The landowner's forbearance

Mark 12: 1 - 12

He sent many others, some of whom they beat, others they killed. He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent hm last of all, saying, "They will respect my son."

What does long-suffering patience and unrequited love look like? In this parable we are given a vivid description of this: a landowner rented his vineyard to tenant farmers but has reaped only insults in the form of battered and murdered servants. He finally decides to send his beloved son. After the brutal treatment of his servants this action seems imprudent, if not downright foolish. We know that the landowner in the parable represents God. In the Old Testament his long-suffering patience and unrequited love is expressed in Hosea (2: 2, 14 - 20).

Before we jump to the end of the parable and take note of God's judgment (yes, continued rebellion will meet with certain judgment), it is important that we pause first to deeply appreciate God's inordinate patience.

God's ways are not our ways and the compassion he shows certainly looks like foolishness to worldly wisdom. God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Indeed how can we extend true compassion to others unless we have seen and experienced this from our God himself? Recalling our past, we may remember how God continually pursued us....down the dark streets of our lives,......... sometimes for many years before we ever responded to his loving overtures. At one time we may have been blinded by self-centeredness, with no awareness of God at all in our lives nor of our creaturely dependence upon him. At one time we took advantage of God's vineyard as if it were our own and he a 'foolish' absentee landowner, easily betrayed and cheated.

Coming back to the present, how much of God's compassion are we willing to extend to others? Even and especially if it seems foolish and weak. Sometimes after being Christians for many years we forget what it was like for us 'on the other side' and we lose patience with those who have yet to experience God's transforming grace. Yes, there is much evil in this world and there is a place for confronting systemic evil. At the same time, I remind myself that following Christ does mean taking on his long-suffering love and patience for a lost world. Sometimes, it will not make sense at all to try and try again, extending grace to those who repeatedly laugh in our face. But neither did it make sense for God, the landowner to send his Son to those who would mock and kill him. May our forbearance reflect his.