God is Patient... Within Limits

Written by Ed Allen
Saturday, 07 August 1999 19:00

Then he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. 5 Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 7 But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11 this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?" 12 When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.

The religious authorities believed that Jesus was really a country preacher whose followers were mostly uneducated ruffians and outcasts many of whom had lived lives in blatant violation of Jewish religious practices and traditions.

But he was also dangerous.

No one questioned that he did amazing things. And some of those things had the appearance of good. At times they seemed to engender a certain devotion to God. But Jesus was also causing a great deal of trouble ? more trouble than he could know or understand the authorities reasoned. His actions were breeding a revolutionary spirit that could weaken their authority as well as the overall respect for the longstanding tradition. His actions even threatened to further strain the already rocky relationship with Rome. So the very heart of their criticism of Jesus is recorded for us in Mark 11:28. "By what authority do you do the things you do and who gave you that authority?" they demanded. What priest, what teacher, what secular organization do you represent? Exactly what cause are you trying to promote? Is this a revolution against Rome or is it aimed at us, the religious authority? Are you trying to accomplish the upheaval of our whole society and if so why, toward what end, and based on what? In other words, who are you, Jesus, and what are you really after? What is your foundation?

Jesus answers this criticism by telling a story. His story illustrates three things: (1) God is patient; (2) God?s patience has limits; and (3) Jesus is the factor on which God?s patience hangs. He is the only legitimate foundation for life because he is God?s Son, God?s messenger and the cornerstone of God?s activity. His story also resulted in a very direct challenge to the religious authorities that were questioning Jesus. The challenge might best be issued in the form of 2 questions:

Have you welcomed God?s voice and His will into your life? Do you even recognize it when you hear it?
To what degree have you made Jesus the foundation of your life?

His critics would have been offended by the first part of his challenge. They would have been horrified and scandalized by the second. The challenge still stands.

Mark 12:1

Then he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.

Notice how the farmer cares for the vineyard

He plants
He protects it: builds a fence ? protect from poachers and small animals; builds a watchtower ? general oversight and protection
He provides for its productivity ? builds a winepress

In the hymns and stories of the people of the Bible, a vineyard often represented God?s people. They would pray for God to take care of His vineyard, which was a cry for God to take care of them. They would sing of God?s fruitful vineyard during their productive times and of God?s barren vineyard during their times of failure. Jesus uses that image here to say that God looks after those who believe in Him.

Then, according to the story, God leases the vineyard to tenants. Who would the tenants represent?

religious authorities
pastors, teachers
parents

Mark 12:2-5

2 When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. 5 Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed.

Clearly the farmer has established a relationship with the tenants that all of Jesus? audience would have understood and expected. The farmer lets the tenant use the land because otherwise they would have no hope of survival. But to meet the demands of the farmer?s overhead the tenant agrees to pay a portion of the proceeds in rent.

But the tenant wants to deny the farmer what is his due. So when the farmer sends a collector to receive the agreed amount, the tenants beat up the collector and sent them back to the farmer empty-handed. In doing so they violate what is right and legal and ethical.

What does the farmer do? It is certainly within his rights to take legal action. Instead the tender, forbearing farmer sends another messenger to collect the debt. This one the tenants beat up and insult. But the relentless, unflagging farmer will not give up. He sends a third messenger. This one is killed by the tenants ? the ultimate act of defiance and betrayal. But the persistent, patient patron sends more messengers. "Many others," according to Jesus.

1. The first lesson point: God is patient.

God is patient and longsuffering in waiting for his people to bear the fruit, which he requires of them, even when they are repeatedly and overtly hostile in their rebellion against him.

If you?re anything like me, then when you read this you think, "Wait a minute. I?m not rebelling against God. Much less in overtly hostile rebellion. But the Bible says this is precisely the case. Anytime we choose what is wrong we rebel against God. Every time we waltz into a day without hearing from God and without getting His perspective, we declare our independence of Him.

Some have seen in His patience a sign of weakness. It is inherent to the nature of patience that those who want to take advantage of it can. So by acting patiently, God allows Himself to be taken for granted and even ignored.

2 Peter 3: "In the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts and saying ?Where is the promise of his coming? Forever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!? ? But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance ?Regard the patience of the Lord as salvation."

Actually, patience is not a sign of weakness but of power. It is the power to control self.

Mark 12:6-11

6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 7 But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11 this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?" 12 When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.

After many attempts to communicate with the tenants, the farmer willingly places his own Son in harm?s way. He wants to be absolutely clear about the seriousness of the matter. Former messengers have not been received. This one cannot be denied.

But against all reason, the tenants kill the son and throw his dead body out of the vineyard. The betrayal and treason are full and complete. They not only refuse to pay what they owe, but they also now want to own the vineyard outright.

So what does the farmer do when his son is killed? He has endured their insolence. He has tolerated their defiance. He has withheld Himself in the face of their revolt. But He will not ignore this final act. The Son dies and the patience of a landlord dies with it, replaced by the wrath of a father.

2. Lesson two: God's patience has limits.

A day will come when God?s patience is exhausted and those who have rejected him will be destroyed.

Illustration: I knew a teacher who had a paddle that said "The end of my patience." When the paddle was taken down, patience was exhausted and judgement time had come. But Jesus represents the paddle of God put out of sight.

What an incredible portrait Jesus has painted of Almighty God as a patient landlord, willing to be taken advantage of. Willing to be overlooked. Patiently longing for a change of heart and of relationship.

But God?s patience has its limits. He will not tolerate being ignored forever.

This is not because God needs us to acknowledge Him. This is not because His ego needs the attention. His patience runs out because His grace is ignored and presumed upon. This violation can no longer support the weight of His judgement.

Illustration: Suppose you have a piece of wood. Cut it too short and find it has a bad crack in it. You throw it away. Let?s imagine we can endow the wood with self-consciousness. Suppose further that the crack is the fault of the wood itself. The carpenter would be more than justified in throwing away the wood. But God doesn?t throw it away. He tries to fix it. If it refuses repair, it is unusable. It must be discarded.

Ironically, those who reject Jesus are bringing about their own rejection because He is the only foundation on which a spiritually balanced life may be built.

3. Lesson three: Jesus is the foundation for all that God says and does.

Jesus is God?s Son, his final word. He is the full embodiment of God?s patience. To reject him is to meet God?s judgement.

The implications of what Jesus is saying are unmistakable. "I am the embodiment of God?s patience and the end of it. I am His messenger and I am His Son. You want to know where my authority has come from? It comes from the heart of heaven. It comes from the patience of almighty God with you."

The only thing more incredible than Jesus? portrait of God as a patient, ignored farmer is his portrait of himself. He paints himself as God?s Son. He speaks with God?s authority. He represents the cornerstone of all of God?s activity. To reject the Son is to come to the end of God?s patience and meet His anger. To build your life on anything other than on a relationship with Jesus is to turn life on its head. Such an inverted life cannot support itself and it will not ultimately be supported by God.

And everything Jesus said and did confirmed this incredible truth. He performed the acts of God. He loved with the love of God. He was a walking manifestation of the patience of God, and he equally demonstrated that God?s patience does have an end-point.

We end with Jesus? challenge today.

A. Have you welcomed God?s voice and His will into your life?<

Do you even recognize it when you hear it?
Have you been still? You must be to hear him.

B. To what degree have you made Jesus the foundation of your life?

Is He the reason you do what you do?
Is he the source of your energy?