WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.719 Luke chapter 20. If you're looking in one of the Pew Bibles, it's page 826. This winter 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:13.700 we are going through the end of the Gospel of Luke, which we will get to around Easter 00:00:13.700 --> 00:00:19.160 time. And today we are looking at chapter 20, verses 1. I'm going to read verses 1 through 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:28.859 19. So feel free to follow along with me as we read together. Luke chapter 20, beginning 00:00:28.859 --> 00:00:35.679 at verse 1. One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the 00:00:35.679 --> 00:00:42.399 Gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, tell 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:48.600 us, by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority? 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:57.379 He answered them, I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven 00:00:57.380 --> 00:01:03.820 or from man? And they discussed it with one another, saying, if we say from heaven, he 00:01:03.820 --> 00:01:08.960 will say, why did you not believe him? But if we say from man, all the people will stone 00:01:08.960 --> 00:01:14.460 us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet. So they answered that they did 00:01:14.460 --> 00:01:21.540 not know where it came from. And Jesus said to them, neither will I tell you by what authority 00:01:21.540 --> 00:01:27.980 I do these things. And he began to tell the people this parable. A man planted a vineyard 00:01:27.980 --> 00:01:34.820 and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, 00:01:34.880 --> 00:01:38.240 he sent a servant to the tenants so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. 00:01:39.020 --> 00:01:46.140 But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant, but they also beat 00:01:46.140 --> 00:01:51.540 and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one 00:01:51.540 --> 00:02:00.760 also they wounded and cast out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, what shall I do? I will send my 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:07.620 beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him. But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, 00:02:07.740 --> 00:02:11.780 this is the heir, let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours. And they threw him out 00:02:11.780 --> 00:02:17.460 of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come 00:02:17.460 --> 00:02:22.620 and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. When they heard this, they said, surely not. 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:28.759 But he looked directly at them and said, what then is this that is written? The stone that the builders 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:35.139 rejected has become the cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. 00:02:35.819 --> 00:02:41.360 And when it falls on anyone, it will crush him. The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:47.620 on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared 00:02:47.620 --> 00:02:58.000 the people. Good leaders exercise authority and embrace vulnerability. That's what Andy Crouch argues 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:03.840 in his book, Strong and Weak. He says that good leaders have a high capacity for meaningful action. 00:03:04.580 --> 00:03:09.820 That's authority. But they also expose themselves to high levels of meaningful risk. 00:03:09.819 --> 00:03:16.579 Vulnerability, out of love for the people whom they serve. And he says, without both of these things, 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:22.180 we won't flourish as leaders or as human beings. You know, think about the alternatives for a moment. 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:29.500 One alternative would be to have a high amount of vulnerability, but very little authority. 00:03:30.199 --> 00:03:36.959 But if you're in that position, you can easily be unwillingly exploited. People in that situation are 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:42.840 powerless. But being unwillingly exploited is dehumanizing. It's a condition we should resist. 00:03:43.939 --> 00:03:50.000 The opposite alternative would be to have high authority and low vulnerability. And that's what 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:56.460 many leaders or people who want to become leaders aspire to, to get more and more power and skill and 00:03:56.460 --> 00:04:03.600 privilege, but less and less accountability and transparency and exposure to pain and loss. 