Where Do You Stand?

Luke 20:9-19

9 He went on to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. 13 "Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.' 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.' 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. "What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "God forbid!" 17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: " 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'? 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed." 19 The 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.

Keywords: vineyard, farmers, harvest,

Field/Vineyard is an unenclosed plot of land. The term can refer to a hunting ground, vineyard, or terrain. It could also refer to a village without walls.[1]

The first farmer was Cain. He worked with a plow to bring about crops from the land.[2]

Harvest is a festive occasion for gathering the crops. The crops included wheat, grapes, olives, barley, flax, and various vegetables and fruits.[3]

Psalm 118:22 NIV - 22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;

The parable is about Jesus. He is being rejected by the Jewish leaders he is offering a new way of life. In the parable, the landowner gives a group the opportunity to tend a field. They were selfish and inconsiderate and plotted to obtain the field for themselves. Jesus quotes Psalms 118:22 to seal any questions with him being rejected. Unfortunately, the leaders did not have a change of heart but decided all the more to kill Jesus.

What about you? Are you allowing jealousy to push you away from the light of God? Are you setting up instances that may cause another to fall? Can you see these actions in yourself? Or are you the person being plotted against? Whichever situation you are in, prayer will put you on the right path. Prayer will change your heart and the hearts of those around you. Are you praying to God? God is here to hear our prayers. Will you pray today?

Bibliography

“Field,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 569. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

Hardin, Gary. “Harvest,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 709-710. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, 199-265. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 1984.

Swanson, Phillip J. and Tommas Pace. “Occupations and Professions,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1178-1182. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

[1] “Field”, in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 569. [2] Phillip J. Swanson and Tommas Pace, “Occupations and Professions,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 1178-1182. [3] Gary Hardin, “Harvest,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 709-710.