God remains recklessly, wastefully, even foolishly generous with us. And through us, He is reaching out in the same way to all His human creatures.
Of Jesus’ story parables, only two appear in all three synoptic Gospels.[1] One is the Parable of the Sower. In this story, Jesus talked about a farmer who sowed seed everywhere, even in places the seed had no chance of survival. You might describe him as reckless, wasteful, even foolish. Who squanders perfectly good seeds by throwing them where they have no chance of growing? The other parable that appears in all three synoptics is the text for this Sunday: The Parable of the Wicked Tenants. The landowner in this story was even more reckless, more wasteful, more foolish than the farmer, even though he did not throw good seeds at bad soil. He sent good messengers to bad people. First, it was the prophets of old. Then, (incredibly) it was his son.
What are we to make of the fact that only these two parables are included in all three synoptic Gospels? For starters, it is clear all three writers agreed that these two stories needed to be remembered and retold. But we can say more. Both parables give us a big-picture view of God’s ways of dealing with His human creatures. In both cases, the God-figure acted in ways which were recklessly, wastefully, even foolishly generous. Also, in both stories, the reception of God’s generosity fell woefully short.
There is one significant difference between these two stories, however. In the Parable of the Sower, the disciples needed Jesus to explain what it meant, not so with the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. The scribes and chief priests got the message clearly (see verses 19-20). The tragic irony was, rather than receiving Jesus’ warning and turning from their sins, they took the next steps toward fulfilling the very prophecy Jesus was making against them with the parable.
This text is appointed for the last Sunday before Holy Week. That is good timing. Holy Week makes up some of the last chapters of a very long story of God’s people rejecting Him and His Word.
Holy Week makes up some of the last chapters of a very long story of God’s people rejecting Him and His Word.
There is an important lesson in the bigger story for your listeners today. But helping them find their place needs to be done carefully, which leads to a sermon on this text. You might begin the sermon by asking the congregation to guess which parables appear in all three of the synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Based on popular familiarity, they might think of the Good Samaritan or the Prodigal Son. Some may guess the Unforgiving Servant.
Once you have shared with them the correct answer, retell the Parable of the Wicked Tenants with an emphasis on the recklessness, wastefulness, and even foolishness of the landowner’s behavior. As you tell this story, it will be important to help your listeners identify with the right people. Tempting as it may be (especially during Lent), do not encourage them to imagine themselves as the wicked tenants. Even on their worst days, your hearers are baptized believers in Jesus who have made Sunday morning worship service a priority. They have rejected neither God’s prophets nor His Son. And God has not taken His vineyard (or His promises) away from them.
Your hearers are more like the “the others” who were given the vineyard in verse 16. The result of Israel’s rejection of Jesus means their (and your) inclusion. And God has not “merely” included us. He has continued being recklessly, wastefully, and foolishly generous toward us with His gifts of grace. Which means this parable, for those who have heard the Word of God and believed, is good news!
The parable does, however, offer an opportunity for self-evaluation. You might ask your hearers to take a close look at how we have been doing with the work God has given us. You could even share some of your own thoughts about our faithfulness as the Church. You can borrow language from the epistle reading this week to fund your rubric:
Have we counted everything as rubbish in comparison to knowing Christ Jesus our Lord? Or have our wandering hearts turned us toward things of this world that lack any lasting value?
Have we continued faithfully to press on toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus? Or have we grown weary in our Christian living and succumbed to the siren songs of ecclesiological and evangelistic resignation?
Are we trusting the promises and Spirit of God to provide a new way forward that might look a little differently than it has for several centuries? Or are we clinging to what lies behind, to the “good old days” before everything went off the rails?
There is an honest answer to these questions, and it is humbling. The fact is the Church has not tended to the vineyard as faithfully as we should, and we still are not. We can get defensive about this and make excuses, but then we would start to sound even more like those scribes and priests who refused to repent when Jesus first told this parable.
The good news, of course, is that, like the landowner and the sower in these two important parables, God remains recklessly, wastefully, even foolishly generous with us. And through us, He is reaching out in the same way to all His human creatures.
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Luke 20:9–20.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Luke 20:9–20.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaeching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
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[1] The Gospel writers occasionally identify simple comparisons as parables (examples include the new and old cloth, the fig tree, and the mustard seed). But of the parables that tell a story, only two appear in all three synoptics.
