14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
Killing was not the first option for these tenants. They had already refused to pay their due to the owner and had treated his representatives with increasingly harsh treatment. They started by embarrassing the first representative. Then they raised the level of humiliation, followed by beating the third. Now they are contemplating murder. This is a parable teaching the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day about their own stubbornness. God had repeatedly sent Prophets in order to get His people to respond to His overtures of love, but they had increased in their hostility to God’s interventions. Jesus is the son whom they are going to kill. But I want to point out that this parable resonates with people of all generations because we recognize this tendency to move from mild sin to more severe sin. Sin usually starts in some small way in our lives. Then it moves down a logical path to a more potent and destructive form of that sin. Sin rarely moves from grave to mild. It almost always moves from mild to severe. This is not just true for other people. It is true in our lives. When we allow sin to remain, it will continue to move in a more destructive direction. That is why it is so important to respond when the Lord points out sin. If we respond and repent, the Lord cleans out that sin before it can destroy our lives. But if we allow it to linger, the path is predictable over time. Things will get worse before they get better. Today is the day to end the cycle. Today is the day to get on your knees and repent. Turn to the Lord. He has the strength you need to be more than a conqueror in any and every area of life. Are you willing to trust Him with the results?
The Arnold Journey 