Since the text says Jesus is talking about “them” we can
safely assume he is not talking about “us.” But then the living word, sharper
and more active than a two edged sword, (Hebrews 4:12) doesn’t let anyone off
that easily. In many ways we are like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. They were
well versed in scripture and loved the law that revealed the way of the Lord.
They were familiar with the pattern of religious ritual that gave shape to
their every day and marked the passing of the seasons. They trained up their
children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6) so that when it came to the
time of their passing God would not abandon them to Sheol. Jesus, the self
proclaimed rock rejected, threatened the very fabric of their religious life
and no matter how Matthew remembered it the pious people of Jesus’ day believed
they were serving God by wanting to arrest Jesus and make him conform to the
faith of his forebears. So what might that say about the “us” that objects to
being identified with “them”? We have ways set in stone that elevate human traditions
to divine status. We judge others by their ability to conform to the pattern of
our faith. We might be well meaning but that doesn’t mean we aren’t misguided. The
good news is that the stone over which we stumble and the rock that crushes our
personal preferences is the precious cornerstone that for the sake of those
outside the faith would have us give away the vineyard in obedience to the heir
who owns it.
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