God’s analogy of choosing the nation of Israel is as beautiful and nurturing as a sommelier developing their vineyard.

Unfortunately, the word picture ends up with the heartbreaking reality of those running the operation having no respect for the owner’s son (aka God’s Son, Jesus Christ the Lord).

God’s purpose, however, was not thwarted as the good news of the gospel came through the facts of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. More precisely, this good news will restore the nation of Israel to God’s kingdom as well, in His perfect time.

In the meantime, we can rejoice in the opportunity to marvel at God’s tremendous gift to the Gentile world, bringing peace with God to all peoples, tribes, tongues and nations.

Finally, don’t stress over those who try to use hypocrisy to “catch you”. In the end, God’s truth will reign supreme.

When I give my life to Him, He can “redeem” or make good come out of every negative experience.- Teresa #Godunderstands #acquaintedwithgrief #Is53:3

Mark 12:1-17 (ESV)

The Parable of the Tenants

12 And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. ² When the season came, he sent a servant^[a] to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed.⁶ He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’⁷ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. ⁹ What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Have you not read this Scripture:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;^[b]
11 this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

¹² And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.

Paying Taxes to Caesar

¹³ And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.¹⁴ And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances,^[c] but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” ¹⁵ But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius^[d] and let me look at it.”¹⁶ And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.

Footnotes

1. Mark 12:2 Or bondservant; also verse 4
2. Mark 12:10 Greek the head of the corner
3. Mark 12:14 Greek you do not look at people’s faces
4. Mark 12:15 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer