24.175 | THE PARABLE OF THE TENANTS | Mark 12:1-13 | God’s Word for Today with Pastor Nazario Sinon

God’s Word For Today

Text: Mark 12:1-13 (ESV)

THE PARABLE OF THE TENANTS

Reading these words today, the primary roles in this parable are clearer. This refers to the relationship of god to His people, the jews. The landowner is God. The tower is God's protection over Israel, Judaism, and the temple. The tenants are the jewish religious and civil leaders (Mat 23:31). The trip the landowner takes could be the four hundred years of silence between Malachi and John the Baptist, but it can also mean the entire history from Joshua's conquest of Canaan until this point.

In Jewish history, God sent prophets to the people to gather what the Jews owed God. In return for the blessings God gave the Israelites, He expected worship, sacrifice, obedience, and devotion. The treatment of the servants is a direct reference to how the Israelites reacted to God's prophets. Looking at the Old Testament prophets from a distance, we ask, “Are not God's actions almost seem cruel to them?” Why did He send so many messengers to ungrateful people, knowing they would be dishonored, beaten, and killed?

Undoubtedly, it is God's nature to continue to reach out to us (Hos 2:14–20; Jer 3:12–14). He is the covenant keeping God. Peter says, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). God's constant stream of messengers is His call for us to return to Him. Today, we are called to follow in those footsteps. Jesus calls all believers to pick up their cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34).

Sadly, the Messiah was sent by the Father and they rejected Him. The religious and civil leaders kill Jesus because they want to stay in power. They won’t give up their corrupted religion of Judaism which they created. The Lord allows the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 so that the Jews once again are in diaspora until now.

This was a direct fulfilment to Psalm 118:22-23. Rabbis taught that the stone represented either Abraham, David, or the Messiah, and often interpreted "the builders" to mean the experts of the Mosaic law. That the stone was rejected from being a part of the sanctuary means the Jewish religious leaders reject Jesus as a significant part of their religion and relationship with God. That same stone becomes a part of the porch[cornerstone], through which all true God followers will be welcomed. God is not stymied by our misinterpretations of His will, whether intentional or by mistake. He will fulfill His plan and when we look back, we his followers call it "marvelous" (Mark 12:11). As a note, the Messiah was described as having no majesty or beauty that would automatically attract others to Him (Isa 53:2).

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