Luke chapter 20

vs 11

A second servant is treated the same as the first.

vs 12

This is pretty serious stuff - because, of course, how you treat the messenger is a message to the master who sent the message. And everyone knows you don't shoot the messenger.

vs 13

At this stage this parable gets a little unbelievable. Who, after having his messengers treated in such a way, would put his son into this situation? Who, after the banditry of these tenants, would assume on their honour and loyalty to their son?

vs 14

The thought processes of the tenants was pretty different - kill the heir, take his inheritance. As if that's going to work! But remember what this is a parable of - the religious leaders and their treatment of God and Jesus. And this parable gives us key insight into their motivation behind ignoring and, eventually, killing Jesus. They wanted his position for themselves. They were happy with the current arrangement, the status quo, even if God wasn't! Even if God was moving in another direction! This can't bode well...

vs 15

Of course, thinking about it and doing it are two different things (in the course of reality), but they actually do go ahead and do it.

And Jesus asks his rhetorical question, which he will answer. It's more of a build-up for the climax of the story.

vs 16

It would be nice to think that the reaction of the crowd was because they loved their leadership so much, or they realised the complicity they had in allowing their leadership to stray so far from the path.

Instead, I think they were just shocked at the story. We've heard it a million times. We know what it means, and how it ends. The crowd, I think, were just shocked at it. It's an MA15+ story.

vs 17

Again, they don't answer him, but the message is clear - not everyone is glorified by the plan of God. Some people will despise it, and they will suffer the consequences.

vs 18

Either way, it's not a happy ending. It's a sad panda ending. Either you stumble on Christ because of your preconceptions and feelings and desires, and you break to pieces, or he has to fall on you for your disobedience and rebellion, and you're crushed.

vs 19

The chief priests etc knew exactly what Jesus was saying. Well, perhaps not. But perhaps so. I mean, in our intellectual culture, we tend t o believe that if people are shown the facts, then they will abide by them. But it's not true. People know things, but do things contrary to their knowledge all the time. We have blinded ourselves by thinking education solves problems.

It is possible that the chief priests didn't understand what Jesus was saying, but knew it was against them and was bad. But it is entirely possible that they understood what he was saying, denied its truth, and went to kill him anyway. It is possible, but really, really unlikely, that they knew he was the Son of God, and killed him regardless.

vs 20

Spies. I mean, come on. This is some serious muckraking campaign. But at the end of it, they want to kill him, not just his career. Nasty stuff. Just imagine what it takes for a group of people to get together and conspire to kill someone. There's a lot of hate in that. Again, do we really see that when we read? Or do we just read over it as a story we know so well?