[:en]MARK 12:1-2

THE REJECTED STONE

I. Greetings:

II. Introduction:
Q When you were little, how do you feel when someone rejected something you did?
Q What type of revenge did you want to take?
Q On a more serious level, what do you do with people who are spiritually blind and reject the truth?
An = It is easy to quit on them, gossip about them, or bad mouth them, but Jesus did something different, He did the right thing.
Note: Today we are going to look at one of Jesus’ parables given right after He argued with the religious authorities. His little speech was a bold move. He was going to confront those who had rejected Him and do it with an illustration from agri-business.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 12:1.
Q Why did Jesus use parables? How come He did not merely tell them straight forward what He thought?
An = Listen carefully to and note their answers; then add the following, if they did not bring these ideas up.
1) “In parables truth is expressed in concrete pictures, rather than in abstractions.” We can relate to stories because we are able to picture them (Lane, p. 149).
2) The parables appeal to the imagination and force the listener to get involved.
3) Jesus appealed to natural life experiences that could illustrate His redemptive plan. This was because both our experience of nature (our existence in this life), and the kingdom of God, both originate in God (Lane, p. 151).
4) Stories can also sneak up on us and hit us from behind when our defenses are down.
Note: The story we will see Jesus use was about business, specifically agri-business. Jesus had picked a story about economics, about the realm of finance and business. This story reflected a typical agri-business set-up in Jesus’ time, but this situation still exists frequently today.
A large amount of land in Jesus’ area was owned by absentee ownership. The owners were either foreigners who had bought Palestinian land for an investment or they were Jews who owned the land but chose to live elsewhere.

III. The Parable of the Tenants: Mark 12:1-8.
Note: Before we read Jesus’ attempt to wake up blind religious leaders, let us first read an ancient story, ancient even for Jesus’ day, it was told 600 years before Jesus was born, by the prophet Isaiah.
>>>> Have someone read Isaiah 5:1-7.
Q What is the meaning of Isaiah’s parable?
An = This is a parable of rejection. However, the rejection is by God of wicked religious people. The vineyard is Israel and they were well cared for by God and given the best possible circumstances, but Israel produced wickedness, in the form of bloodshed and oppression in their society (5:7) instead of righteousness (i.e. metaphorically, lousy grapes instead of good ones). With this parable in mind, let us read Jesus’ story in Mark 12.

IV. The Parable. Mark 12:1-8.
Note: Since the function of a parable is to appeal to the imagination, listen to this parable as it is read and try to imagine it in your mind. Perhaps even close your eyes and try to picture it. Like the Isaiah story, this too is a picture of rejection. Try to see it happening in your mind’s eye.
>>>> You read Mark 12:1-8.
Q What did you picture?
Q What did this story mean?
Q Who is the owner?
An = God, right?
Q What is the vineyard?
An = our life.
Q Who are the vine dressers or farmers?
An = These men represented the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. He was telling this parable about them.
Q Who were sent to the servants to collect the crop?
An = These were the prophets or those preachers and believers who told the leaders that God had a right to guide them. The people were His and He had a right to tell the leadership how to lead them.
Q How is this parable in Isaiah similar to the one Jesus told?
An = Both were about rejection or judgment because of improper response.
Q Who did the son represent?
An = The son represented Jesus Christ.
Note: Jesus was clearly attacking the religious leaders of His day with this little story.
Note: Jesus clearly said He was more than a prophet, He was the son! Jesus was subtly claiming to be the Son of God to these men who are rejecting Him (Barclay, pp. 293-295).
Q Did Jesus know at this time what they were going to do to Him?
An = Yes, He did. He knew these men were going to kill Him. He was predicting His death in this little story.
Q Why did they think killing the son would give them the land?
An = Actually, if the owner was dead, it was possible they could claim the un-owned land (Lane, p. 418). Note that they supposed the father was either too far away to do anything, would not act, or was dead himself. Religious leaders today often think they can treat the people under their leadership and not worry about what God would want.
Q Again, who did the owner represent?
An = God. Today many think God, for all practical purposes, is either: dead, too far away, or would not act anyway. In Jesus’ day, they were wrong. Today, many will possibly treat you as they treated God’s son. People do some amazingly wrong things, and think they will get away with it.
>>>> Have someone read Psalm 37:34-39.

V. The Final Result: Mark 12:9-12.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 12:9-12.
Q According to the story, did they get away with it?
An = No. God came, killed the tenants, and the vineyard was handed over to others (Mark 12:9).
Q Was Jesus to be vindicated according to 12:10-11?
An = Yes!! The stone the builders rejected has become the key stone (Mark 12:10-11). The religious leaders of that day rejected Jesus, and He became the key element of Israel’s hope. What is more, Jesus Christ is the key stone, the key element in our eternal destiny.
Q Who will get the vineyard? What is another way the vineyard could be understood?
An = the people of God. There will be new leaders for the people of God.
Note: Have everyone turn to I Peter 2:4-10
>>>> Have someone read I Peter 2:4-10.
Q How many people do you know in churches who are “dead stones”?
An = A lot of people just go to church and are not “living stones”. To be living stones you have to be connected with the “Living Stone.” To be living, you have to be alive; you have to be born again! That is not popular with some.
Note: Our status of being chosen, being royal, being holy is connected to the One who was rejected. It stands to reason that we too have to be willing to be rejected or we cannot be with Him. (Give an example of Christians you know who were rejected and hassled because they stayed true to the Lord.)
Note: Turn to Acts 4:8-14.
>>>> Have someone read Acts 4:8.
Note: See what it says about Peter: He was filled with the Holy Spirit when he spoke. The Lord’s Spirit filled Peter.
>>>> Have someone read Acts 4:9-12.
Note: Notice here they were on trial because a man was healed; but Peter said all power was tied to the “name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene”. He then pointed out that they crucified Him, and He was the corner stone that was rejected. Peter and John were not going to back off, because in verse 12 they stated that salvation was in no other name. They understood that the “Rejected One” is the key to the salvation of the world.
>>>> Have someone read Acts 4:13-14.
Q What did these authorities accredit the boldness they found in Peter and John?
An = These two young men were in real hot water here; but they had confidence, even though they were untrained and uneducated. Their accusers marveled and noted: “they had been with Jesus.” It is true we will face rejection if we identify with Jesus and do as He did. The good news is that we will be changed. If people do not see such confidence in us, maybe it is because we have yet to go through the experiences the apostles had.
Q According to verse 14, what silenced the authorities?
An = the presence of the healed man. These men had been used of God to do powerful acts of mercy. It was hard to ignore such hard data.
Note: He was rejected; but His rejection brought power to us. Do not be ashamed of His humility; for if we are willing to identify with Him, we will be the new vineyard cultivators, the new farmers, the new leaders in His kingdom.

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