Parable of the Wicked Tenants

One of the parables that Jesus tells during his last week of life is the Parable of the Wicked Tenants in Luke 20:9-19. In it, Jesus tells a story of a man who plants a vineyard and then leases it to some tenants while he is living far away. He sends a series of servants to the vineyard to collect his rent or share of the produce, but the tenants beat up the servants and send them away empty-handed. The man then sends his own son to collect, but the wicked tenants kill the son. The man then comes, kills the tenants, and gives the vineyard to others.

Now, I think the symbolism in the parable is fairly obvious. The man is God, the tenants are Israel or at least the leaders of Israel, the servants are the prophets, the son is Jesus, and the new vineyard workers are the followers of Jesus.

As I read the passage today, something caught my attention. In verse 14, the motivation for the tenants' murderous act is revealed: "let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours." Their motivation is not to get the owner off their backs. It is not because they hate the son or really wish him harm. It is not even that they simply want to be able to do what they want to do. Their motivation is greed.

Especially in Luke's Gospel, Jesus is portrayed as an itinerant preacher who goes around proclaiming the good news. And this good news is about the kingdom of God coming near and is told particularly to the poor and marginalized. Jesus' message is that you don't have to be part of the religious elite or the ruling powers to participate in what God is doing in the world. In fact, if you are part of those groups, it might even impede your ability to be part of God's kingdom. These are radical teachings, both then and now!

So we can see why the religious and political authorities weren't too fond of Jesus. He was a threat to them and his teaching called into question their power and even their standing with God. It's no wonder they had him killed! They were greedy and afraid they might lose their power, wealth, status, and authority. As a middle-class white American, I can certainly relate. Lord, help me not to be greedy with what I have - money, possessions, power, education, status, and much more - so that I might not miss out on being part of your Kingdom.