The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

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( FaithOfJesus thread begun by RandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Luke:20:9-19

kjv@Luke:20:9 @ Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

kjv@Luke:20:10 @ And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.

kjv@Luke:20:11 @ And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.

kjv@Luke:20:12 @ And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.

kjv@Luke:20:13 @ Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.

kjv@Luke:20:14 @ But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.

kjv@Luke:20:15 @ So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?

kjv@Luke:20:16 @ He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.

kjv@Luke:20:17 @ And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

kjv@Luke:20:18 @ Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

kjv@Luke:20:19 @ And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

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Today's notes:

Context:

• Before - Luke:20:1-8 The Authority of Jesus Questioned
  
• After - Luke:20:20-26 Paying Taxes to Caesar
  

(see also: kjv@Matthew:21:33-46 kjv@Mark:12:1-12)

Study Resources:

G1554 let/lease

husbandman - kjv@Deuteronomy:1:15-18 kjv@Deuteronomy:16:18 kjv@Deuteronomy:17:8-15

planted - kjv@Psalms:80:8-14 kjv@Isaiah:5:1-7 kjv@Jeremiah:2:21

sent - kjv@2Chronicles:36:15-16 kjv@2Kings:17:13 kjv@Nehemiah:9:29 kjv@Jeremiah:26:2-6 kjv@Jeremiah:35:15 kjv@Jeremiah:44:4 kjv@Hosea:6:4-6

beat - kjv@1Kings:22:24 kjv@2Chronicles:16:10 kjv@2Chronicles:24:19-21 kjv@Nehemiah:9:26 kjv@Jeremiah:2:30 kjv@Jeremiah:20:2 kjv@Jeremiah:26:20-24 kjv@Jeremiah:29:26-27 kjv@Jeremiah:37:15-16 kjv@Jeremiah:38:4-6

inheritance - kjv@Psalms:2:8-9 kjv@Isaiah:19:25 kjv@Jeremiah:10:16 kjv@Jeremiah:51:19 kjv@Ezekiel:44:28

Notes:

Above is a very impressive amount of scriptural context to pour into this. The language Jesus is putting into this parable is hauntingly familiar to the context of the entire past. Make sure to read through it first today before moving forward.

Is it that "God forbid" the lord of the vineyard should come? Or that they are not the wicked husbandmen that they are denying by such exclamation? Is it that they deny attempting to steal the heir's inheritance? Is it that they deny knowing that this is the heir? How do we best decide the certainty that they are denying?

Remember that these exclamations are prior to the discourse of the stone being rejected. It is almost as if Jesus is baiting them in to flush out their reaction before dropping the bomb of long held widely known prophecy on them. Can we be certain that these men know who this man claiming to be heir is? Well their "God forbid" illustrates the disgust that they hold that this pitiful man would make such claim. Can we be certain that the treatment of the others sent before the heir could not be held to their charge? Well their "God forbid" ingeniously skirts their accountability. Can we be certain that these men are knowingly after His inheritance as accused? Well their "God forbid" suggests that they see no accountability nor fear other than what citizens would think to lay hold of Him even after being told such was the case, again proving their object disgust and disregard. Can we be certain that they care not whether the God as described by Jesus would come because of this murder? Well their "God forbid" makes it clear that it is not even in their consideration. Can we then be certain at all? As of now we can only suggest that evidence heavily suggests a strong possibility.

So then now we can drop the widely known messianic prophecy into the consideration. Certainly, it is not evidence to convince these men that they are doing exactly this. Certainly on the same hand it is enough evidence for us to convince us that for these men that the possibility does not even matter; they will proceed regardless. Does that not fit into the profile of the husbandmen that Jesus by parable is identifying? Does that not fit the profile drawn by the context of all the Old Testament prophets God has sent? Maybe that is not immediately absolute certainty, but what of anything is? Given the course of action soon to transpire, does that relative certainty equate to a certainty beyond reasonable doubt?

There is a whole host of account for themselves that could be made, but they appear not to want to go down that road because Jesus could easily fire back at them. Other servants? How about John the Baptist, who despite being right in calling the King's adulterous marriage out by the written Law, has been abandoned by these men for political expediency. Other servants? What about all of the greater and lesser Old Testament prophets? A whole can of worms can be opened up should they decide to challenge these claims outright.

In a court of law you have been charged with the claim of knowingly withholding all due profit from the business owner, the dishonorable treatment of employees of the owner sent to collect said profit up to and including the execution of the owners rightful heir. Given these charges presented how do you plead? "God forbid"? "Seeking privately to destroy the accuser"? That's it? Really? For caring so much about what other people might think it certainly is a most self injurious way of going about things; is it not?

The picture of context seems to be that Israel is the vineyard and Messiah is the vine, the fruit of which is God's righteousness. Israel is His inheritance and He properly is theirs. The husbandmen seek kill the actual person of the Lord and the consideration of His fulfillment of covenant to steal Israel for their own; His previous yet unfulfilled (unceasingly unfulfilled) image perhaps being the vine producing their personal bountiful measure, but the fruit of which minus His fulfillment is nothing but their own (wild grapes). Brought to light publicly by Jesus, the husbandmen have nothing to offer in defense of this accusation except to insist that none of the long standing evidence against them even matters and to continue toward the very conclusion of this course secretly and with haste.

Key Messages:

Declaring Certainty

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Further Resources:

Comment Board:Luke:20:9-19
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Luke:20:9-19 rwp@Luke:20:9-19 mhcc@Luke:20:9-19
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index

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