Best Intentions; Deadly Consequences ...

We make plans.  We spend time considering possibilities, evaluating finances, and hoping for outcomes; and then we plan.  In my life, I cannot tell you that my plans could have ever been more considered, more wise, and yet completely unable to reach fruition.  It is not as if every conceivable impact is not considered or taken into account.  Yet somehow, some way, the unforeseen infects the reality of your execution.  What was planned is no longer possible.  Something new must occur, or perhaps nothing will occur.  Yet despite a vivid history of plans that went awry, we continue to make plans.  If this insanity were constricted to our personal lives, to our vacation planning perhaps, then perhaps the impact of our repeated attempts at forestalling the variety of life would not be so dangerous.  But the thinking, the mindset of planning, happens in our religious lives as well.

As planning collides with our spirituality, we decide we will pray for “x” amount of time, on these three days, at 5:00am before our routines begin.  But when the day arrives, the time slips by.  Or when the prayers begin, our desire to sleep overwhelms us, and we find ourselves hitting a snooze alarm rather than in deep conversation with our Lord.  So we decide to change our plans.  Morning prayers must now become evening prayers.  We forecast new days and times for prayer.  At first our new routine seems to work and then subtly, with barely a notice, something else changes.  Our ability to pray for as long as we wanted gets reduced.  For Christians who believe they are saved by the amount of time they spend on their knees, this creates a crisis.  Their continued failures either results in guilt they can scarcely live with, or an acceptance that perhaps prayer is not needed at all.  Yet through all of this, we continue to make plans.

Our ministries at church are far from immune from our desires to make plans.  We decide to raise “x” dollars, to send “x” people, to participate in “x” ministry.  And so we set out to accomplish in our corporate life what we have failed at so miserably at in our personal lives.  And similar results ensue.  Perhaps the finances we intended to raise is just not meeting the timeline we had laid out.  Perhaps the people who initially volunteered to participate in the ministry just do not show up.  Perhaps the ministry we initially envisioned is not the one truly needed for the community we wanted to serve.  What is different in our corporate spiritual lives than in our personal ones, is our ability to compromise with our compatriots.  In so doing, our plans become flexible.  And in our flexibility, God is able to work His will, most often, in spite of, and in direct conflict with, our original plans.  Yet even in church, we continue to make plans.

The most dangerous spiritual plans however, are not the ones made in response to the call of God, but are the ones made to position God with “no other choice” than support what we have planned to do.  It would be as if Noah built an ark on his own, according to his own thoughts about how big it needed to be.  Hunted and gathered only the animals Noah thought were worthy, and stocked his ark, with his crew, and his spoils.  And then begged God to send a flood to wipe out his neighbors for their lack of following God, never having preached a single sermon, to invite them to escape the disaster that was on the horizon, Noah believed would come.  This kind of presumption would not have been a story about the patience of God, or the love of God in repeatedly trying to reach a people who hated Him.  It would have been a story about Noah, who took it on himself to do what he thought should be done.  And it would have failed, even if rain had descended.

Had Abraham taken Isaac up that mountain alone, without the call of God, to sacrifice his son.  There would have been no Israel, only another dead human sacrifice, slain to the spiritual pride of a man who did what he thought was right to do.  Both Noah, and Abraham, followed the plans created by God, the calling laid out by God.  They did not invent these plans.  They did not actually want to follow these plans.  But they laid aside human desire, and did what God had called them to do, regardless of what they wanted.  This should have been the lesson for Judas to learn.  For Judas made plans as well.  Judas knew the stories of Noah, and of Abraham, and Judas knew many of the rest of scriptures as well.  Judas knew what the Messiah was supposed to do.  And Judas saw that the Messiah was clearly not living up to what scriptures had foretold, at least not according to what the Pharisees, and scribes said, that the Messiah was supposed to do.

Judas, like us, had the right religion.  Judas, like us, had the right scriptures, which he believed he interpreted correctly.  The leadership of the faith, agreed with Judas, NOT with Jesus Christ.  So what was to be done to reconcile this discrepancy between what Jesus actually did, and what Jesus (or God) was supposed to be doing?  Judas, like us, made a plan.  Those who make plans ahead of the calling of God have the very best intentions.  They are also completely blind to the idea that they have put themselves in a leadership position that belongs only to God.  God is no longer in the driver’s seat.  He is now a passenger in the planning machine of the Christian who decides what is to come, and how it will be handled. But our plans cannot foresee what only God can foresee.  And sometimes as much as we want God to do something for us, what we want, is not what is best for us, or for our world.  Judas wanted Jesus to become the King that Judas knew He could be.  If Jesus had done this, the Israelite world would have been better for a time, but our ability to be better would have been crushed by the greed-of-the-moment hatched in the plans of Judas.

No matter what, Judas had a plan.  He did not betray Jesus from a random whim.  He did it to force a reconciliation between scripture (or his interpretation of it), and the actions of Jesus.  Judas reasoned, that once the life of Jesus was truly in jeopardy, Jesus would use His true power to escape the traps set for Him, and rise to become the King He was meant to be.  No one with the power to fix something, with the power to save themselves, would ever not use it.  Nobody, who could save themselves, would choose not to, and endure what was coming.  That had never happened before Jesus, so there was no reason to think it would be any different now.  Judas thought his plan was near perfect.  Jesus would rise to become King and thank Judas for helping Him see the light and wisdom of this plan.  Judas had it all worked out in his plan and in his mind.  Just like we do, as we set out to make plans that do not follow God, but attempt to lead Him.

Peter recalls to John Mark, the boldness of Judas’ plan.  Picking up in the Gospel of Mark, chapter fourteen, beginning in verse 43 saying … “And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.”  It was a small army sent to capture one Man.  Judas reasoned these first armed men could be converted into the first army of Christ.  It was sure to happen.  For how could Jesus allow Himself to be captured and face death, that He could easily preach His way out of?  The Temple had emptied its guard, to come to capture the owner of this building, the author of this faith, the inspiration behind every word of scripture, and the central player in every story.