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:08.699 But such leaders often end up exploiting others even without intending to. 00:04:10.099 --> 00:04:15.240 A third alternative would be to low authority and low vulnerability. We don't want to exercise 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:19.699 authority or embrace authority because we fear exploiting others. We don't want to be vulnerable 00:04:19.699 --> 00:04:26.240 because we fear being exploited by others. But if we refuse both meaningful action and meaningful risk, 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:35.879 we've just withdrawn. None of those alternatives really lead to human flourishing. The path to human 00:04:35.879 --> 00:04:42.019 flourishing and the path to good leadership involves embracing both authority and vulnerability together 00:04:42.019 --> 00:04:48.960 and growing in those over time, growing in our capacity for meaningful action, but also 00:04:48.960 --> 00:04:55.780 willingly embracing meaningful risk for the sake of those around us and those whom we love. 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:01.139 And leaders who do that ultimately inspire trust. 00:05:02.579 --> 00:05:07.720 Now, I think this is a helpful paradigm. Andy Crouch gives lots of examples in his book. You can apply 00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:12.120 it to workplaces. You can apply it to families. You can apply it to neighborhoods, churches, sports teams, 00:05:12.180 --> 00:05:14.680 and almost anywhere where human beings interact. 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:21.319 So, but what I want to focus on this morning is in the passage that we read in the Gospel of Luke, 00:05:21.379 --> 00:05:29.040 we see that Jesus embraces both authority and vulnerability. And so, I want us to consider these 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:36.480 two themes. First, Jesus claims to authority. And second, Jesus' embrace of vulnerability. 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:45.259 So, first, Jesus claims to authority. We see this especially in the first eight verses of this 00:05:45.259 --> 00:05:51.300 chapter. Now, we're looking at the Gospel of Luke. So, before we jump into this section, let me give a 00:05:51.300 --> 00:05:57.680 60-second background. The Gospel of Luke focuses on the person of Jesus. And Pastor Nick pointed this out 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:02.360 two weeks ago. It's divided into three main parts. Chapters 1 through 9 are set in Galilee, 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:09.060 and they focus on the question, who is Jesus? And the answer those chapters give is that He's the 00:06:09.060 --> 00:06:15.360 promised Messiah and the Savior of the world. But then the next section, chapters 9 through 19, 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:20.199 is a long journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, and that focuses on the question, what does it mean to 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:26.639 follow Jesus? And the answer those chapters give is to give ourselves fully to Him without holding 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:32.259 anything back. And the third and final section, which we're in this morning, is chapters 19 00:06:32.259 --> 00:06:37.539 through 24, they're set in Jerusalem, and they focus on the question, what did Jesus come to do? 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:44.620 And the answer these chapters will give is, He came to give His life as a sacrifice for others. 00:06:45.420 --> 00:06:50.420 So, who is Jesus? What does it mean to follow Him? And what did He come to do? That's what the Gospel 00:06:50.420 --> 00:06:55.300 of Luke is all about. We're in the final section this morning, and we're in chapter 20. Now, chapter 20 00:06:55.300 --> 00:07:01.500 is a whole long series of controversies between Jesus and the leaders of the temple in Jerusalem. 00:07:02.259 --> 00:07:07.379 Now, if you went to Jerusalem back in the day, the temple was smack in the middle of the city. It was 00:07:07.379 --> 00:07:14.099 on top of a hill. It was a huge complex of buildings, 500 yards wide, 325 yards long, 00:07:14.579 --> 00:07:19.699 right? Imagine five football fields in a row one way and three football fields in a row the other way. 00:07:19.819 --> 00:07:26.779 Pretty big. And everything happened there. So, there was a market area where goods were sold. There were 00:07:26.779 --> 00:07:32.899 meeting places where deals were made, banks where money was exchanged, lawyers' offices where documents 00:07:32.899 --> 00:07:38.859 were kept, and an altar where hundreds, if not thousands, of animals were slaughtered in sacrifice 00:07:38.859 --> 00:07:45.479 and either burnt up or eaten on a daily basis. The temple was the center of religious worship 00:07:45.479 --> 00:07:51.899 and scholarly discourse, and the buildings were constantly being renovated and improved. It was 00:07:51.899 --> 00:07:59.179 impressive and imposing. And it was run by the chief priests who were chosen because of their family 00:07:59.179 --> 00:08:04.839 connections, who they were descended from, the scribes who were distinguished by their education, 00:08:05.579 --> 00:08:11.219 sort of their degrees, and the elders who were wealthy and politically well-connected. 