How are we treating Jesus?

Reflecting on Mark 12:1-12

"He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed." (Mark 12:5)

This parable is a simple and clear picture of what is happening.
The religious leaders know exactly what Jesus is saying.
Israel is God’s vineyard, and they are the leaders of the tenants.
Jesus is the son, but who are these other servants?

The usual answer is that they are other prophets.
Jesus himself talks about this to the religious leaders:

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!” (Matthew 23:29-32)

John the Baptist was a prophet they publicly honoured, yet did not believe.
This was the point of Mark 11:29-33.
John was a madman, an outsider, a fanatic, and critical of the leaders.
John called them a brood of vipers (offspring of snakes) because they lacked fruit.

“But when (John) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.” (Matthew 3:7-9)

They did not produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
And notice John also speaks of other stones being raised up.
This is like Jesus, the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone (Mark 12:10-11).

Who are the prophets that religious leaders today celebrate, yet actually rejected?
One recent prophet criticized by the established church was Martin Luther King jr.

I also think that the rejected prophets/servants are not just public teachers.
What about the many Jesus-seekers and strugglers rejected by the church?
Those seeking to share in the fruit of the vineyard, yet being driven out?
Jesus comes in the form of many servants, but how are they treated?

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’” (Matthew 25:41-45)

These hungry, thirsty strangers (refugees, foreigners) are Jesus?
These impoverished, poorly-dressed and often jailed people are Jesus?
Where do we see the church supporting the jailing and deporting of strangers?
We remember persecuted christians in other countries.
But many of those being detained and deported by ICE are christian.
All are equally labeled ‘the worst of the worst’, regardless of their story.
And why… to protect their own share in the blessing of the vineyard.

Please note, I am NOT being critical of governments that do this.
Jesus was not speaking against Caesar and the Romans.
Jesus was speaking against those who should know better – the religious!
Governments are not ‘christian’, not in Canada, or the US, or anywhere.
But there are christians in government who should know better.
They should know the meaning of grace, and therefore should be gracious.
When the church props up and promotes a worldly government, there’s a problem.
The fruit of the Spirit is obvious; where it is not so obvious is in the tenants.

What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will not honour and bless the fruitless tenants.
He will not make us great, when we refuse to reflect God’s generous greatness.
Jesus has made it absolutely clear what fruit He expects from the church.

“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:35-36)

At least the religious leaders then knew Jesus was speaking about them.
Do we as the western church realize Jesus is also speaking about us?
Tenants richly blessed, who God wants to share the fruit of the vineyard?
Jesus is coming to us today in the form of poor, needy strangers.
How are we treating Jesus?

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You are speaking to me. How am I treating you in that poor, hungry person?  How am I sharing the fruit of Your blessing? Whatever I do (or do not do) to them, I do (or do not do) to You.

God has been so!!!!! generous to me! Spirit of Jesus, make me a generous tenant, quick to share the fruit of the vineyard.