John Mark continues in verse 44 saying … “And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.”  Notice the direction of Judas.  Judas will kiss Jesus just in case in the night lighting they mistake who their target is.  The kiss will be a sign of respect and of betrayal or identification.  This mini-army must not become confused in the dust up.  They must capture Jesus, and in the event they are successful, they are to lead Jesus away safely.  The safety of Jesus is still uppermost in the mind of Judas.  The plan of Judas is not actually to kill Jesus, or hurt Him in any way.  The plan of Judas is to force Jesus to do what He is supposed to do, according to scripture.  How like us.

How often do our interpretations of scripture lead us to make plans that are as far from God as night is from day.  The Westboro Baptist church comes to mind.  In a zealous effort to warn sinners of their ignorant participation in sin, they spend tedious hours creating posters and banners that carry only the words of hate and condemnation to those in need of salvation.  The members of this singular church do not sit quietly and pray for Lord of love to make changes in the hearts that need it.  No, they would rather lead the charge in the fight against evil, never for a moment recognizing the evil that infects each one of them.  Hate banners proudly displayed in times and places where love is needed even more so.  Slogans of hate and condemnation screamed at those in need of love, until their voices and the voices of demons are indistinguishable.  But they have scripture on their side, don’t they?  They have the history of the Old Testament on their side, don’t they?  They certainly have their own interpretation of it, that somehow allows them to carry out their plans.  So did Judas.  So do we, anytime our interpretations lead us to think we can lead God.

John Mark continues in verse 45 saying … “And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.”  Judas executed his plan.  He did not pray over it, or at least listen for the response of the Lord.  The plan of Judas involved betrayal, it risked violence, and Judas put those risks and realities aside to execute his plan.  The plans of Christian organizations and members, who would espouse condemnation as their method of salvation are no different than the plans of Judas.  Hate in any form is still hate.  Calling attention to the pain of sin, does not redeem the sinner, it only states the reality of his pain once again.  Redemption begins with forgiveness.  Redemption begins with God loving us in spite of our denial of who He is, and His love for us, that happens in spite of the choices we have made and are making.  Love that reaches out to us, even in our state of sin, is the only love that can draw us out of our sin.  Quiet testimony of how Jesus did this for you, would do more to redeem another who is still struggling with the pain Jesus brought you out of.  Any other words are meaningless.  A lack of love is meaningless and will accomplish nothing in someone else.

John Mark continues in verse 46 saying … “And they laid their hands on him, and took him. [verse 47] And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.”  Peter witnesses these events from a different perspective than John, and so his recollection comes from a different perspective.  The small army sent to capture Jesus does exactly that as Jesus submits.  But while Jesus is willing to be taken, the violence Judas has started will not end with him.  Peter responds by drawing his sword and cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant.  An inch to the left and he might have split the head of the high priest’s servant in two.  Violence has come to Jesus, and violence will be used to stop it.  Peter has not thought through the odds, or the numbers.  The guards greatly outnumber him, but he is undeterred.  Peter need only make a distraction so that Jesus can escape.  Peter is ready for blood.  At this point Peter is ready for the blood of Judas most of all.

And so Christians who incorporate violence into their planning, find that violence is ready to be used against them.  Peter could argue that others drew the sword first, that others came with violent intent first.  So do we.  We argue that the world, under the watchful eye of Satan, has drawn the sword first against us, and against our faith.  We are not wrong.  The world is not above using violence against the faith.  But what does it say, when we are willing to take violence to them, when we initiate it.  The people who Westboro protests against, did not first come and protest against them.  The women who in their desperation find themselves at an abortion clinic did not come to our churches before they were pregnant to hurl stones and accusations against the faithful for their hypocrisy and their spite.  It was before they were pregnant that our love to them might have altered the course of their lives.  It is now in their time of greatest need when ONLY our love might still have a chance to alter it, to redeem it, to provide a consistency of love no matter what course they choose.  Will they meet that love from us, or will they meet something else?

The response of Jesus to Peter is not recorded here.  Nor is the miracle of Jesus restoring to the servant of the high priest the ear that was just cut off.  Perhaps Peter did not see or hear this.  Or more likely perhaps the rebuke of Jesus to Peter for using that sword still stings in the ears of Peter as it should in ours.  Peter does however, hear the rebuke of Jesus to this small army intent on his capture as John Mark continues in verse 48 saying … “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? [verse 49] I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.”  Jesus points out that He carries no sword or spear.  Jesus has not been calling an army to Himself, He has been here to redeem all men and women instead.  Jesus points out that He was in the Temple very recently teaching, if they wanted Him, they could have taken Him there very easily.  But then, scriptures must be fulfilled.

It is with this, that the vows of men are recorded in the gospel.  John Mark states in verse 50 saying … “And they all forsook him, and fled.”  This includes John.  This includes Peter.  Even Judas may not have had the stomach to see where the best of intentions is now going to lead.  But there was another witness.  In the strangest of epitaphs, Peter recalls to John Mark beginning in verse 51 saying … “And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: [verse 52] And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.”  Who was this?  Scripture does not record, nor would it seem that Peter knew him by name.  Why was he there?  Could this person have been there all the while Jesus was in agony?  Could he have been staring through the mists watching the Son of Man become separated from the Father God?

To be naked in front of others is considered a high sin in the days of Peter.  It is clear in this exchange that the man had few clothes on to begin with and is clearly willing to leave them behind in the escape.  Perhaps this was yet another demoniac who stays in silent witness.  Perhaps this was the devil himself in human form.  Or perhaps this was a silent disciple awakened from his bed in the night, who has come to the garden in nothing but his pajamas.  We may never know until we reach that infinite kingdom of our Lord.  But what this man saw, what they all saw, was the results of a very finely crafted plan reaching its unintended fruition.  Judas crafted a plan he reasoned had only one outcome, when in reality the outcome was something completely different.

When we plan, when we consider possible outcomes, we must ask ourselves the only question that matters … do we plan in response to the call of God, or ahead of it?  It is far better to follow the plans of God, even when they make little or no sense to us, then to craft our own plans with the best of intentions and the deadliest results.  When we include violence, or the risk of violence in our planning, we step away from the path of our God, and enter ground we were never meant to tread.  For it is love alone that redeems, love alone that can change the course of a person’s life.  Violence cannot accomplish this feat, but love can.  Perhaps our best course of action is to be willing to be led, instead of constantly thinking it is our job to lead. 