00:08:11.220 --> 00:08:17.880 And into the temple walks Jesus. Now, Jesus wasn't from a priestly family, 00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:24.940 and He hadn't been educated through the official channels, and He wasn't especially wealthy or 00:08:24.940 --> 00:08:30.640 politically well-connected, so He didn't fit among the priests and the scribes and the elders, 00:08:30.640 --> 00:08:37.379 but He was popular among the people. If you look at the last verse or two of chapter 19, 00:08:37.379 --> 00:08:44.919 verse 47 says, Jesus was teaching daily in the temple. But end of verse 48 says, 00:08:45.019 --> 00:08:49.299 all the people were hanging on His words. Jesus had a following. 00:08:51.379 --> 00:08:55.820 And Jesus didn't just teach in the temple. On one occasion, He staged a protest. 00:08:56.960 --> 00:09:02.179 Chapter 19, verse 45 says, He began to drive out those who were selling goods, 00:09:02.440 --> 00:09:06.980 and He quoted from the ancient prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, saying that the house of God 00:09:06.980 --> 00:09:13.659 had become a den of thieves. Not surprisingly, the temple leaders weren't happy with Him. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:21.080 And so, they come to Him in verses 1 and 2, and they say, and it seems like they sort of come up 00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:26.360 suddenly, maybe interrupt Him while He's teaching. By what authority are you doing these things? 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:31.879 Who gave you the right to stage a protest and then stand here every day teaching crowds of people? 00:09:31.879 --> 00:09:40.899 Now, Jesus could have responded in all kinds of ways. If He wanted to sort of diffuse the conflict, 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:44.519 He could have offered to leave the temple area and go somewhere else in the city. 00:09:45.439 --> 00:09:50.600 He could have appealed to some mutually recognized authority, maybe another religious leader who was 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:55.820 more sympathetic to Him that they still would have respected. Or He could have downplayed what He was 00:09:55.820 --> 00:10:01.900 doing and promised to abide by their regulations going forward. But He doesn't do any of those things. 00:10:03.460 --> 00:10:08.160 He doesn't back down. He doesn't walk away. He doesn't try to avoid a conflict. He comes right 00:10:08.160 --> 00:10:16.320 back with a question of His own. You tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or of human origin? 00:10:17.680 --> 00:10:19.760 Now, first you might hear that question, and you might think, 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:26.500 is that just a distraction tactic? Right? Is Jesus just trying to avoid answering their question 00:10:26.500 --> 00:10:34.059 by raising some irrelevant topic like people sometimes do in news interviews? Nope. That's 00:10:34.059 --> 00:10:40.360 not what He's doing. Now, for one thing, it was a common sort of common practice among rabbis to answer a 00:10:40.360 --> 00:10:47.120 question with another question. But even more, if the temple leaders would answer Jesus' question, 00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:50.759 they would immediately have an answer to their own question. 00:10:51.940 --> 00:10:55.860 Let me explain. So, Jesus is talking in verse 4 about John the Baptist. 00:10:56.580 --> 00:11:01.659 And back then, everybody knew who John was. He was a well-known figure. He preached in the desert. 00:11:02.019 --> 00:11:06.379 He called everyone to turn away… He was confrontational and in your face. He called everyone to turn 00:11:06.379 --> 00:11:11.060 away from their sins and get dunked in the Jordan River. And many of the people went out to him 00:11:11.060 --> 00:11:16.340 and recognized him as a prophet that was sent by God. But the temple leaders didn't like him 00:11:16.340 --> 00:11:22.519 because he threatened their institutional monopoly. Right? The temple leaders said, 00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:28.660 come to the temple. That's where you get right with God. That's where you learn about God. You come here. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:37.780 And John operated completely independently. And John said, everybody, including the current religious 00:11:37.780 --> 00:11:44.820 establishment, needed to turn away from their evil ways. And so, the temple leaders were not exactly 00:11:44.820 --> 00:11:51.780 John's biggest fans. The other thing about John is that John had introduced and endorsed Jesus. 00:11:52.920 --> 00:11:58.340 So, you can read that. Luke chapter 3 tells about the ministry of John the Baptist and John sort of 00:11:58.340 --> 00:12:04.379 officially endorsing Jesus. John baptized Jesus and said, he's the one who's to come. 00:12:05.920 --> 00:12:11.220 So, here's the thing. If the temple leaders agreed that John was sent by God, sent from heaven, 00:12:11.220 --> 00:12:16.300 then they'd have to agree that Jesus was also divinely authorized to do what he was doing. 