Gospel – Mark 11-12

Bible Passage:  Mark 11-12

Here we enter the one-third of the gospel about the last week of Jesus’ life. We read about Jesus entering Jerusalem.

First he was given a warm welcome like that of welcoming a king. As mentioned in the previous chapter, the Jews here believed that Jesus was going to become King. It is no wonder that the different kingdom that Jesus established via the cross threw them off their view of Him. Nevertheless, it is sad that the same group of people were those who sent Jesus up the cross.

I would like to write about the parable of the wicked vinedressers. I find that it is one of the easier parable, in the sense that it is not so easily misunderstood like some other parables, and we should be able to get the representations right if as long as we know the Israelites’ history. But the parable holds a pretty stern warning, not just to the Jews, but for us today as well.

As you read it, it is like a very short story, but it tells a whole big story of history. Jesus used this parable to point out how the religious leaders such as the chief priests, the scribes, the elders of Israel  have rejected God in the past and even then when Jesus came, and their sinfulness were vividly described.

God is the man that planted the vineyard. Not only that God also set a hedge around His vineyard to protect it from its enemies. He leased it to the vinedressers representing God gave them temporary possession of it and responsibility to care for it. The servants who were sent in behalf of the landowner represents the prophets. The Israelites did not respect God’s prophets, beating some and killing some. Indeed the prophets of God have experienced these things when they warn and witnessed to the hard-hearted unrepentant Israelites. Finally God saw no more purpose in continuing to send more prophets and sent His Son. Yet the vinedressers still did not have regard for the Son and even plotted to kill him thinking that they can take over the inheritance!

Jesus foretells His own death at the hands of the Jews just as they had persecuted and slain the  prophets for centuries. He then ask the leaders about the proper way to deal with those who killed the servants. He wants them to condemn themselves by their own mouths and realise the justice of their coming punishment. They had the freewill to reverse their direction, but pride caused them to hate Christ all the more.

Just as God has blessed the nation of Israel like how He planted the vineyard, today we are also given a lot of wonderful privileges. We enjoy free access to the Word of God; we are blessed to hear the things that the prophets, kings and saints of old desired to hear and were not able (Matthew 13:16-17). We have the forgiveness of sins through His blood. We have the help of the Holy Spirit to put to death the members of our flesh. We have the joy of fellowship in His household and the privilege to share the gospel with a dying world.

And yet Christians often disregard or abuse our privileges.

We want the company of the world and are reluctant to be consecrated for God.

We continue to sin and to indulge in our fleshly desires. We do not seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit as we cannot let go of our worldly ways.

We neglect our brethren by forsaking the assembling and not make effort to develop close relationships with the people we call our brothers and sisters.

We make little or no effort to spread the precious gospel of Christ.

As we see how judgment came upon the nation of Israel – how they suffered 40 years in the wilderness, how God allowed the enemies to conquer them and destroy the temple, can we not take it as an example and warning to ourselves? Would God bring such judgments against His own church and people if they abuse their privileges? The destruction of the temple is a shame to the Israelites and to God, but does God care about His face? Sometimes I find that Christians want to think that God will not allow His name to be shamed, and for His lovingkindness He will endure the sins of His own children. This is only wishful thinking.

For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. (Mark 4:24-25)

Ask ourselves that question: “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?”