The fight over sin happens in the heart of man, where only the Love of God can transform and give us hope.  Banners that state our condemnation, offer us no reason to escape this fate other than fear.  They do not picture a loving God, but only a vengeful one who delights in our time in the flames.  This is not the God I serve, nor the picture I find in these scriptures of Jesus who would rather suffer torture and death than to see us have to do it.  Perhaps the better poster to construct would look something like those old weight loss ones of a few years back … “End sin and pain now, ask me how”.

 

Broken Wedding Vows ...

There is a promise we intend to make only once.  There are vows we take before God and each other.  It is because of this that we call our promises sacred, and what we say, the very foundation of our honor.  To see our vows broken, is to see our humanity broken alongside them.  Should someone else betray their vow to us, that betrayal leaves a scar that seldom heals in full.  Its mark is carried with us, making us apprehensive to trust again, making us apprehensive to commit again.  In point of fact these are only words.  But the context of these words, the circumstances in which they are spoken, the witnesses to them … add up to a vow that becomes part of who we are.  And what happens to us when we are the one who breaks them?

Humans have no control.  We know we live at the whims of fate.  A tornado or extreme weather event could hit and radically change our perspective.  Cancer, AIDs, or heart disease can seem to come upon us out of the blue, and radically change our perspective.  Love itself can overwhelm us and make our lives something new, something entirely different.  So humanity must reduce its expectations of control to only the things we believe we can control, our words, and perhaps our actions.  We make promises.  We intend to keep them.  Should control not be lifted us, from circumstances that prevent it, we do keep them.  But if scripture teaches us anything, it teaches us that our promises founded in our strength are worth nothing.

This was to be the most painful lesson in the life of Peter.  It left a mark on him that colored his perspective, even many years later while recalling his gospel through his friend and transcriptionist John Mark.  Peter too had made a vow.  It was a vow taken before God, and a promise to God.  It was made in the company of witnesses, not just strangers mind you, but witnesses who lived with him day and night for a little more than three years.  These men knew Peter.  Jesus knew Peter.  And with this context, in a circumstance that was the most important setting he would ever face.  Peter made a vow.  It was more important that his wedding vow.  It was the most important one he would ever make, and strangely, it is the most important one you or I will ever make.

Peter begins his recollection to John Mark in his gospel picking up in chapter fourteen and verse 27 saying … “And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. [verse 28] But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.”  Jesus declares an ominous truth.  He prophesies again what is about to happen, not with conditions, but with clarity.  He predicts His own death, and He predicts it will happen beginning tonight.  He also predicts His own resurrection, and gives directions about where they will find Him once He is risen.  They can find Him again in Galilee, a place they remember fondly from mission work, and a home that offered them fishing on the sea there.  If Peter, like us, could have focused on the aftermath, on the reunion in Galilee perhaps all might have been well.  But he, like us, could not.

We see only the part of the text our minds are drawn too.  Peter is drawn to the circumstances Jesus’ prophecy will create.  That “all shall be offended” this night, and because of Him.  Jesus states in absolute clarity, that finally, the hopes of each one of the disciples that He would become the earthly king they surely thought would happen, will be dashed upon the rocks.  Each one of them will lose hope.  Each one of them will question their faith.  Did they really get it right?  After all, this Jesus will NOT be fulfilling the scriptures as defined by the leaders of the faith, or as hoped for in their own hearts.  This means the Jewish people will still be crucified.  This means the Jewish people will still be over taxed.  They will continue to suffer with not an ounce of relief.  How could a real Messiah allow that to happen, when He had the power to change it?

But to be offended by Him.  After all this time, to wind up offended by the Master he had left everything for, had left everything to follow.  No.  Not Peter.  His memory continues in verse 29 stating … “But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.”  There it is.  There is boast of certainty.  There is the vow of a wedding.  There is the most sacred promise a human could make.  But the scary part, is that we make it too, almost exactly the same way, in almost exactly the same circumstances.  Peter says to his Lord, that while everyone else may get it wrong, he will not.  He declares that his brothers in Christ are not as mature as he is.  They may be offended, they may not understand scriptures as well as Peter, they may flee because of it.  But not Peter.  Not you or I.  We know more.  We know better.  We will stand with our God no matter what comes, or who is offended.  And we mean this vow too.

Jesus responds to his vow in verse 30 saying … “And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.”  Jesus does not condemn his arrogance.  Jesus does not judge him as unworthy, or forever damned, or forever separated from Him because of what will come.  Jesus calmly explains to Peter, and to us, what his vow is worth.  In this day, in fact even in this night (the next 12 hours for Peter), Peter will fail at his vow not only once, but three times.  There it is.  There is the reality of our vow not to sin, of our vow to follow God.  We make it.  Then our sins, our weakness, break the vow we make multiple times in the same day our words are uttered.  What good is a wedding vow?  What good is a promise we make to love God, when it can be broken by us in heart, mind, and mouth, multiple times in a single day?

How can the Lord take our promise seriously?  Why should He?  Our problem, was Peter’s problem, separated by more than 2,000 years and yet identical in nature.  We promise something based on the strength of our will.  We then find that strength is nothing.  We then find only a short passage of time, leads to a dulling of our commitments, and a lure or “need” to forego them.  We state in front of others that we will be a follower of Jesus, then find ourselves sinning against Jesus multiple times just a bit later.  It is not a onetime event.  We do it repeatedly.  We then beg for forgiveness.  And perhaps come to a point, where we think “God” made me this way.  So it’s His fault.  It’s His fault I fail, so He must know it, and accept me in spite of my failures.  Maybe my failures are OK with Him after all.  His grace then becomes cheap to us.

But a vow is not so easily discarded.  For with a vow comes pride in who we are.  If we are going to break it, at least give us the courtesy of not thinking our words are so cheap they can be done away with in a single day, and multiple times in that day.  So thought Peter as he responds in verse 31 saying … “But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.”  Peter ups the ante.  He does not accept what Jesus is saying.  He disputes it.  He disputes truth, the Truth.  So he raises his voice, deepens his tone, and makes his commitment even more fiercely.  He now adds to his vow, that even unto death he will honor it.  He will follow his Lord unto death no matter what.  His words now sound in our ears, for haven’t we said the same things, if not to God, then to other Christians so that they will “know” how holy we are.

At this point, mob thinking takes over.  The other disciples are not going to be shamed into letting Peter make so vehement a declaration, so meaningful a wedding vow, and them remain silent.  They join Peter’s vow themselves.  They add their own voice to it.  And mimic the words of it.  So do we.  One of our friends declares their voice or promise to follow God, and so do we.  Particularly if it is a group of our friends.  We do not want to be left out in the cold, alone.  We want to be part of the “team”.  So we add our voices to whatever vow is offered, for better or for worse.  Our passion is weaker, but present. 

We either do not want to be outdone by another, or do not want to be the only guy afraid of commitment at all.  So we all make the vow.  And even more important than what words we will say to our spouse in our wedding, we are making our vow right to the face of God.  Whether in our prayers, or as Peter did in front of Jesus, we are vowing ourselves to Jesus Christ.  And how often does Jesus know the sad truth?  He knows it every time.  For so far, our records remain imperfect every time.  Human strength is worth nothing, yet we continue to rely upon it.  Constantly making and breaking vows to God, destroys us inside, it hardens us until we have no more words to speak, or intentions to underlie them.  These actions hollow us, as they did Peter.

We should not be making vows.  Counsel was given us to simply let our yes mean yes, and our no mean no.  That counsel was insurance against the pride that comes when a vow is made.  It is insurance against the linking of honor to vows.  For once vows have been broken over and over again, our honor is destroyed when it need not be.  Better to recognize we have no honor in the first place.  Our honor, like our strength is reflected through us by Jesus Christ.  Our promises have no strength or longevity, if not maintained by Jesus Christ.  Our faith, and its condition, its strength, is a product of how much we humble ourselves and submit to Jesus Christ.  Christ can do all things in me, is not a testament about how much I help Jesus accomplish His work.  It is a testament about how little I can do, effectively nothing, and how Jesus does all things through me, because I can do none of them.

It is our illusion of control that gives way to making a solemn vow before God.  But if our vows to God are broken with such regularity, then how can anything we promise each other in front of God stand any better chance?  We must ground our commitments in the will and love of God, or make no commitments at all.  We must not promise anything, but ground our language in the will and love of God.  To learn to submit our responses, and our intentions through Jesus, is to trust Jesus to run our lives, our marriages, and our salvation.  Our transformations do not occur because we will them, but because we submit to them. 

But if we needed any proof of this, the recollections of Peter would provide ample examples as the story continues …

 

The Incessant Need to Know When [part 3 of 3] ...

In our prior studies we have been examining the answers of Christ to the questions of His disciples as to when the Temple would be destroyed at Jerusalem.  History gives us the answers in 70 AD.  But a more careful example of the parallels between the events and signs that occurred back then and the dangers we face in our modern world are striking.  The biggest warning of Jesus was the focus on avoiding deceptions, that is, avoiding the false Messiah’s, or those who would place themselves between us and God.  This warning still exists for us today, as we still place “self” in the line of responsibility for our own salvation instead of just upon Jesus.  This warning was important enough for Jesus to repeat it 2 times, so perhaps of all the issues that faced the disciples and face us, it may be the most important.  But Jesus wanted to focus the minds of His disciples beyond the immediate, and to the more important during this conversation.  His second coming, while not the main topic of conversation, would also be one He would include.

Peter continues his recollection to John Mark in his gospel in chapter thirteen, picking up in verse 24 saying … “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, [verse 25] And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.”  To set the context, in verse 19 Jesus predicts affliction such has not been since the world was created, nor shall ever be as great again.  When we apply a modern interpretation, and knowing our world seems to always get worse, we naturally assume that whatever this great affliction is, it must still be ahead of us.  But the introductory language Jesus uses in this text would seem to disagree.  Jesus begins by saying but in those days, and after that tribulation … it is only “then” that the sun will be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, followed by the stars of heaven falling.  These signs in the sky have largely been shown by historians to have occurred before 1844, giving rise to the movement that believed this date would be the return of our Lord.

However, if “that tribulation” was set to be “never again” witnessed, then perhaps the great persecution this world witnessed has in fact been completed.  It was for nearly 1200 years that the faith, persecuted the faith, an age where dissent was not tolerated, and religion was about power over others, instead of service to others.  Perhaps given the words of Christ Himself, this is to what He referred.  Jesus then continues His thoughts leading to this conclusion in verse 26 saying … “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”  What Jesus refers to here, has nothing to do with the destruction of the Temple, but with His own triumphant return.  It was this event alone that is distinguished by the sun, moon, and stars behaving differently.  The creations of the Creator, showing deference to the divine that created them.  His return follows these events.  But again, the sequence is punctuated by a tribulation that is followed by these signs, not a tribulation that occurs hundreds of years after them.  The martyrs of the faith are enough.  What remains is His coming, as a thief in the night, or as we who wait, have become unprepared, and untransformed.

Jesus continues describing His second coming in verse 27 saying … “And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.”  This verse has more significance to us perhaps, than it did to Peter, James, John, and Andrew.  Consider multiple meanings it may contain.  First, the many who have died and await the Lord, will have done so from the four winds, or the four corners of the earth.  Many, from many different tribes and nations will arise to meet the Lord whose name they did not know in this day.  We who have been blessed to read about and know the name and story of Jesus, have seeded the uttermost part of the earth, and now are extending ourselves even to the space around us.  When Christ returns, his elect will be gathered whether alive or raised from the dead, no matter where they are.

Consider the second meaning.  It may imply that the gospel, or good news, has been spread as well, to the uttermost parts of the earth, and of heaven.  Perhaps the gospel as well, will be common knowledge for anyone wishing to know it, when Jesus returns.  This was a feat that the disciples could not have imagined, not knowing just how large the world was, or that it was round, or that it was inhabited by many peoples unaware of the goings on in Jerusalem.  Jesus seems to speak of a day when the gospel would be known in those far off places in the world.  Our communications methods of the day, can now carry that good news, even if by satellite wave, than by human explorer.