00:12:17.680 --> 00:12:24.139 But if they said that John's thing was just his own idea, merely human origin, then they could conclude 00:12:24.139 --> 00:12:32.040 that Jesus also probably had no more authority than any other human being. So, if they would just answer 00:12:32.040 --> 00:12:37.620 Jesus' question, they would immediately have an answer to their own question. But they don't. 00:12:37.620 --> 00:12:43.360 They refuse to answer. Why do they refuse to answer? Well, they don't want to embrace the logical 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:51.220 consequences of accepting that John was a prophet. And they don't want to embrace the practical 00:12:51.220 --> 00:12:58.200 consequences of denying that John was a prophet. Because so many of the people liked him. And so, 00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:08.700 they say, we don't know. Now, Jesus' question has just exposed the character of the temple leaders. 00:13:10.280 --> 00:13:17.860 They weren't actually asking an honest question. They weren't motivated by love for the truth 00:13:17.860 --> 00:13:27.280 or reverence for God. They just wanted to hold on to their monopoly on power. 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:35.040 That's why they were threatened by Jesus in the first place. And that's why they pretended to be 00:13:35.040 --> 00:13:41.560 neutral about John, even though they were really not neutral. They wanted authority without 00:13:41.560 --> 00:13:52.620 vulnerability. They didn't want to lose anything. They wanted to stay in power. And they felt like 00:13:52.620 --> 00:13:57.600 they had a lot at stake. Our jobs, our incomes, our reputation, maybe even their lives, though they're 00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:01.879 probably exaggerating in verse 6. People tend to exaggerate the possible negative consequences 00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:04.139 of something that they've already decided not to do. 00:14:04.139 --> 00:14:13.179 They don't want to put any of those things on the line. So, they're willing to sacrifice 00:14:13.179 --> 00:14:20.019 truth or what's right instead. So, Jesus says to them in verse 8, 00:14:20.740 --> 00:14:23.480 you won't answer my question, I won't answer your question either. 00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:32.360 Now, before we go on to the second half of this passage, let me say two things. First, there's a 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:38.980 warning here that all of us who have been entrusted with spiritual authority need to take to heart. 00:14:41.060 --> 00:14:47.539 Jesus confronted the religious leaders of his day who exercised authority without embracing 00:14:47.539 --> 00:14:57.379 vulnerability. And those of us who are church leaders face the same temptation today. Now, many of us can 00:14:57.379 --> 00:15:06.139 think of church leaders who have flagrantly abused their authority. But it's not just scandals, scandalous 00:15:06.139 --> 00:15:16.699 misconduct that Jesus is concerned about. Corruption begins with small compromises, double standards, impure 00:15:16.700 --> 00:15:27.980 motives, hidden pride, unchecked self-deception. And so, those of us who are in some kind of spiritual 00:15:27.980 --> 00:15:35.360 leadership ought to ask ourselves and each other some probing questions. Are we motivated by reverence 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:44.480 for God and love for truth and a hunger for righteousness? Or are we more motivated by the desire to be admired 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:52.240 and the fear of being criticized? Do we avoid hard conversations and uncomfortable topics for that 00:15:52.240 --> 00:16:01.240 very reason? Do we allow our pragmatic calculations to override our principled commitments? 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:06.340 Do we cling tightly to our power? 00:16:06.340 --> 00:16:15.399 Or do we see it as a resource to protect people under our care who have little authority and much 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:23.100 vulnerability? There's a warning here that all of us who are church leaders should take to heart. 00:16:24.920 --> 00:16:29.660 But the second thing we see is that throughout this entire interaction, 00:16:29.659 --> 00:16:40.379 Jesus doesn't back down one bit from his claims to authority. And if you read the entire Gospel of Luke, 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:45.399 if you read the other accounts of Jesus' life, this is a consistent pattern throughout Jesus' life. 00:16:47.339 --> 00:16:50.939 People listen to Jesus' teaching and they said, 00:16:50.940 --> 00:16:59.480 wow, he teaches with authority. He talks like he wrote the book himself. 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:06.779 Now, most rabbis, when they taught back then, they would constantly quote other rabbis. 