What parallels exist between the tenants' actions and modern-day rejection of Christ? Setting the Scene: Tenants, a Vineyard, and the Son • Matthew 21:38 sets the crisis point: “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’” • The landowner = God; the vineyard = Israel (and by extension, the world entrusted to humanity); the tenants = religious leaders and all who benefit from God’s gifts; the heir = Jesus. • Literal history: within days the leaders would engineer Christ’s death (Matthew 26:3-4). Motives Then—Motives Now 1. Ownership without accountability • Tenants want the vineyard’s produce while refusing the owner’s rights. • Today many enjoy God’s blessings—life, conscience, beauty, relationships—yet balk at His authority (Romans 1:28). 2. Envy of the Son’s claim • “This is the heir.” His very identity threatens their autonomy. • Modern hearts shrink from Christ’s exclusive claims (John 14:6) and seek spirituality that leaves self in charge. 3. Calculated suppression of truth • Plotting together, they silence the one voice that exposes them. • Social, academic, and media spheres often marginalize biblical truth, preferring narratives that keep conviction at bay (2 Timothy 4:3-4). 4. Short-sighted grasp for an inheritance • They imagine the vineyard will be theirs if the Son is removed. • People chase meaning, justice, and community while discarding the very Lord who guarantees those blessings (John 10:10). 5. Collective rebellion • “They said to one another…” Sin recruits allies; rebellion feels safer in numbers (Psalm 2:2-3). • Cultural movements gather momentum against Christ’s Lordship, branding submission as bondage. Modern Echoes in Scripture • John 1:11—“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” • Acts 4:11—“He is ‘the stone you builders rejected…’” • Hebrews 10:29 warns of trampling the Son underfoot. • Hebrews 12:25 urges, “See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks.” Fruit the Owner Still Seeks • Genuine repentance (Acts 17:30). • Faith that honors the Son (John 3:36). • Obedience that yields righteousness (Philippians 1:11). Responding as Faithful Stewards • Acknowledge Christ’s rightful ownership of every arena of life. • Receive the Son rather than remove Him—daily welcoming His Word and Spirit. • Produce the fruit He desires: love, holiness, witness, justice—offered back to the true Owner with joy. |
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