This week we begin a summer series entitled, Tell Me A Story. “Tell me a Story” is a simple and shorter way to reference Jesus' use of parables. A parable is a relatable way to share a moral or spiritual lesson. Almost like a church sign.
I am talking about the church that always has a special message on their sign for the people in their cars as they go to work or school or play. I have seen a church sign tell a whole Christian truth in just 100 characters. Maybe the church sign was the inspiration for twitter. I don’t know. One of my favorites, “No God, No Peace. Know God. Know Peace.” In 45 characters, a truth is relayed. In a culture inundated with advertising and short videos, a short story goes a long way.
Jesus told 36 different short stories in the gospels because storytelling forges connections among people, between people and ideas, and they convey the culture, history, and values. You just have to love a short story.
Today, I would like to relay three stories that come from Jesus in Matthew’s gospel at the end of Chapter 21 and the beginning of 22. They are stories He told after, cleansing the temple and being asked who gave him the authority to do what he did. The Pharisees could not let it go.
After three years of his amazing ministry, the religious elite were still skeptical at best and downright defiant at the worst. Jesus would try to wake them up to their arrogant righteousness by sharing three stories directed at them.
The first story is entitled the The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
Actions speak louder than words. The Pharisees rejected God the Father. They systematically demonstrate this by failing to let go of what they knew in order to receive what they truly desired. Like a child unwilling to eat the veggies in order to get dessert. Their stubborn disobedience would keep them from what they truly longed for.
We shouldn't be too hard on them. I have listened to some of the brightest people reject God because their intellect couldn't fathom or rationalize God. Did you know of the 10 smartest people on record via IQ scoring, 7 are Christians. So when someone rejects God because they can't make sense of God, they are only showing their arrogance, not their intelligence. When someone fails to do what God instructs, they show their rebellion instead of their allegiance or obedience.
Jesus continues with a second Parable of the Tenants
33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
Jesus is clear. The human powers of Jewish leadership that were in control rejected God’s Son. Jesus used this story so people listening knew that the Pharisees were not to be trusted. Their leadership was self seeking and would one day be fully exposed.
To put an exclamation on His point, Jesus would reference a scripture they would have recently heard. A few days prior they would have reviewed Psalm 118:22-23.
Jesus was trying to be clear. The prophets predicted it. The establishment would reject both God the Father and Jesus the Son.
AND if this message wasn’t enough, Jesus would share a third story. One we call The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
22:2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Verse 11-13 has made me a little uncomfortable. Why would God invite everyone and then kick someone out after they took him up on the invite?
Have you ever been to a restaurant that required you to wear a jacket and tie to enter? Have you ever gone golfing and been asked to put on a collared shirt or wear golf shoes to play? It’s a sign of respect and a recognition of the special event or place.
In much the same way, when a father invited guests to a wedding banquet, he would provide clothes for his guests to wear. These weren’t rented tuxedos but good clothes to pay respect to the couple and the families. It was expected so when a person showed up without the proper attire provided they would be asked to leave.
By not wearing the provided clothes, the guest was acting disrespectful. In effect saying, the spirit of the event was of no importance.
When we put the three stories together as they were presented, Jesus was highlighting the leader's rejection of the creator God, His Son the redeemer and even God’s guiding Spirit. An action considered unforgivable.
In these three stories, we are reminded of God’s gracious direction and patience to do what He has commanded, to accept His gracious offer to tend to the garden of humanity with His Son growing disciples and finally, clothing ourselves in the power of His Holy Spirit.
I wonder how often the 12 disciples thought about this teaching after Jesus ascended to heaven because the Pharisees would come after them.