00:17:06.779 --> 00:17:10.820 They would justify their conclusions on the basis of centuries of tradition. 00:17:11.820 --> 00:17:14.220 But Jesus never quoted any other rabbis. 00:17:14.220 --> 00:17:18.839 He only quoted the Scriptures and then gave his interpretation. 00:17:21.339 --> 00:17:24.700 And he didn't say, well, it could sort of mean this, it could sort of mean that, it could sort of mean that. 00:17:24.740 --> 00:17:27.259 You sort of have three options. You can sort of choose what you think is right. 00:17:27.779 --> 00:17:29.720 He gave authoritative interpretations. 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:32.059 And people noticed that. 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:36.279 They said he always teaches with such authority. 00:17:36.900 --> 00:17:38.519 Where does he get that authority? 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:46.139 At other times, Jesus was talking with somebody and he told them point blank, 00:17:46.599 --> 00:17:48.779 all your sins are forgiven. 00:17:51.059 --> 00:17:53.980 And people would look at him and be like, 00:17:54.619 --> 00:17:56.500 what did he just say? 00:17:59.339 --> 00:18:01.859 Only God knows all your sins. 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:05.279 Only God can judge you ultimately. 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:07.799 Only God can forgive you ultimately. 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:13.119 You know, if you do something to somebody else, 00:18:13.180 --> 00:18:15.059 I can't walk up to you and say, oh, you're forgiven. 00:18:15.339 --> 00:18:16.660 Whatever you did to him doesn't matter. 00:18:17.379 --> 00:18:18.180 I forgive you. 00:18:18.500 --> 00:18:19.379 That's all that matters. 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:27.259 People say, where does he get this authority? 00:18:27.559 --> 00:18:28.579 Who does he think he is? 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:31.539 And then here he comes to the temple. 00:18:31.539 --> 00:18:33.639 The temple was the house of God. 00:18:34.879 --> 00:18:37.019 And Jesus acts like he owns the place. 00:18:37.019 --> 00:18:40.859 Even though he was neither a priest nor a scribe nor an elder. 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:46.460 Jesus said and did all kinds of things throughout his life that everybody knew. 00:18:46.740 --> 00:18:50.180 Only God has the authority to do and say things like that. 00:18:50.180 --> 00:18:55.700 Many people say Jesus was a great moral teacher. 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:58.100 But he wasn't God's son. 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:03.560 But C.S. Lewis wrote many years ago, that is the one thing we must not say. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:11.900 A man who was merely human and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. 00:19:11.900 --> 00:19:17.780 He would either be a lunatic completely out of his mind or else he would be a dangerous deceiver. 00:19:18.620 --> 00:19:20.240 You must make your choice. 00:19:21.560 --> 00:19:25.920 Either this man was and is the son of God or else a madman or something worse. 00:19:28.740 --> 00:19:29.940 So let me challenge you. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:32.440 Have you grappled with Jesus' claims to authority? 00:19:32.440 --> 00:19:37.860 And do you notice that Jesus only presents two options? 00:19:39.580 --> 00:19:42.299 From heaven, of human origin. 00:19:44.220 --> 00:19:46.840 He doesn't present some third halfway option. 00:19:49.100 --> 00:19:53.200 Someone said either Jesus is Lord of all or he is not Lord at all. 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:57.059 Jesus claims to have authority. 00:19:58.700 --> 00:20:00.080 And that's a challenge for us. 00:20:00.120 --> 00:20:00.860 That's the first point. 00:20:00.940 --> 00:20:06.620 But the second thing we see in this passage is that Jesus embraces vulnerability. 00:20:08.279 --> 00:20:11.600 And we see this in the story that Jesus tells in verses 9 to 16. 00:20:13.120 --> 00:20:17.900 Jesus tells a story about the owner of a vineyard who leased it out to tenants. 00:20:19.019 --> 00:20:21.460 Now this was a common scenario back in the day. 00:20:21.460 --> 00:20:25.319 Some of the temple leaders might have been vineyard owners themselves, right? 00:20:25.420 --> 00:20:26.340 Many of them were wealthy. 00:20:27.660 --> 00:20:29.960 Wealth was concentrated in land back then. 00:20:30.200 --> 00:20:31.940 They all had to work and live in the city. 00:20:32.299 --> 00:20:33.340 So where's their property? 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:34.960 They can't all own property in the city. 00:20:35.059 --> 00:20:38.120 They probably own property in their ancestral towns or out in the countryside. 00:20:39.700 --> 00:20:41.680 But travel takes a long time. 00:20:42.460 --> 00:20:44.799 You own the vineyard 200 miles away. 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:46.279 You work in the city. 00:20:46.500 --> 00:20:47.539 You've got to lease it out. 00:20:47.539 --> 00:20:51.940 They would have sympathized with the landowner. 