him in order to have the vineyard to themselves.

There are some clear lessons for us to note in this parable. The first one is the amazing love, grace and patience of the Lord. The parables story spans more than 400 years of the history of the Jewish nation. All that time, even though Israel continually rejected him and his calls of love, God waited patiently, and refused to bring any final judgement, and then going to the lengths of sending his only begotten Son, whom he had promised as their Messiah. Whenever we read of the judgement of God in the Bible we need to remember this long-suffering which is beyond all human reason, where God bears with the guilt of humanity, and gives time for repentance, and offers free atonement through the death of his Son. When God's judgement does fall on the world, it is only after hundreds of years of patient pleading with humanity to receive his love in Christ. Cannot we testify to God's loving grace and patience with us? He has called us to himself, and saved us eternally through the sacrifice of his Son, and he did this when we were rebels and unworthy, falling far short of his glory.

God's blessings must not be taken for granted. Just as the owner of the vineyard expected some harvest from his vineyard, the Lord looks for some fruit from his people in love and service and holy living. True grace in the heart shows itself by a response of love from us for God's great love to us, and desire to show our love in our lives.

This parable clearly teaches the end of the special election of the Jews as a nation, and the offering of the Gospel to all who will believe. The Jews as people are not lost because they have equal opportunity to believe on Christ with the Gentiles. However the special status of the Jewish nation before God was ended when the Jews crucified Christ.

Although Jesus was crucified by the Jews as represented by the tenants killing the owners son, Jesus shows that the triumph of Jesus was always sure and in the plan of God, as Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22,23, showing that through his death Jesus would be exalted to the highest place as Lord and Saviour. Jesus also plainly teaches how greatly God is glorified by this victory. To all redeemed this exaltation of Jesus is a marvel to us, exalting God before us. Those who reject the Saviour will be brought to honour him and this glory at the end when Jesus comes to judge the world.

The giving of the vineyard to others plainly speaks of the blessings of God in the Gospel being given to all who will believe, and speaks of the founding of the church of God as the true chosen people of God.

It is a tragic fact that people want the blessings of God, but they don't really want God himself. This is illustrated in this parable as it speaks of the Jews. They wanted the particular status before God which God's choosing of them in Abraham gave them. They wanted the blessings that went with this. However they really did not wanted God and to love and obey him. The same is true today. People want God's blessings but they don't really want God and to love him.