Mark 12:1-12 | Hebrews 11:32-12:3
Jesus is looking for it.
Not like a seven year old boy or sixteen year old girl, but like a man on a mission of justice. His path is sure and resolute at this point. We can be sure he’d welcome anyone along if they want to get on board - even religious leaders and Pharisees (see Joseph of Arimathea or Nicodemus). But he’s not going to wait very long now. He hasn’t lost his patience. In fact, his patience is long-standing at this point, for the people on the side of God’s justice. Though it is listed first in 1 Corinthians 13, patience (v. 4) is a sub-category of love among many others - including a thirst for justice and truth (v. 6) and an endurance of all things (v. 7).
It’s no new thing for a prophet to be mistreated or even misunderstood (see the parable). But it’s a new thing for that prophet to bear the salvation of the whole world.
He’s on his way.
Mark 12:1-12
Jesus spoke to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower. Then he rented it to tenant farmers and took a trip. When it was time, he sent a servant to collect from the tenants his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But they grabbed the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again the landowner sent another servant to them, but they struck him on the head and treated him disgracefully. He sent another one; that one they killed. The landlord sent many other servants, but the tenants beat some and killed others. Now the landowner had one son whom he loved dearly. He sent him last, thinking, They will respect my son. But those tenant farmers said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ They grabbed him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
“So what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Haven’t you read this scripture, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord has done this, and it’s amazing in our eyes?”
They wanted to arrest Jesus because they knew that he had told the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.
Hebrews 11:32-12:3
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Prayer
God,
I’m no biblical prophet, but I would still like to do what’s right all the time. I’d like to be a person of divine justice even in the face of great pressure. I want to be swayed by nothing other than your love and compassion. I don’t want human political faction - one way or the other - to be so influential as to make me lose sight of what you want to do in the world. Let me not be persuaded by authority or power, unless it is yours. Keep me from losing sight of your salvation of the world, lest I lose my own, too.
At the same time, don’t let me be a brute. Give me all the confidence in and of Christ in one hand and all the compassion of Jesus in the other. If the opportunity arises, keep my face and heart resolute in the face of leaders. And may those who are feeling weak see such an example as an encouragement to keep onward.
For your glory,
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.