Lastly, consider the third meaning or implication.  Jesus states specifically it is His angels who are commissioned to gather together His elect from these places.  He does not look for a forgiven people, or a people who are aware of Him, or a people who claim to follow Him.  His angels seek for an “elect” people, a people who stand upright before the Lord, in action and in motive.  How can such an elect people exist in our world?  How can I be rid of the sin I am chained to?  It is not by strength of will, but by submission to Christ, to be remade from the creature I am, to the creation He intends me to be.  In short, I am to be transformed from the man who craves self-love, to the servant who craves to love others alone.  This transformation will affect my thinking, and how I love.  It will make me someone different than I am today.  And it will work its work within me, before I am considered one of the elect.  I will be a person of deep and passionate love for others, before I am one of the elect.  I will be a child, a toddler, in the Kingdom of God, trusting Jesus with my salvation, and my transformation, before I can be one of the elect.  Jesus does not return for those with only a tacit knowledge of who He is.  He returns for those with an experiential knowledge of how He can save us, from us.

It is then, that Jesus seems to jump around a bit, in His timeline of future events.  He continues with admonitions fit for both the destruction of the Temple, and for the second coming.  Jesus picks up in verse 28 saying … “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: [verse 29] So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.”  The destruction of the Temple would be a catastrophic event that occurred swiftly when it occurred.  Jesus wanted His disciples, and His followers in that day to know this, and move quickly to be ready.  The parable of the fig tree was meant to illustrate it.  In our day, Jesus would have us prepared and ready for His soon return.  Not because we delay to engage in our sins as long as we think time remains, playing a cat and mouse game with impending death.  But because allowing Jesus to transform who we are in the here and now, makes our lives so much better, and gives us a life worth living as one of the elect as long as possible before His quick return.

Jesus continues in verse 30 saying … “Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. [verse 31] Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”  This verse acts as a promise for the disciples and for us.  The disciples could live long enough to witness the destruction of the Temple.  We know John did.  Christian tradition varies on how many others would surpass the 70 AD date, perhaps Andrew, perhaps Jude.  But obviously not all of them would live to witness either the destruction of Jerusalem, Judas would commit suicide, and James would be stoned long before it.  Nor would any of the disciples witness the second coming, as all of us are awaiting that event.  So what was it that Christ was so certain and so steadfast that His generation would see come to pass?

Could it be, He was certain that the power of the Gospel, what He refers to in the next verse as “His words” would not pass away.  Could it be He was certain that our transformation, beginning with the Disciples and their generation and lasting to the end of days, to the end of heaven and earth would be seen and NOT pass away.  This was the concrete promise of our Lord, that should we decide to submit to Him, to enter His Kingdom of God as a little child, trusting Jesus with our salvation, we would not be disappointed or see Him fail.  Following the words of Jesus, to love one another, to love our enemies, to love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul; would become part of who we are, as we are transformed by Jesus alone, into this new creation.  This is what Jesus promised that you and I can take absolute faith in.  Jesus will save anyone who asks, anyone who seeks to be something different than who they are today. 

This process would begin in the age of the disciples, beginning the transformations at Pentecost.  It would continue with Saul on the road to persecute, becoming Paul the staunchest advocate and prolific writer of His day.  It would continue with countless martyrs for the faith; normal people who loved life as much as you or I, but could not bow down and worship something false, even if it meant keeping them out of the pits of hell on this earth.  They died singing hymns to Jesus, while evil unleashed a torrent of torture upon them.   These are not the acts of those with only a fake knowledge of Jesus.  These are the acts of those who have truly been transformed and could live no other way.  And His transformations continue from that day until ours.  But to experience them, we must seek them, we must put aside the distractions of this world, and look for the Lord who can remake what has been broken in us.

Jesus continues in verse 32 saying … “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. [verse 33] Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.”  As if to try to eliminate the pain Christians would feel, the bitter disappointment of the 1844 movement Jesus blatantly states, that not even He knows when the time for His return will be appointed.  Since no one knows when it will occur, not even Jesus, we are meant to focus on our salvation through Jesus.  This could occur whenever we seek Him and submit.  Responding to that great love will be its beginning.  And seeing what Jesus does within us, will be its end.  This is what is important to do, not the specific days and dates of His return.

Jesus continues in verse 34 saying … “For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. [verse 35] Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: [verse 36] Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. [verse 37] And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”  Jesus ends His sermon of admonitions and predictions, with the most important direction to us all.  He bids us watch.  He does not tell us the exact moment of our demise, nor does He tell us the exact moment of His return.  Perhaps this is by intent.  The goal is not to tell us when we should die, and when He would return.  If our move to Jesus was one, delayed by the knowledge we had time remaining, we might never come to Him.  He does not wish to blackmail us with threats of death, He wishes to lure us with the promise of Love unending.

We need to think differently.  The transformed mind and heart do not need to know when and why, or even how … they only need to know what.  What does Jesus want me to do now?  What can I do to serve you, to meet your needs now?  What can I do to point you to Jesus, who can change your life like He has done to me?  These are the questions that obsess the transformed mind and heart, for they are the only ones that truly matter.  Serving God, serving others, loving everyone … this is the focus of the elect.  The elect have no time for doctrine, and scriptural interpretation, for to them the answers are easy.  Love God with everything, give Him everything you are, and become what He makes you into.  The rest He will give you as you have need.  You cannot study your way into transformation, you cannot intellectualize your way into it.  You can only submit yourself, your will, your desires, your dreams to Jesus and let Him remake it.

The when question does not matter, as now is the best answer.  When should I stop sinning: now.  When should I let go of the pain that comes with sin: now.  When should I begin to enjoy what Jesus has in store for me and my life: now.  The second of coming of Christ is not meant to begin your conversion experience, it is meant to punctuate a journey you are already on.  The second coming of Christ is not meant to introduce you to a God you can finally trust; it is meant to reveal the face of the God you have already been trusting with your entire life.  He bids us watch.  Not to watch only for His coming, but to watch what happens to a life given over to Him.  Watch what happens to your sin, as He takes it from you.  Watch what happens to your love for others, as He quietly puts it in you, until it overflows.  He bids you watch, those who know Him, should watch.  There is so much to see.  There is so much He wants to give you.  Do not wait for it.  Take it, and watch.

