FIRST LESSON Isaiah 43:16-21
16Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, 17who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: 18“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 20The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, 21the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”
PSALM Psalm 126
1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, then were we like those who dream. 2Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy. 3Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” 4The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad indeed. 5Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses of the Negev. 6Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy. 7Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.
SECOND LESSON Philippians 3:4b-14
4b If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
GOSPEL Luke 20:9-20
9 And {Jesus} began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17 But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” 19T he scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.
GOD AND BANANA PUDDING
As a child and as an adult I have known both the world of home ownership and of renting. Growing up, my parents owned a triplex. We lived in one apartment and mom and dad rented out the other two one bedroom apartments. Additionally, while in the military, and as I do now, we live in accommodations we do not own but are covered as part of my compensation. Terry and I have also owned a home just prior to being called here as your pastor. I guess you could say that I have lived and been around people who have been owners, renters and tenants. The reason I bring this up is that I understand the difference between being an owner and being a tenant.
As an owner, you have a personal stake in what happens to something. If you care for it, it lasts a long time and in the case of property, it can mean a nice return on your investment. However, as a tenant, you have little, if any, investment in the property, therefore, the consequences of your actions are limited to losing a deposit or maybe paying for damages when you leave. In some ways you could say that your outlook concerning your living arrangements is about respect. The question as a tenant is, do you understand who owns the home or apartment and do you show respect for the owner? The same idea of tenant vs. owner also applies to farming.
Again, while I was growing up I was exposed to farming attitudes from both sides of the spectrum. I knew and worked around those who owned and worked their own land as well as those who leased farming property. For many who leased, their attitude and goal, generally speaking, was to make as much money as they could from the land, no matter if it was good land management practices or not, then move on. The land owners, on the other hand, had a personal investment in the land, beyond the short term, so their focus was good land management so that it would produce well for many years. The owners took pride in their investment and treated it well, and this additional care could be seen in the appearance and crop as well.
The ones who owned and tilled the land maintained the fences, kept the edges trimmed and ensured that the irrigation ditches were fully functional. Those who leased the land did as little as possible in order to get as much as they could with the least amount of effort. I know not every tenant shares this “get all you can and leave” attitude, but you have to admit that there’s a difference between a person who owns and one who simply rents or leases. This distinction is one that Jesus wanted to draw on when He told the parable found in our gospel reading for this morning.
The parable found in our gospel lesson is one that many here today can easily relate to, so I don’t think I need to labor overly long on the story. Nor do I think I need to dwell on the image of the Christ figure introduced at the end of the narrative. I’ll bet even money, that nearly every preacher you’ve ever heard has already done that, including yours truly. Instead of focusing on the killing of the owner’s son (which was the ultimate insult, and which prompted Jesus to quote the psalmist, “the rejected stone eventually becomes the cornerstone” 118:22), I want to focus instead on the relationship between the absentee owner and the tenants themselves.
The first thing we can say, without hesitation, is that the vineyard Jesus talks about is clearly the owner’s vineyard. He planted it. He nurtured it. As would be the custom in that part of the world, he built protective walls around it. Additionally, we can assume that, even though this isn’t expressly stated in the story, he designed and construct a wine press in the middle of it. This too was a common practice in Jesus’ day. What we do have here is just enough descriptive material to tell us that this vineyard is a promising operation. Why else would the tenants be willing to lease the property? I seriously doubt this vineyard was just a few rows of sour grapes in hard clay. Nor is it an overworked piece of ground with little promise for the future. The vineyard represents a place that was planned, productive and potentially prosperous. And because of it’s potential, it was leased to tenants while the owner went away.
As I’ve pointed out in previous Bible studies, the owner “goes away” in other biblical stories. The “absentee landlord” is a common theme. But one thing we need to note it that “going away” isn’t meant to suggest indifference. The owner still cares. Rather, the purpose of “going away” is to give those who are left-in-charge, sufficient space in which to operate. The owner’s distance is meant to allow the tenants the opportunity to show their true intensions. In Jesus’ stories, the owner never crowds the tenants, the implication being that “going away” is more for their benefit than his. If that interpretation causes you to hesitate a bit, consider the words of Jesus to His disciples on the eve of His dying; “It is for your benefit that I go away.” (John 16:7) What’s important to note is, that even from a distance, the owner remains emotionally invested.
The owner remains invested in the property. But even more, he’s invested in the people to whom he has entrusted the property. He goes away expecting they will share that investment. For the owner, this is more than just a business deal. For the owner, this is a relationship … a relationship that means something. His mistake is in assuming they feel similarly. That’s why their thrice-repeated failure to honor his request for a portion of the harvest is such an insult.
Somehow I doubt that his focus is the wine or a portion of the income derived from its sale. I believe his concern is in the vineyard and the relationship. This is why he can’t believe their callous indifference to his claim. Three times he makes an overture. Three times his overtures are refused. After they have thoroughly thrashed and maligned his envoys, he decides to send his son. Notice, however, the words that accompany the dispatching of his own flesh and blood. “Perhaps they will respect him,” the owner says. That’s what we want to take note of this morning. This parable is also about respect! It’s not about the rent: the rent is incidental. A main theme in this parable is that respect is very important. But the owner’s plans take a grim turn.
