Mark 12:1-12 He 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 went away on a journey. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he 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 scripture: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” Then they 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.
In the above passage, the word "capstone" in some translations has been interpreted as "head of the corner" or "cornerstone." Neither interpretation, capstone or cornerstone, alters the message Jesus was driving home in this parable because either word gives us an image of who Christ is to the church of the living God. A capstone is the final stone placed in a structure that has an arch in it: it holds the building together. This stone represents a very important, essential, defining part of the structure. In spiritual terms, the capstone illustrates a finished work or a complete work. A cornerstone is the first stone that is placed in position when building a structure. The cornerstone basically determines the quality, size, and integrity of the entire structure. Whatever follows the placing of the cornerstone reflects upon the positioning of this important stone. Whether capstone or cornerstone, these stones are essential in the edifice, and the hearers of Jesus' words would have known to reject the capstone would be to reject the whole building. And if God built up a new building from that which they people rejected, then they were indeed in grave circumstances. For Jesus to infer such a thing about the spiritual leaders evoked the same response from them as it did when He cleared out the temple courts and they began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. (Mark 11:18) Jesus knew they had rejected the prophets before him and now they had rejected him
In this parable, Jesus reflects upon the history of the Jews: how they rejected the warnings and teachings of the prophets and holy men who were sent to them by God. God loved his people so much He wanted to change the hearts of the Israelites when they hardened their hearts and worshipped other gods, turning to wicked and sinful ways. But instead of hearing and receiving the words of those God sent to them, they rejected the holy ones sent by God either by persecution or death. Stephen says in his last proclamation to the Jewish people: You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him — you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it. (Acts 7:51-53) Jesus was saddened by the history of his people. At one point He calls the Pharisees and teachers of the law hypocrites and a brood of vipers because they say they would not have participated in the shedding of the blood of the prophets with their forefathers, yet they persecute him and will pursue from town to town, flog, and kill those who come to them in the name of Jesus. Yet, Jesus ends by saying, O 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, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. (Matthew 23:37-38) Even though from the time of Abraham, God had been intimately involved with the Israelites, performing miracles and wonders before their very eyes, they rejected his will and his authority over their lives. Jesus reveals in the vineyard parable that God will now give away his fertile garden of blessings to others because of his people's unwillingness to provide him with the fruit of the vineyard.
Throughout Jesus' ministry, we see him doing the will of the Father. He is a fruitful Son, and He calls people to himself to go out and to bear fruit for God's kingdom, fruit that will last. Just as God told Adam and Eve in the beginning: Be fruitful, and multiply (Genesis 1:27), we are to multiply as the church of God, bringing in new believers, who will in turn bring in new converts themselves. One of the reasons the religious leaders fought Jesus so hard was they feared his movement would grow and take over their position of authority in the community. They feared losing power, respect, and the financial means to survive. If crowds came to hear Jesus, and He could perform miracles, who knew what this might lead to? Now Jesus inferred that they were not merely rejecting a man who had certain powers of persuasion and the ability to help the sick recover, but his parable suggested He was from God. If they rejected him, they rejected God. This made the religious leaders all the more angry and fearful. This Jesus wanted to set himself up as someone sent from God. Today, we do not have to wonder who Jesus is. We do not have to look at the signs or try to analyze the parables to figure out whether or not Jesus was sent from God as the Savior of mankind. The signs are all in, the message is clear. The building is complete and the capstone has long been set securely into place. We have a King: His name is Jesus, the Bright and Morning Star. He left heaven to die on a cruel cross to pay the price for our sins. We assume that most of you reading our breakfast know the Lord as your Redeemer and Soon Coming King. You have been born again and asked him to take control of your lives. You walk with the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to guide your steps. Today we challenge you to hear his voice and to follow his lead in every situation. There is ground to till in the vineyard. There are plants in need of planting. There is fruit to harvest for the Master of the vineyard. The Lord tells us, "I have work for you to do." He is saying the same to each of you.
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