Mark 12:1-12
The Parable of the Tenants
1 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. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.
6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders 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.
Matthew 23:29-39
Woes on the Teachers of the Law and Pharisees
29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Luke 16:19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Before God sent us Jesus, He sent us prophets, and sages and teachers to learn more about Him...The prophets and sages gave us the road map to heaven, before He sent His Son...Their message about God was not always greeted with compassion...Their message was sometimes viewed harshly...They taught in a different way than Jesus did...Often they were direct with their message...Jesus reminded us what we had done and how we, as man, had behaved in the past...
Jesus often spoke in parables and proverbial...When Jesus told His parables they were meant to be remembered...They were also meant to give us a personal message...In His parable of the tenants, it really hit home with the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders...And after hearing this parable these groups 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...This parable was very personal to them...The chief priests and teachers of the law could see Jesus as the Son of the One who planted the vineyard...They could picture themselves as the farmers...
The Man who planted that vineyard in this parable, was God...He put a wall around this vineyard, 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 the one He sent, they beat him and sent him away empty-handed...Then God 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’?”...The tenants had crucified the Son...
God over a period of many years has sent us different prophets and sages and teachers...Wise men we could have listened to...Some of them we have killed; others we have flogged in the synagogues and pursued them from town to town...And so upon us will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom man has murdered between the temple and the altar...Jesus truly tells us, all this will come on this generation...“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing...Look, your house is left to you desolate...For I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.’”...God has tried to help us, and even sent His Son...But are we listening to Him and are we doing His will?...If we did not and do not listen and believe Moses and the Prophets, will we believe Jesus?...