Jesus told the parable recorded for us in today's Gospel in light of His impending passion and death. In fact, He spoke these words early on in holy week--that great week that begins on Palm Sunday and culminates on Easter Sunday. It is a parable about His own rejection and the consequences of that rejection. What would our Lord have us learn from this parable as He has called us to live in His vineyard?

First of all, we should note that Jesus constructs this parable using the imagery of a vineyard. That was a familiar image to the people of His day. To own a vineyard was to be on possession of a prime piece of real estate and a potentially lucrative source of income. The image of the vineyard was well-known from the Old Testament. In fact, in today's Old Testament Reading, the house of Israel is compared to a vineyard. God Himself is the owner of the vineyard. He selects a fertile hill and clears it of the stones. He plants it with the best of grape vines. He builds a tower and sets in place a winepress. Of course, He expects that vineyard to produce an excellent crop of grapes. But it does not. Isaiah tells us of God's disappointment in that vineyard which did not yield good grapes but wild grapes. God says that He will destroy that unfruitful vineyard. The point of the Old Testament Reading is that God's people were unfaithful to Him. They did not bear fruits worthy of repentance. They put themselves under judgment. So Isaiah concludes: "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, weeping."

As the Jews heard Jesus tell His parable, the words of Isaiah 5 would have immediately come to mind. Jesus' parable is in fact a summary of the history of Israel. God did send His prophets to Israel. These men did not tell Israel what she wanted to hear. They spoke words of law and Gospel, of judgment and grace. These messengers from God called Israel to give God the fruit that was rightfully His. But Israel would give heed to their words. She continued to treat the vineyard as though it belonged to her. The prophets who challenged her faced her wrath. Some were stoned. Others were beaten. Not a few suffered death. They were all despised and rejected, sent away empty-handed.

But Jesus' parable and the history of God's dealing with Israel did not end with the prophets. The parable says that the owner of the vineyard did more than send servants. Jesus says "Therefore still having one son, his beloved. He also sent him to them last, saying ‘They will respect my son." Of course, the tenants did not respect the son. Instead they figured that if they really asserted themselves against the owner and killed his son that he would leave them alone. Foolishly they reason "This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours." So they kill the son and toss his lifeless corpse out of the vineyard. But that doesn't secure the vineyard for them. Instead the owner of the vineyard comes, He destroys those evil vinedressers And He gives the vineyard to others.

Now the parallel between Jesus' parable and the history of Israel is clear. Jesus is the Son sent to the vineyard by His Father. Israel who had rejected the prophets before Him now rejects her Messiah as well. In fact, Israel crucifies her Messiah. "He came to His own people and His own people received Him not."

But it doesn't end there for His death was not the result of a tragic miscalculation by those who thought that they owned the vineyard. Jesus' death was the fulfillment of Scripture. Listen again to the verse from Psalm 118 which our Lord quotes:

"The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing. And it is marvelous in our eyes."

The stone which the builders rejected is Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead. He is the cornerstone of His church and only those who are built on Him will finally stand.

Now what does all of this mean for us today? By God's grace we have been given a place in His vineyard. The vineyard is His church. The vineyard is a place of life in the midst of a barren world. It is an oasis of refreshment in a dry desert. Here God blesses us with the life-giving waters of Holy Baptism that washes away dirt of our sin. Here God nourishes us with His Word. Here God gives us to drink wine from the cup of salvation, the blood of His new testament. We are not the owners and we may not treat His church as though it were our private property to do with as we please. There is only one way to live in Christ's church and that is in union with Jesus Christ by faith. To use another vineyard image, He is the true vine and we are the branches. Only as we are joined do we yield fruit.

Joined to Him, we do bear fruit. The Book of Hebrews puts it like this: "Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God" (Heb. 13:15-16). God grant that we may so live in Christ's holy church and through Him bear the fruits which are worthy of repentance. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus to life everlasting. Amen.