On Line Bible Study - For the week September 14-20, 2009

Lesson 405

Mark 12: 1He 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. 2At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. 6"He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 7"But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9"What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10Haven't you read this scripture:

" 'The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
11the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

12Then 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.

We have before us what some scholars refer to as "the Bible in miniature". Here is the whole story, in parable (or allegory) - God's search for fellowship with creation, human sin - we turn away from God - God's redemptive presence with us - and this profound truth that is "theological" because it is so often what we experience - that what is rejected becomes essential. Or, put another way, that resurrection happens.

The them in the story (verse 1 and verse 12) refers to the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders, mentioned in the previous chapter.

The vineyard is Israel - the wall is for protection from animals; the pit is for pressing the grapes; the watchtower is for protection and shelter.

The tenants are the religious leaders of the people.

The servants are the prophets ancient (Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, etc.) and recent (John the Baptist) - God's messengers scorned or rejected by the people.

The son whom he loved (literally, the beloved son) is Jesus. This word - beloved or whom he loved - is the same as what we read at Jesus' baptism and transfiguration (Mark 1:11; 9:7).
There are overtones of the Abraham and the son whom he loved ...

The capstone reflects the Greek translation (Septuagint) of Psalm 118:22. In Hebrew it is translated as cornerstone. In either case, whether the stone is holding the building up or capping the building off, it is prominent. What has been rejected and thrown outside the gates is now recognized as the most essential component. Jesus will be crucified outside the gates of the city (see also Hebrews 13:12-13), and many of the prophets were disregarded if not discarded.

Come, let us kill him ... (Mark 12:7) - is exactly the phrase we read in the Greek translation of Genesis 37:20 - Joseph's brothers want to kill him out of jealousy. is that what also motivated the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders?

In the parable we have before us, the problem is not the "vineyard". Though scholars believe there are direct correlations between this text from Mark and the allegory we find in Isaiah 5:1-5, here is where the connection breaks down. In Isaiah, the problem is with the vineyard - the owner is looking for fruit, but the vineyard only produces "bad fruit". In Mark, the problem is with those tending the vineyard - the religious leaders. In Isaiah, God removes the protection from the vineyard and leaves it to the elements and wild animals. In Mark, God sends his son - his beloved son - and the religious leaders, in spite of being forewarned, plot to kill him anyway. The vineyard will be taken from the current leaders and given to the son. Resurrection or not, we still think we can outsmart God ...

Given the authority you have today, and the fruit you can bear in your life, what tribute are you willing to bring to the One who makes it all possible?