Jesus loved to use stories, known as parables, in his teaching. While always memorable, the meanings are not always clear. But God allowed these religious leaders to understand the truth about who they represented in the story. I’m guessing that was Jesus’ intent all along, hoping they would not be too blind to recognize themselves. Their exit must have spoken volumes to Jesus. The crowd was likely clueless.
What caution can we take from the story? It may be easy for us to see the relationship between the landowner and God, who sent his son (Jesus) into the world. Jesus paid with his life, too. We don’t want to be like the greedy farmers who disrespect God or his Son. We can look around the world today and see plenty of examples of that. Does it break your heart, too?
Jesus quoted Psalm 118 when he said, “‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’” What God allows can sometimes perplex us. God allowed Jesus to be rejected and die, becoming the foundation our faith is built. That was definitely the Lord’s doing, his plan all along. Knowing King David or some other psalmist wrote these prophetic words many generations before is powerful.
In a second encounter, the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus once again, luring him to say something offensive that would get him arrested. This seems to be a sneaky tactic the religious leaders liked to try. They must have figured Jesus would eventually crack under pressure. Jesus saw through their scheme, even if they tried to cloak it with compliments.
What did Jesus do? Again, he responded with a question and created a teachable moment out of the whole scene. Jesus was never confrontational or rude. He led with authority and great wisdom. The leaders were amazed. Jesus was masterful!
What did Jesus mean by giving to God what is God’s? To me, that is my life’s purpose. While I must pay attention to the ruling authorities, my ultimate authority is the Lord. I let God’s Word lead me in my decisions about life. My devotion is given solely to my Savior King. I belong to Him, and I am His child. How are you doing at giving God what belongs to Him?
Let’s pray. Father God, you are ruler of my life, and I bow to your majesty. Help me to stand strong when opposition pushes in another direction. Give me your eyes to see and to love. I trust your authority above all and never want to disrespect or take you for granted. Guide me words and my actions today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