The son, of course, is killed. The tenants assume control. Authority appears to change hands. And it appears there’s nothing the owner can do. All of which brings us to what Joe Harding calls life’s toughest question: “Who owns the vineyard?” To whom does it really belong? It’s the question of sovereignty. It’s hard to answer any other question in life until you answer that one. Who owns the vineyard?
Who owns all the stuff we take for granted in our lives? Here is the Bible’s answer. “Beware, lest you say in your heart `my power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he that gives you the power to get wealth.” Look for yourself. You’ll find the reference in Deuteronomy 8:17. Or, look at Psalm 50 where God says, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” Or consider I Corinthians 6:19: “(even) you are not your own. You are bought with a price.” The burning, and very first question we must ask is, who owns the vineyard? The Bible is completely clear on the answer.
It’s also clear that sin rests in the failure to answer the question correctly. Sin is not, at its elemental level, such things as skipping class, missing church, cheating on the spouse or hoisting a few too many cold ones at the Memorial Day picnic. To paraphrase Luther, sin is taking the vineyard for ourselves and living as if there is no other owner. Original sin, the root cause of all other sin, self-centeredness, doesn’t spring into flower all at once. It blooms slowly … imperceptibly … but with a quietly unfolding sense of arrogance.
Some of you may be familiar with the name Bill Russell. These days he’s found in the suit-and-tie side of professional basketball. However, he made his mark in basketball as a player. Twice an all-American at the University of San Francisco, Bill Russell anchored a team that won 55 straight games and back-to-back NCAA championships. He went on to play the pivot or center position for the Boston Celtics which won 11 championships in 13 years. Five times he was voted the league’s most valuable player. As a pivot man, nobody was more intimidating. As a human being, few have been more outspoken. There’s a difficult edge to Bill, but there’s also an insightful softness. Both of these personality traits come out in his autobiography entitled Second Wind: Memoirs of an Opinionated Man. Bill reminds me of another pastor who shared a story with me from his childhood.
According to this friend of mine, he said he often got in trouble over his mother’s banana pudding. His mom would whip up a big round bowl in the afternoon and leave it to cool while she and his father would go visiting. Before leaving he would get the command, “Don’t you eat none of that banana pudding, it’s for supper.” And then they would head out. And that’s when the trouble would start.
Alone, he said, I’d walk back and forth by the table, looking at it, wondering how it tasted. I knew, of course, how it tasted in general. But I wanted to know how this particular batch had turned out. Finally, I’d say to myself: “Well, she made this pudding for me because she knows I love it so much. So I’ll just have one little serving.” Which, of course, would be gone in a flash, and I would taste it all the way down to my stomach. When the last mouthful was finished, I’d run outside to play, knowing that it was the only way to control myself. But after a while I’d come back into the house and the pudding would still be there. Looking delicious, and calling me. So I’d eat another little bit.
This helping, I decided, was my parents’ fault instead of mine … for leaving me alone with that big bowl of yellow deliciousness. Pretty soon I’d have eaten about half the pudding. This would bring me to the critical moment when I’d think long and hard and finally say to myself: “Hey, I’m going to get a whipping anyway, so I might as well eat the rest.”
What I had eaten would then begin to feel as heavy as a cannonball in my stomach. I’d find myself growing sluggish, just when I needed to be sharp to plan my strategy. Usually my strategy was to lock myself in the house and not let my folks in when they came home. “Come on, son,” they’d yell. “We know you’re in there. Open up. You’ve been in that pudding again, ain’t you, boy?” What a picture, he continued. The little kid who has eaten the banana pudding now locks his parents out of their own home. Who owns the house? Who owns the contents in the bowl? These can be hard questions to answer when you’ve got banana pudding all over your face.
So let’s be honest. We can try and lock the owner out. We can try and commandeer the vineyard. We, in our self-righteousness, can put our thumbs under our breast pockets and proclaim ourselves to be self-made individuals. We can probably have the pudding and eat it, too. The problem is, eventually, we end up alone in the house … without God, mom or dad. And that can be a lonely way to live.
The very first commandment (of the ten big ones given through Moses) declares: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” That prohibition was written in a day when every mountain, every bush and every tree was alive with deity. Were the same commandment to be framed today (said Henry Sloane Coffin), it would probably read: “Thou shalt have at least one God.” But we know the real truth, God must be the one and only God we serve.
So the truth for us today is, God is the One who owns the vineyard not us. The truth is that our attitude about life is a reflection of the respect we have for the owner of everything. And as such, we need to swallow our pride, forget about protocol, take our sleeve, wipe the pudding off our face, unlock the door, and let that God in. For one, it’s far less lonely that way. For two, it keeps things straight: Like what’s what … and Who’s Who. As faithful tenants, we need to take responsibility for what has been entrusted to us, never forgetting that what we have in not ours. We need to daily remember that God is the owner and we show our respect by giving God His share. His share of our time, our praise, our respect, our tithe and our talents. If we do, we will one day hear what every faithful follower wants to hear: “Well do good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matt.25:23)
Amen