 

The Total Destruction of Our Accomplishments ...

We sometimes forget the transitory nature of steel.  When blended with concrete and assembled high into the sky, a city emerges housing life and vitality.  Cities sometimes look to us like organic creatures.  During the day the residents and workers move through its streets hurrying to achieve that next great personal accomplishment.  Moving through concrete canyons made of steel and cement, a city looks like a permanent fixture, that has only to grow outwards, or to replace and grow within over time.  At night a city lights up with countless eyes illuminating the pathways, and pinpointing those whose work causes them to stay in the office building till well after the day is done.  These points of light become dull but still present behind curtains of residences that ascend both upwards and outwards as its people go home, content to continue their journey of accomplishment on the morrow.  But the city itself, and everything we accomplish within it, is at best transitory.

We look with admiration on buildings that have stood up to the test of time.  Usually large marble structures, where the craftsmanship was so refined, cement was not needed at all for its assembly.  We know for certain there are no steel beam backbones that underlie its skeleton.  These large structures typically do not ascend so high as our modern marvels, but they remain, sometimes for several centuries in good working order.  The marble stone that comprises them, still cut perfectly, placed perfectly, and the adornments added to make them beautiful can often remain intact with them over the centuries of time they stand against.  Outside of the ravages of manmade war, no single generation could predict exactly when such a structure might meet its end.  These buildings, often dedicated to the worship of God, seem to stand in place beyond the timelines of the residents who visit them.  The Temple at Jerusalem was once such as this.

It was not the first Temple to stand this way.  Solomon’s original Temple which benefited from a life of preparation from his father David, collecting materials, and laying out plans; was a structure that seemed destined to remain until the end of all things.  But its beauty was too much a temptation for a king called Nebuchadnezzar, during a time when the nation of Israel was anything but faithful to the God it had been built to serve.  So the original structure fell to war, and then greed (or was it the other way around).  Upon returning to their homeland the Temple was to be rebuilt.  No longer could it have the elaborate materials for its use, as there was no David to collect them.  Only a golden dome was to be its singular mantle piece.  And marble found in abundance would be the overwhelming ingredient of its construction.  But the craftsmanship was no less talented, and no less dedicated to make the new structure stand the tests of time. 

It had lasted nearly 400 years before Christ appeared on the scene.  It had withstood the Roman invasion and loss of the homeland and was still relatively intact.  From the Jewish mind, if the Temple could withstand 400 years, it could withstand an eternity.  After all, we still look with respect to “ruins” that have lasted for millennia made of marble and built of craftsmanship we no longer possess.  But to Jews in the time of Christ, this second Temple was destined to last forever.  They had no reason to think otherwise.  They, like us, believed that some human accomplishments are destined to last the span of all time.  They, like us, took pride in what they did, in what they accomplished.  And they, like us, forgot the transitory nature of their marble and our steel.

So Peter recalled to John Mark in his gospel in chapter thirteen, the story of something, no Jew could possibly believe.  It is likely it had not happened when Peter recalled it, but nonetheless, it had not happened at the time it was first encountered.  Jesus, had been teaching in the Temple for days.  The Sanhedrin had tried to trap Him in front of the people and failed.  Jesus had offered one of His own tests of recursion to them, ironically about the man who first envisioned such a Temple, and they had failed its answer.  Jesus had looked deep into the motives of those who put treasure in the offertory in the Temple, and had cut through the motives based in self, even where giving was concerned.  Now they were leaving the Temple for Jesus to instruct His disciples before His life’s end was reached (and resurrected).  The urgency was higher.

It was in this context that Mark begins recording beginning in verse one saying … “And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”  You will note throughout the gospel of Mark, that Peter rarely identifies himself in the stories, instead he commonly obscures “who” did what or said what, when it is him that did so.  So in all likelihood it was Peter who made those remarks.  As they were leaving the Temple, Peter turns around (much like Lot’s wife) and looks at the grandeur of what Israelites have built.  Peter has inadvertently placed his gaze on what is behind him.  He is looking backwards at the accomplishments of the past, and is content to rely upon them, and admire them.  How like us.  We look back at the luminaries who founded our churches, and rest content in what they did to build our various faiths.  Instead of standing on their accomplishments and adding those of our own, and of equal weight in the cause of God.  We stand infants in his work, with only equal accomplishments, looking backwards and not where we are, or where we could be.  Peter looked at a work of stone and called it Temple, instead of to His Lord, the true Temple of our faith, who was right there with him at that very moment.

Lot and his family in the days of Abraham were instructed not to look backwards at the buildings, cities, and accomplishments of men.  Instead they were to look forward, to what God could do for them all.  The failure of only his wife to do so, led to more ruin within his family, and more descendants who refused the God of Israel or His ways.  Peter was now looking backwards at the marble Temple that had stood for 400 years.  He was looking at the systems and traditions that were on the verge of becoming irrelevant.  But his pride led him to think that none of this would ever reach its end.  The bricks, and the worship, such as it was, were sure to last forever.  Jesus had other views, and a different perspective.

Jesus responds in verse 2 saying … “And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”  This was heresy in the Jewish mind and heart.  They had already lost the original Temple of Solomon and had only the stories of the pain of that loss to remember it by.  Now, Christ was foretelling the loss of this second Temple, to the point of losing each stone, so that none were left.  A destruction all the way down to the very ground upon which this second Temple was built.  When the Romans re-took Jerusalem in 70 AD, they had orders not to burn the Temple, but a soldier made that mistake anyway.  The catastrophe melted the golden dome that had capped the Temple’s highest peak, melting the precious metal in between the very stones of its construction.  Roman’s not wishing to waste wealth, took every stone one by one apart to reclaim the gold and discard the marble.  But no Jew could have possibly foretold this calamity, especially when Jesus did.

