March 26th, 2012
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Rebels At Heart

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Today I bring myself before You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are great, and greatly to be praised.

Read 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, “May this never be!” [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 capstone’? [18] Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he 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.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

“Humankind is never as inefficient and inadequate as when set in contrast with Christ, but never as sublime as when found in union with Christ” (Roy C. Putnam).

Think Further

The workers in this parable remind me of the frequent labor disputes in the news, but the parable is not about economic systems or labor relations. The workers knew that the property was not theirs, yet they attempted to possess it, for which they were tacitly condemned by Jesus. As we consider this parable, let’s remember that Jesus related the story to point out the misguided alignment of the teachers of the law and the chief priests (19). Remember that a very religious person can have practices that are incorrect before God.

Jesus quotes the psalmist to reveal thinking that needs to be corrected (17). Many disregard Jesus, yet he is at the center of all science, history, society and, of course, religion. Paul argued in Colossians 1:15-20, that Jesus Christ is the center of the universe. Therefore, it is a rebellious act to deny or remove him from his place. Culture, traditions and secularism combine to enforce this pattern and feed our rebellious heart. This parable also speaks of the consequences of not giving Jesus the place that he deserves. Anyone who does not have Jesus at the center of their life is like the servants in the parable who kill everyone who considers Jesus central to their being. We may feel uncomfortable with the level of judgment and the harsh words in vs. 15,16 and 18, but the tenants were judged with the same rule they used for others.

Here is the centerpiece of alignment: Jesus Christ should be at the center of everything in our private, religious and professional life. We are not the center. When we think of making a difference in this world or seeking a legacy, we may be taking away the centrality of Jesus Christ in our lives, if those come before serving him.

Apply

Do you find in yourself any trace of a rebel heart that removes Jesus Christ from the center? How can you bring him back to the center?

Closing prayer

Lord, I frequently prefer to organize my life on my own terms. Help me to focus on You and bring You to the center of my life.

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