Today was an absolute gift, Father! Thank You for the blessing of a full day of time away with Karen – we had so much fun together! Also, we were about 40 minutes away from our home area and, of all things, I ran into 3 of the kids that were on my bus route! That was a blessing, too!
Mark 12:1-12 (<<click to read the passage)
I have never been one to enjoy boxing but the phrase “one-two punch” is one with which I am familiar. The yourdictionary.com definition in regards to boxing is: a sequence of two quick punches, especially a jab with the left hand followed at once by a hard blow with the right. But the second definition is: any sequence of two related actions for a specific result.
Well, I’ve never read of Jesus boxing in Scripture, but He most certainly gave the Jewish religious leaders a solid one-two punch! In yesterday’s passage, they asked Jesus a pointed question – not really wanting the truth but just seeking for another angle to get Him in trouble (which was never even a possibility!). And after backing them into a corner refused to answer their question – PUNCH ONE!
Then without giving them any chance to catch their breath, for it must have been knocked out of them, He launched into a parable about some evil tenant farmers – PUNCH TWO!
A quick explanation of who the characters in Jesus’ story represent. God is the man who planted the vineyard – which represents the nation of Israel. The tenant farmers are the religious leaders. The servants who are beaten and killed were the faithful priests and prophets whom God sent repeatedly to bring the nation back to Himself. The son, of course, is Jesus and the others would be the Gentiles. And with that, they were down for the count!
It’s one thing to just be after inflating your own ego and filling your own pockets but that wasn’t enough. Israel was God’s connection to saving the world but the religious leaders didn’t just hinder those efforts by standing in the way, they also killed anyone who did try to fulfill God’s will.
In short order, Jesus exposed them for who they were and what they were up to! He showed that they were out to take his life and that they would be held accountable for their evil deeds – their sins would be punished!
Lord Jesus, it is so easy to point fingers – to look with disgust at the antics and belligerence of the Jewish religious leaders. But so often we are no better than they. No matter how much we rationalize, we are often just as guilty stroking our own egos and seeking gain for ourselves whenever possible. To truly be Your children we must seek to bring glory to You and You alone. Guide and direct us, I pray. Amen.
June 27th, 2019, Thurs, 9:51 pm