None, of the traditions of animal sacrifice, of the day of atonement, of the blood of sheep or goats were to be needed anymore.  And shortly, there would be no place to perform them within.  Everything this second Temple was based upon, its entire structures pointing to Christ, were to meet their fulfillment in Christ, and this building was to be destroyed down to its base to insure Israel could no longer look backwards with pride, but forwards with wonder.  The people had grown up a pride in the building of the Temple itself, instead of in the author of the religion itself.  In the Jewish mind, the Temple at Jerusalem was as ornate as St. Peters in Rome, or St. Paul’s in London.  The same condition existed, as human minds were drawn to the building, but not to the God it was dedicated to serve.  The pride was the same both then and now in what “we” could accomplish.

And we sit here reading the same words, guilty of the same acts, but apply them only to the Jews of His day, instead of to our own hearts.  We take pride in the accomplishments we complete in our work, in our world.  Looking at our cities as if they will last forever, only increasing in size and glory over time.  But knowing when Christ returns there will not be one stone left upon another.  The lesson of the transitory nature of steel will be brought home to us in 3D, and in living color, as what we have built will pass away in an instant.  So with this knowledge, why do we prioritize its construction so highly in our own lives?  Why do we let career, and accomplishment, become the priority we serve, when at the end of all things it will pass into oblivion?  What will remain in that day is our children, our parents, our spouse, our family, friends, community, and church peers.  The people will continue to stand then, despite the total destruction of steel and concrete.  The business projects will be gone, but the business co-workers will remain.  So can we not adjust our focus, and our priority, to reflect His love to what will stand past the destruction we know is coming?

And were it only our secular thinking infected, perhaps our sin would not be as great.  But instead, we have allowed this same kind of Peter’s boast, to infect our spiritual thinking as well.  Always looking backwards at the accomplishments of our past, of our forefathers, even of what God has already done for us; never looking at where we are, or where we could be with Jesus.  We take pride in our various churches, in our various denominations, stating that what we have accomplished in our faiths, is something to be proud of.  It is not.  If your toddler took only one step, and then sat down, content that they had walked enough, would you as parent be equally happy?  The joy of continued walking will lead your child to places they have yet to imagine.  The joy of running will do so even more.  Mobility is a gift, your child has only to embrace by a choice to move forward.  We, in spiritual matters, are also the toddlers content that one step was enough.  There is so much more for us to discover.  There is so much more joy in the world, in places we have yet to imagine, in impacting lives while reflecting His love.  These are gifts of participation in His work, we could be honored to receive.  Or not, as we sit back down, look backwards, and think we have walked enough.

Remember the lesson of the transitory nature of steel, in both what you do in the world, and in the church.  Look forwards to Jesus, who is right here with you, just like He was standing in front of Peter.  Christ had made a stunning prediction, which perhaps is still relevant in our day.  Christ predicted that the superficial, the traditions, and even the buildings of the past would be torn down to the very ground upon which they were built.  Perhaps now, in our last days, the same will be true again.  Perhaps it will be not only your faith, or my faith, but perhaps every Christian faith, may lose the buildings, and meaningless man-made traditions – destroyed to the very root – so that we replace them with a one-on-one look to Jesus for our salvation and our future.

But when a prediction that is so bold is offered, our human nature cries out to know … “when?”.  This will be the subject of our next study as Jesus had much more to say.

 

Somebody Needs Some Killing ...

There are stories that pull at our heart strings.  Stories, that when we hear them we get so riled up, we feel like we need to “get out there and do something”.  When these stories are true, they are all the more effective at inciting us.  But even when they are mere allegory, they can still have a profound effect on us.  When injustice is the theme, something in us cries out for things to be made right.  Perhaps this is part of the image of our Creator that wells up within us.  Perhaps even though we suffer from corruptions we have embraced, there remains an imprint on our soul, that longs for equity over injustice, and that longs for love over isolation.  When King David listened to the Prophet Nathan about the story of the one little sheep that was so beloved, and then taken by the greedy wealthy man, David was indignant.  He believed the story to be real, and determined that somebody needed some killing … until he realized that “he” was that wealthy man who had stolen the sheep.

As stories have always been an effective weapon in the arsenal of persuasion, Jesus had one of His own to tell.  To set the context, Jesus had been teaching in the Temple for 3 days, since His triumphant entry into Jerusalem riding on a colt that had never been ridden, and fulfilling another prophecy about the Messiah.  The leaders of the Temple, did not believe the Temple belonged to Christ, that it had been given to “Him”, but rather they believed the Temple was “theirs”, and He was trespassing without their consent.  How much like us, who believe our churches to be “ours”, only allowing believers to enter with our consent, as it is convenient for us.  Those sworn enemies of Christ, the religious leaders of His day, perhaps of ours, had just confronted Him.  And now, Christ had something to teach them as well.  Jesus was looking to reach that divine imprint that still remains upon their souls, the place they could not reach to have it removed.

Peter begins the recollection to John Mark in his gospel in chapter 12 beginning in verse 1 saying … “And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.”  This was to be a parable, a story.  Not all the ideas laid out in the story were concrete facts, but the parallels were easy to draw, and the ideas easy to be understood.  In this story, the certain man was Jesus Christ.  It was He who planted the vineyard, which in this case was to be His church.  It was He who tried to defend it with the hedge, who made the preparations for it to be fruitful with the place for the winefat and tower.  And finally it was He who had chosen the husbandmen, or selected the priesthood, in order to maintain the vineyard, His church, until He could return to do it Himself.

As the context of this story begins with Jesus speaking to the Pharisees, it is easy for our minds to leave the parallels right there, in history.  But consider how closely this story could be told to us, to our religious leaders, to the man in our mirrors.  All the points are the same.  There is no generational difference, in fact, the idea that Jesus had gone away and was hoping to return again, speaks more to us, than it did to the Pharisees.  Mark continues in verse 2 saying … “And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. [verse 3] And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.”  The church was ready to bear fruit.  So Jesus sends a servant with a message and a mission to harvest what was ready to be given.

But the leaders of the church, or the husbandmen in this story, did not allow the harvest.  They prevented it, by catching the servant of the master, of Christ, and not only did they prevent him from doing his appointed work, they beat him, and sent him away.  The religious leaders of their day, and of our day, are very often quick to punish servants of God.  They ostracize them, they despise them, they envy them … and so when they can, they prevent them from their appointed work, and punish them for their willingness to serve.  It is now interesting the reaction of the certain man, of the real owner of the church, of Jesus.