00:20:53.299 --> 00:20:57.399 The problem is the tenants in the story are a landlord's worst nightmare. 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:02.180 They not only refuse to pay the rent. 00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:08.720 On three successive occasions, they beat up the owner's servants who come to collect the rent. 00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:10.720 And it gets worse and worse each time. 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:14.920 The first time, they beat him up and send him away empty-handed. 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:17.440 The second time, they do that. 00:21:17.500 --> 00:21:19.480 Plus, it says they treated him shamefully. 00:21:20.100 --> 00:21:23.039 The third time, it says they wounded him and cast him out. 00:21:23.100 --> 00:21:26.019 Now that word wounded is the Greek word traumatizo. 00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:27.779 It's where we get the word traumatize. 00:21:28.660 --> 00:21:37.220 It's the same word that's used in the parable of the Good Samaritan about the guy who was walking down the road and got beat up and left half dead by the side of the road. 00:21:37.220 --> 00:21:40.759 They wounded him and cast him out. 00:21:40.819 --> 00:21:42.400 It's not even clear whether he can get up again. 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:47.920 And then, verse 13, we come to the climax of the parable. 00:21:49.220 --> 00:21:50.220 The vineyard owner deliberates. 00:21:50.860 --> 00:21:53.120 What shall I do? 00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:56.059 Think about it for a moment. 00:21:57.420 --> 00:22:00.680 What would you do if you were the landlord? 00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:03.000 You rented out your property. 00:22:03.799 --> 00:22:06.160 And three times, you send your agents to collect the rent. 00:22:06.500 --> 00:22:10.360 And three times, your agents were physically assaulted with increasingly severe injuries. 00:22:11.460 --> 00:22:15.299 I don't know any landlord in New Haven that would ever let it get that far. 00:22:18.660 --> 00:22:22.380 Most landlords would immediately call the police if that happened, even once. 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:24.539 No second chances. 00:22:24.820 --> 00:22:25.640 No second thoughts. 00:22:25.720 --> 00:22:28.799 Get the tenants arrested for assault, evicted for nonpayment of rent. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:30.799 Get some better tenants in there fast. 00:22:31.919 --> 00:22:34.960 Because otherwise, the money's going out the door every month. 00:22:36.779 --> 00:22:39.899 Now, back in the day, the Roman police might not have helped. 00:22:40.379 --> 00:22:44.759 But if you were a wealthy man, you could certainly hire a private security force 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:48.639 to forcibly seize the vineyard and punish the terrible tenants. 00:22:48.779 --> 00:22:50.779 That option was certainly on the table. 00:22:51.799 --> 00:22:53.279 But what does this landowner do? 00:22:54.419 --> 00:22:56.240 I will send my beloved son. 00:22:56.240 --> 00:22:59.039 Perhaps they will respect him. 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:03.960 Now, it's possible that there was some logic to this owner's decision. 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:07.099 Because if the owner wanted to formally press charges in court, 00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:11.660 he had to either show up himself or send someone with greater authority 00:23:11.660 --> 00:23:15.819 than a servant to give the tenants the ancient equivalent of a notice to quit. 00:23:17.380 --> 00:23:19.240 That's how the legal system worked back then. 00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:22.980 But even if that was the above-board legal way to go, 00:23:23.339 --> 00:23:27.140 such a decision would have exposed his beloved son, his only son, the heir, 00:23:27.400 --> 00:23:28.620 to great risk. 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:34.240 This would be a very surprising way for the owner to deal with such terrible tenants. 00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:36.940 He doesn't even send a security force with his son 00:23:36.940 --> 00:23:39.400 to protect his son from being harmed. 00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:47.340 And in verse 14 and 15, the greedy tenants behave just like we expect them to. 00:23:48.420 --> 00:23:50.259 They want the vineyard for themselves, 00:23:50.259 --> 00:23:55.880 and they will even kill the owner's son in hopes of securing it. 00:23:57.060 --> 00:24:01.120 So the owner of the vineyard, after having exhausted all other possibilities, 00:24:01.780 --> 00:24:04.480 will finally come in judgment, get rid of those tenants, 00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:05.840 and replace them with others. 