He Sent His Son
Call them sharecroppers.
Call Him the landlord.
These ideas come from a parable of Jesus. In the parable is the answer to the question from the teachers of the law: “Who gave you this authority?”
This is the meaning of the parable:
We are the sharecroppers.
God is the LANDLORD.
“And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’” Luke 20:9-13
They wanted to know about authority.
Who has ALL authority?
God.
Everything belongs to Him.
Think of God as the Landlord of the Universe.
It’s all His. But unlike humans, He is the opposite of greedy.
What did Jesus teach in the parable? The landlord “rented his vineyard to some farmers.” And-what came next? Jesus said, “Then he went away for a long time.” This is true in real life: We could say that after creation, interrupted by the 33-year life of Jesus on earth, God seems to be “away-for a long time.”
Understand this fact: Earth is God’s and so is everything in it. Jesus got the authority to heal the sick, clear the temple and teach the people from the “Landlord of the Universe!” His authority should be without question. One other fact-Jesus has always had this ultimate authority-He is God.
You and I are the “tenants.” Does this idea appeal? This is the way it is. We enjoy all the blessings of the earth God made for us…food, air, water, natural resources to make all the stuff we have. God gives us all things. But we, like those teachers of the law in the temple, question Jesus.
Imagine that, questioning the authority of GOD.
If you and I are tenants, how much is the rent?
It’s not paid with money…remember everything is God’s? We can’t pay God. One thing we do have which God desires. Our love for Him. God does not demand that we love Him. In the parable, the tenants beat and wounded those the landlord sent to collect the “rent.” For centuries those who have shared the love of God with others have been mistreated even killed for teaching about the love of God for humans. And that’s another reality.
So, besides creating an earth for us to live on, God sent the greatest gift. God sent His Son.
Jesus came to earth to give us a gift far better than life on earth-He came to rescue us from our sins. He came to invite us (renters) to receive that gift and give our hearts to God. Yes, God’s love made the earth for us. And-God’s love sent Jesus…but did we respect Him? Did we accept His authority?
We killed Him.
You and I, the earth tenants, killed the Creator of the Universe.
Like the parable, one day He will come back.
Be relieved this is not the end of the parable.
It is fact- the teachers of the Law did not like the ending.
Jesus told this parable out of love for all.