Pastor Dan Mangler's Sunday Sermon

Responsible Tenants

Matthew 21: 33-46

October 2, 2005

Responsible Tenants

One cannot deny that the parable Jesus told in the gospel reading today is a parable of judgment. Jesus closed the parable with these words, "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces fruits for the kingdom." What might be less obvious is that the wrongs that call forth this judgment have less to do with what the tenants did than what the tenants didn't do. And it is a reminder to us that sin, also, is not so much the bad things we do, but rather the good things we fail to do. So often it is in the things that we don't do that we kill God.

A landowner planted a vineyard. It was huge and completely fenced in. It even had a watchtower to guard against an outside attack or wild animals. After a while the landowner could not maintain this vast estate, so he leased it to the tenants and left it in their care. All he asked in return was a share of the produce at harvest time. The tenants gladly agreed.

When harvest time came the landowner sent some servants to the vineyard to collect his share of the produce. Instead of welcoming them and handing over their rightful payment, the tenants beat one of the servants, killed another, and stoned another. The landowner sent more servants who were treated the same way. Finally, the landowner decided to send his son, and they killed him.

Consider, rebellion in the vineyard, the killing of the landowner's servants, and even his son, because the tenants refused to return to the landowner the portion of the produce that was rightfully his. That was the tenants' first wrong.

Are we too guilty? We confess that all we are and have are gifts from God, and yet how willingly do we return to him his rightful portion? How willingly do we return to God for His work a portion of the time and treasure he freely gives us?

There was a church located next door to a supermarket. Since the church was short on parking spaces and the supermarket was closed on Sundays, the church leaders asked the owner of the supermarket for permission to park in his lot. The owner's response was, "Fine. You are welcome to use it 51 weeks a year." "What about the other week?" asked the church member. "That week," said the owner of the market, "I'll chain off the lot so you will always remember that the lot belongs to me, and not to the church."

I shutter to think what would happen if God chose to withhold his blessings from us for one week of the year to remind us that they are his, not ours. Turn off the sun for one week. Take away the air for one week. Stop our hearts for one week. What does it take to convince us that everything we have, all our time and treasure, comes from God and God desires only a portion of it in return?

The tenants' second wrong was that they refused to recognize God's authority. They abused and murdered every emissary the landowner sent, including the landowner's son.

This story has been around for a while and needed updating, but the message is as fresh today as when it was first told.

George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Pat Robertson all died and went to heaven. They were brought before the Lord, who was seated on His throne. "Who are you and what did you do to deserve to be here?" the Lord asked the first, George W. Bush. He answered, "I'm president of the United States," and then related all the good things he had done as president. "Welcome," the Lord said, "Take the seat at my right hand."

"Who are you and what did you do to deserve being here?" the Lord asked Bill Clinton. Clinton answered, "I am the former president of the United States." And then he told all the good things he had done as president. "Welcome," said the Lord, "Take the seat at my left hand."

Then, turning to the third man, the Lord asked: "Who are you?" "I'm Pat Robertson," he said, "and I believe you're sitting in my seat."

At the root of all sin is the belief that we belong in the seat that God occupies. When we replace biblical principles with human principles, when we believe that right and wrong are only right or wrong when they are right or wrong to us, when we live our lives mindless of God's word and leading, we are denying the sovereignty of God, we are rejecting God's authority, and we are killing his servants and Son.

The final wrong of the tenants was their concern only for themselves; they consumed all that they harvested.

There was this great oil refinery. It was huge. It employed all the modem techniques of chemical engineering. It was an impressive structure that was very well kept up. The interior was bright and shining. The workers were proud to be part of such a company. They made sure that the plant was clean and everything was in perfect working order. In fact the oil refinery soon gained a worldwide reputation.

One day, some visitors asked to have a tour of the facility. There was reluctance at first to allow any guests. The plant manager contacted his boss who reluctantly gave permission for the visitors to tour the plant.

The visitors walked through the vast chambers where they saw the processing of petroleum, the gleaming pipes that carried the petroleum products from place to place, and the extensive organizational system that had been set in place to keep the refinery going. The visitors were impressed. Near the close one of them asked the guide if they might be permitted to see the shipping department. "What shipping department?" asked the guide clearly confused.

"Why, the shipping department from whence you ship out all the gasoline and oil you process here," said the tourist. "We don't have any shipping department," answered the guide. "You see, all the energy products produced in this refinery are used up keeping the refinery going."

Can you find a better description of a church that consumes the entire ministry it generates and fails to reach out with its finances and energy to a suffering world? To consume God's love and fail to share God's love is terrible, indeed.

Is this a parable of judgment? Yes. Need it be to us only bad news? Not at all. It can be the best of all good news.

Consider. God has placed us in his vineyard, his world, and has taken every step necessary that it will produce for our every need. That's fantastic news. All he asks is that, out of hearts of thanksgiving we return some of what he has given to us to him, gifts of time and treasure to his church for his work.

He asks that, as the owner, his authority be acknowledged and that we live in his world by the guidance he designed. This is a blessing, not a burden. As the designer God knows best what leads to true joy, and he has revealed that guidance to us in the Bible

And we need to remember that, as individuals or as the church, we were not created to serve ourselves but rather to love God and neighbor in word and deed. In the words of Peter, "Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received." (1 Peter 4:10). In that we are privileged to be a partner with God sharing in his holy work. Amen.

May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.