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:09.179 Now, what was Jesus' point in telling this story? 00:24:10.879 --> 00:24:14.240 Well, back then, everybody understood the point very clearly. 00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:18.899 Because throughout the Old Testament, which people would have been familiar with, 00:24:18.959 --> 00:24:23.220 the people in the land of Israel were described as God's vine or God's vineyard. 00:24:24.259 --> 00:24:29.359 And in fact, surrounding the entrance to the temple where Jesus was teaching, 00:24:29.819 --> 00:24:34.959 in Jerusalem, there was a golden, a huge golden grapevine 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:41.059 with clusters of grapes, representing Israel as God's fruit-bearing vine. 00:24:43.180 --> 00:24:44.819 The symbolism is very clear. 00:24:45.380 --> 00:24:46.079 God's the owner. 00:24:47.100 --> 00:24:48.039 Israel's the vineyard. 00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:50.000 The tenants are Israel's leaders. 00:24:50.660 --> 00:24:52.059 The servants are Israel's prophets. 00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:57.600 So the whole story is about God's patient and merciful dealings 00:24:57.600 --> 00:25:01.720 over the centuries with his rebellious and ungrateful people. 00:25:02.200 --> 00:25:04.500 Many of Israel's prophets had told similar stories. 00:25:04.500 --> 00:25:10.019 We read one earlier from Isaiah, using very similar imagery to make a similar point. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:15.079 And in verse 19, the temple leaders got it. 00:25:15.859 --> 00:25:18.579 They perceived he had told the parable against them. 00:25:18.859 --> 00:25:22.779 They realized that even though they would naturally sympathize with the landowner, 00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:24.859 Jesus is saying that they're acting like the tenants. 00:25:24.859 --> 00:25:33.319 Now, what might we take away from this provocative and disturbing story? 00:25:34.819 --> 00:25:37.379 I'm going to give two concluding thoughts. 00:25:38.159 --> 00:25:44.000 First, this story is a vivid description of our basic human problem. 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:51.599 It's not just corrupt religious leaders in ancient Israel who are like these tenants. 00:25:53.819 --> 00:26:00.380 The Bible says that from the very beginning, human beings have attempted to be our own gods. 00:26:00.380 --> 00:26:11.200 We want to do whatever we want with our bodies, with our money, with our technology, with our lives. 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:14.880 We'll take God's gifts, sure. 00:26:16.520 --> 00:26:18.820 But we want to sideline the giver. 00:26:18.819 --> 00:26:24.480 We want to be accountable, ultimately, only to ourselves. 00:26:26.339 --> 00:26:28.539 That's sort of the default mode of the human heart. 00:26:29.579 --> 00:26:35.200 Oh, yes, we might do things for God because we hope He'll give us what we want. 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:41.840 But if we know that we can get what we want, then God's not essential to the picture. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:49.759 And every so often, God sends us messengers that say things like, 00:26:49.840 --> 00:26:50.580 God made us. 00:26:51.080 --> 00:26:52.140 We didn't make ourselves. 00:26:53.880 --> 00:26:55.120 We're accountable to Him. 00:26:56.080 --> 00:26:57.440 And we're not right with Him. 00:26:57.440 --> 00:27:05.840 But often, we close our ears or we send them away or even worse. 00:27:07.460 --> 00:27:09.720 The Bible says this is our basic human condition. 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:12.480 It's not a good one. 00:27:16.180 --> 00:27:22.820 But the second thing we see in this story is what God did to rescue us from our bad condition. 00:27:22.819 --> 00:27:31.899 You see, all of Jesus' parables are stories about ordinary situations that have a surprising twist. 00:27:34.519 --> 00:27:36.279 What's the surprising twist in this story? 00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:41.759 It's not that the tenants mistreat the owner, right? 00:27:41.839 --> 00:27:44.700 All of us can come up with stories of bad landlords and bad tenants. 00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:47.019 That happens all the time in this world, on both sides. 00:27:49.759 --> 00:27:52.220 It's not that the owner ultimately gets rid of the tenants. 00:27:52.220 --> 00:27:55.000 Of course the owner is going to ultimately get rid of tenants like these. 00:27:57.559 --> 00:27:58.980 That's not the surprising twist. 00:28:00.259 --> 00:28:05.819 The surprising twist is that after the tenants have repeatedly mistreated the owner's servants, 00:28:06.620 --> 00:28:12.700 that the owner chooses to send his one and only beloved son, 00:28:14.140 --> 00:28:18.400 who willingly goes on his father's behalf. 00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:26.820 That's the part of the story that nobody, then or now, would ever expect. 