Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church

Matt 21:33-46

I wear one piece of jewelry. This ring on my left hand. It’s my wedding ring. I have worn it consistently for almost 11 years. The skin underneath has become smooth and white. I really like this ring. I like what it stands for and represents, it has great significance to me.

It’s not really an expensive or elaborate ring. It is two tone with gold, with a braided pattern. I imagine when it was made, dozens others were made exactly like it. Same pattern, same weight, same quality of gold. But I like to think of it as unique. It’s unique, just like all the others.

That word, "unique," doesn’t really have the same oomph that it perhaps once did. We think everyone is "unique," and although it is perhaps true, it looses some of the special quality of the word to say it is true of everyone. It’s quite ironic.

So is this ring truly unique? NO and YES. No, because there are others like it out there, similar patterns, weight, quality, etc. But yes, because of what this ring has done and because of the marks it bears.

Early in my marriage, I was climbing in the Rockies with some friends. As we made our way up a boulder field, I reached up and grabbed a rock. As I pulled myself up, I felt a subtle shift in the rocks. I froze. The rocks quickly settled, but as I went to remove my hand from its place, something was stuck. The rocks had shifted enough to bend my ring into an oval, pinch ring on my finger and wedging it in the rocks.

Thankfully, with some wiggling and scraping, I was able to loosen the ring, and my hand, and take them out of the hole. Upon further examination of my hand, all was OK, except I could not get my ring off. Later that day, when we returned to our camp, I took out my multipliers and skillfully bent my ring back into place. There are now dents in the ring from the pliers and a quite imperfect shape to the whole thing.

But at least now it unique! It is now distinct from all the other rings just like it. It is unique because of what it has done and the marks it bears.

Our parable this weekend is from Matthew 21:33-46. Just like all the other parables, it has a unique message. But there is something in this parable that is distinct, and that is what it has to say about who and what Jesus is.

Parable of the Landowner

"Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.

When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce.

"The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third.

"Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them.

"But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

"But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’

"They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

"Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?"

They said to Him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons."

Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures,‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.

"And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.

When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.

Matt 21:33-46

Let’s pray…

If you are a regular at RBCPC, you are familiar with what normally comes next. Bruce has a pattern that is useful, and since he is gone in Egypt, I am going to use it. After an opening story, the scripture is read, then prayer, then… a joke! So ... How do you catch a unique rabbit? Unique up on it!... How do you catch a tame rabbit? The tame way!

Sorry about that. Bruce usually has better jokes. Telling jokes is not what fits me, but he can pull it off. I think that’s because we each have a unique approach or style. The same is true for any preacher, teacher, politician, or salesman that stands in front of a group of people hoping to communicate something. An important part of effective communication is being true to yourself, authentic with who you are. You have to discover your "unique" way to communicate.

Jesus style of using parables is not unique. That was a common form of his day. One of the ways Jesus is unique is what he taught with them. Especially ones like this from Matthew 21. You may have noticed that Jesus does not introduce this parable by saying, "the Kingdom of Heaven is like…" So that is a clue to find out what exactly is Jesus using this parable to teach about?

The beginning of the 21st chapter of Matthew is the beginning of the final week of Jesus’ life. During the course of that final week, Jesus’ authority is questioned by the chief priests and elders. In response to the questioning of his authority, he shares two parables, of which this is one.

I don’t know if you have noticed, but in doing these parables this summer, we have been looking for the "zinger" of each parable. The point in the parable where Jesus surprises, or even shocks, us into a new place of understanding. The zinger is not found in the content of this parable, rather it is found in Jesus’ follow-up response.

He gives them a parable with an obvious response for proper justice. The keepers of that vineyard were obviously due to be killed, that would be justice for killing the son. But then Jesus brings the zinger. He says, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," and "He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." Not much of a zing to us, but you can tell he really touched a nerve!

Matthew tells, "When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him."

So what was Jesus saying? The capstone is a verse from Psalm 118. Psalm 118 is a victory Psalm, celebrating Gods love. "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." It is also a salvation Psalm, "I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation."

The statement about the stone being broken is from Isaiah 8. The section of Isaiah is a prophecy of destruction for Israel and a message of hope for a future messiah.

Jesus makes an incredible claim in following up this parable with those scriptures. He inserts himself into the story as the son of the vineyard owner. He makes the claim that he is the one deserving of a victory Psalm. And that he is the Messiah, the Savior.

Jesus makes a forceful claim that he is unique. How is Jesus unique?

He is different than all other prophets. All the messengers sent by the vineyard owner represent all the prophets and leaders that God had sent to Israel for generations. The vineyard owner sent servant after servant, always hopeful of change, but with the same result.

Jesus is unique because he is the son. Then the vineyard owner sent his "son," hopeful that would be enough. But the same result. Rejection.

Has someone you love ever been rejected? Early in our marriage, Anne applied to a university graduate program near where we lived. This university had a great reputation, highly regarded in the field in which Anne wanted to study. They only accepted 14 students per year for this program. But Anne had all the credentials, grades, test scores, and references to gain admission. So I was confident she would get in. As the process went along, she wrote good entrance essays, she had a great interview, everything seemed to be going perfectly. Then came the week we expected to hear their decision. Nothing till the end of the week, when finally we received a letter. "Thank you for applying, admission denied." Not even waitlisted!

Anne was confused, hurt, and sad. I, on the other hand, wanted to take that rejection letter into the office of admissions and … well, I don’t think I can say what I wanted to do in church. The point is when someone you love is rejected, it hurts.

When the vineyard owner’s son was rejected, killed by the tenants, his pain had to be deep. Jesus places himself into the story as that son.

In doing so, he makes it clear he knew of his sacrifice to come. He calls himself the stone the builders rejected; quoting and fulfilling Old Testament prophecy. This parable makes it clear Jesus knew what lay ahead. He did not die because he was compelled to die, he went willing.

The uniqueness of Jesus is distinct. He is not unique in a "unique rabbit" kind of way. His uniqueness is not in his communication style or technique. Jesus is wholly unique from any other person… ever. He was not just a good teacher, a rabbi, or a prophet. He was, and is, Messiah.

The uniqueness of Jesus was unpopular for him, it lead to his rejection and death. It’s also unpopular for us. Our culture conditions us that we need to use words like- "inclusive, tolerant, pluralistic, subjective." Yet we are face to face with a Jesus who is unique. A Jesus who says, "I am the way." A Jesus who claims to be the Son of God, God Incarnate, God in a body. A Jesus who was crucified and resurrected.

What makes Jesus unique is what he did and the marks he bears. Like a ring, there may have been others with similarities to him. But none did what he did and bear those marks.

The uniqueness of Jesus, the Messiah, demands a response. Is our response to fight for control of the vineyard, rejecting Jesus, trying to keep our life in order and acceptable? Or is our response to embrace and celebrate the Unique Son of God, surrendering our life to his control?