Jesus continues in verse 4 saying … “And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.”  The owner does NOT abandon the vineyard, or His church, or His people.  He does not just give up, or give in.  For Love drives Him to reach out again.  He sends another servant, and the violence against the servant of God escalates.  The religious leadership is not content with just a beating this time, this time they throw rocks at his head, wounding him, and sending him away wounded and shamefully treated.  Servants of God who have a message and a mission are the ones punished by the religious leadership of the church.  And once that leadership rejects the message and the mission, the violence against God’s servants escalates.

Jesus continues in verse 5 saying … “And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.”  Jesus still does NOT abandon His church, or the vineyard.  He sends yet another servant, and this one they kill outright.  The violence has escalated once again.  The husbandmen, or the person appointed originally by Jesus to lead the church, has decided to kill the servants of God rather than relinquish control of the vineyard back to its original owner.  Imagine this in our day.  Are the leaders of today so concerned with control over the message and the mission, that they would kill to keep control over it? 

Are we so ready to do church our way, that we would cast out those who disagree with our style, our preferences, and our methods?  What do we expect to greet those who are cast out of the fellowship, but Satan, the enemy of souls?  Is it worth the eternal loss of our brothers, over matters of taste?  Our arguments conflating our preferences with the only acceptable preference of our God, are mere arrogance on our part, and the excuse we tell ourselves as we cast them out of our fellowship.  But the joke is on us.  For Jesus is no longer in our fellowship, He was cast out a long time ago.  Those we cast out now, only seek Him out away from us.  It is Satan that now resides over our hallowed halls, and weak minds.  It is his Satanic majesty we serve, calling him Messiah, and not even realizing what we do.

Jesus makes it clear in this parable, He would not abandon the vineyard ever.  He continues to send servants of God with message and a mission.  They are met with violence every time, either beatings, or murder, as it is with the sons of Satan who deceive themselves into thinking that since they were originally installed in positions of leadership in His church, it is their positions that save them, not their association with the true owner, with God.  This kind of self-deception was not just meant for the Pharisees in His day, but for those who carry the banner “Christian” today.  The leaders have long been tempted to believe leadership was a position of power over the vineyard.  But God does not send leaders to His church, He keeps sending servants, those who understand that service to the vineyard is more precious than authority over it.

Jesus continues in verse 6 saying … “Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. [verse 7] But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. [verse 8] And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.”  This part of the story seems like it was directly aimed at the Pharisees.  The well-beloved and only Son is sent to the original church, to the leadership to redeem the vineyard.  He too has a message and mission.  But alas, even He is killed by the wicked leaders, presuming they will take His “inheritance” and be able to perform salvations on others instead of Christ.  They kill the Son without remorse.  They cast Him out of the vineyard.

Now look in the mirror at yourself.  You may not carry a large wooden cross for Him, or the nails and hammer to insure the job is done right.  But when you decide that “you” can be responsible for your own salvation with God, it is you who attempts to claim His inheritance.  When we, who call ourselves by His name, cast out from our fellowship, those who we are meant to love; when we cast away love itself from our hearts, and in the person of others, we too cast Him out of our vineyards.  And over what?  Because our youth prefer another kind of music?  Because our elders do not?  Because our divorced have clearly made at least one mistake?  Because our widows and orphans, and least among us, need to “man up”, “get a job”, and “take care of themselves”?  Because those caught in public sin, deserve our public ridicule, ever driving them away from forgiveness?  Why do we Christians cast out Christ from our vineyards and call ourselves righteous while we do it.  And yet we believe this parable to be about “them”, not about “us”.

Jesus now poses the most just of all questions in verse 9 saying … “What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.”  The leaders who reject the message and mission, are no longer leaders.  Their position does not protect their souls.  Their position was “given” to them by Jesus.  It is only through continued association with Jesus that they remain in this position, not through anything inherent in themselves.  When the message and mission is rejected, the owner Himself comes back, destroys the husbandmen, and gives the vineyard to others.  Whether in the days of the Messiah, when Judaism loses its prominence to Christianity, or in the last days when Christianity, is returned to Christ; human leaders of the faith do not keep their positions over it by power, but by service.  We do not preside, we support.  We do not have power, we have love.  We do not have control, we have a message and a mission.

As to those who reject Jesus as the Messiah He continues in verse 10 saying … “And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: [verse 11] This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?”  What men cast aside, is the cornerstone of the next faith.  Judaism loses its prominence NOT because God ever rejected them, but because they cast God out of their vineyard.  What they cast away has become the cornerstone of our faith.  But why they cast Him away, what they were tempted to do that led to that, must be the watchword ever in our ears, or we will do exactly the same thing, exactly the same way.  If history is to avoid repetition, let it be with us, in this matter.  Let us hold love close.  Let us serve with a message of our conversion, and of our redemption, and of our perfection, by Jesus Christ alone.  Let us serve with a mission of pointing others to Christ, and loving them every day while they do so, through all of their failings, shortcomings, and negativity; just like Christ does for us.

The post mortem on this story was terrifying in verse 12 saying … “And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.”  The husbandmen wanted to kill the only begotten and well-beloved Son of God right there and right then.  They literally wanted to act out the parable Jesus said, as if He prophesied right to them.  They reasoned that somebody needed some killing … not the wicked leaders who had done so many injustices to the servants of God, but instead to His only Son.  If this was the response in their hearts and minds, is it likewise in ours.  Are we ready to kill the one who continues to suggest that we should embrace “all” genres of music in our worship of God?  Are we ready to kill the one who suggests we should reform our church services to be action oriented, instead of only passive?  Are we ready to kill the One who would save us from our sins, and our evil motives, and evil thinking and instead do it ourselves?

It is we who deserve the killing we espouse; that, would be only justice.  Like David, it is we, who are “that man”.  Are we to continue with the arrogance of our forefathers believing that once installed it is our prerogative to remain in power forever over His church?  Or can we submit to Christ, and finally be a servant, with a message and a mission, heading in to support the vineyard, no matter what the consequences to us?