00:28:28.500 --> 00:28:33.120 No landlord, then or now, would take such a costly risk 00:28:33.120 --> 00:28:37.360 to sow such incredible mercy to such horrible tenants. 00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:45.240 But that's what God did in sending his son, Jesus, 00:28:45.779 --> 00:28:50.699 who willingly came into this corrupt and broken world 00:28:50.699 --> 00:28:54.039 as his father's representative with his father's authority 00:28:54.039 --> 00:28:57.539 to his father's property to claim his father's due. 00:28:58.899 --> 00:29:00.579 Jesus claimed to have divine authority. 00:29:00.579 --> 00:29:04.659 And he didn't back down from his claims one bit. 00:29:07.539 --> 00:29:13.659 But Luke also wants us to see that Jesus willingly embraced complete vulnerability. 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:18.859 He took a costly risk. 00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:20.579 He held nothing back. 00:29:20.579 --> 00:29:26.879 And here we see Jesus had finally come to the end of his earthly journey. 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:27.919 He had come to Jerusalem. 00:29:28.500 --> 00:29:29.960 And what would happen to him there? 00:29:32.399 --> 00:29:35.039 He would endure rejection and betrayal. 00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:38.759 He would be humiliated and tortured, 00:29:40.059 --> 00:29:41.720 slandered and condemned, 00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:44.939 and finally executed on a Roman cross. 00:29:44.940 --> 00:29:47.880 And when he hung on that cross, 00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:50.000 he prayed, 00:29:50.279 --> 00:29:51.680 Father, forgive them. 00:29:53.580 --> 00:29:55.000 They don't know what they're doing. 00:29:57.519 --> 00:29:59.580 Why would one with such authority 00:29:59.580 --> 00:30:02.820 willingly embrace such vulnerability? 00:30:05.080 --> 00:30:06.799 Why would the Son of God, 00:30:07.299 --> 00:30:10.059 who can command us with a word, 00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:14.559 choose to lay down his life for people who hated and despised him, 00:30:14.940 --> 00:30:21.500 God so loved the world, 00:30:22.500 --> 00:30:24.519 that he sent his one and only Son, 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:28.799 so that whoever believes in him would not perish, 00:30:29.799 --> 00:30:31.680 but have everlasting life. 00:30:33.580 --> 00:30:35.140 1 John 4.10 says, 00:30:35.559 --> 00:30:36.980 This is love. 00:30:38.299 --> 00:30:39.680 Not that we love God, 00:30:40.840 --> 00:30:42.340 but that he loved us, 00:30:42.339 --> 00:30:47.459 and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins in love. 00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:53.619 Jesus endured the punishment that rebellious humans like us deserved, 00:30:53.899 --> 00:30:56.000 so that anyone who turns to him 00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:59.759 would find forgiveness and life forevermore. 00:31:03.399 --> 00:31:05.480 Leaders who exercise authority 00:31:05.480 --> 00:31:07.720 while embracing vulnerability 00:31:07.720 --> 00:31:09.639 inspire trust. 00:31:09.640 --> 00:31:13.040 Is there anyone else 00:31:13.040 --> 00:31:15.720 more worthy of your trust 00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:16.680 than Jesus? 00:31:18.200 --> 00:31:18.840 Let's pray. 00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:38.959 Father, we thank you for your 00:31:38.959 --> 00:31:41.319 great mercy 00:31:41.319 --> 00:31:43.679 in sending your Son. 00:31:44.139 --> 00:31:46.179 And Jesus, we thank you that you willingly came. 00:31:46.179 --> 00:31:46.240 Amen. 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:46.299 Amen. 00:31:46.299 --> 00:31:46.319 Amen. 00:31:46.319 --> 00:31:46.359 Amen. 00:31:46.359 --> 00:31:46.399 Amen. 00:31:46.399 --> 00:31:46.459 Amen. 00:31:46.459 --> 00:31:46.480 Amen. 00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:46.500 Amen. 00:31:46.500 --> 00:31:46.519 Amen. 00:31:46.519 --> 00:31:46.919 Amen. 00:31:46.919 --> 00:31:47.059 Amen. 00:31:47.059 --> 00:31:47.079 Amen. 00:31:47.079 --> 00:31:48.819 Amen. 00:31:48.819 --> 00:31:49.899 Amen. 00:31:50.059 --> 00:31:51.000 Amen. 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:53.579 Amen. 00:31:53.659 --> 00:31:55.099 Amen. 00:31:55.099 --> 00:31:56.119 Amen. 00:31:56.339 --> 00:31:56.659 Amen. 00:31:56.659 --> 00:31:58.939 Not for people who are already loyal to you, 00:31:58.939 --> 00:32:02.939 but for people like us 00:32:02.939 --> 00:32:07.720 who rejected and despised you 00:32:07.720 --> 00:32:10.859 and didn't want to deal with you. 00:32:14.759 --> 00:32:15.299 Amen. 00:32:15.299 --> 00:32:18.119 We pray that we would grapple with your authority, 00:32:18.119 --> 00:32:22.239 we pray that as we see your love 00:32:22.239 --> 00:32:26.139 that we might be led to trust you more and more 00:32:26.139 --> 00:32:29.199 in Jesus name we pray, amen