Drawing the Line
Scripture – Luke 20:14-19: 14“But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “May this never be!” 17Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone‘? 18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” 19The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
Reflection: Clearly Jesus is talking about Himself and His death. Again, we know that because we know the whole story. The people hearing this did not. So they respond to the story as a story and recognize the injustice of it. Jesus’ reference to the “capstone” is, I think, a reference to His resurrection. The people, of course, would have no sense of that.
The teachers of the law and the chief priests, however, understood what Jesus was saying. They might not have caught the capstone reference, but they surely knew they were the tenants. The line was clearly established here between Jesus and the Jewish power structure. In this encounter He took another step closer to the cross. But then, that’s why He came. For that we will be eternally thankful.
An Invitation: A small group will be meeting tomorrow morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We’ll meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.
Reading for Sunday, July 5
Luke 20:20-25: 20Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 23He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24“Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?” 25“Caesar’s,” they replied. He said to them, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Reading for Monday, July 6
Luke 20:26-33: 26They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent. 27Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30The second 31and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32Finally, the woman died too. 33Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
Reflection: Clearly Jesus is talking about Himself and His death. Again, we know that because we know the whole story. The people hearing this did not. So they respond to the story as a story and recognize the injustice of it. Jesus’ reference to the “capstone” is, I think, a reference to His resurrection. The people, of course, would have no sense of that.
The teachers of the law and the chief priests, however, understood what Jesus was saying. They might not have caught the capstone reference, but they surely knew they were the tenants. The line was clearly established here between Jesus and the Jewish power structure. In this encounter He took another step closer to the cross. But then, that’s why He came. For that we will be eternally thankful.
An Invitation: A small group will be meeting tomorrow morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We’ll meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.
Reading for Sunday, July 5
Luke 20:20-25: 20Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 23He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24“Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?” 25“Caesar’s,” they replied. He said to them, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Reading for Monday, July 6
Luke 20:26-33: 26They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent. 27Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30The second 31and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32Finally, the woman died too. 33Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
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