Mark 12   Jesus tells a story about a man who planted a vineyard.  It was walled and  well equipped. It even had a tower / castle.  Then he rented it out to tenants and left on a journey.  At harvest time, the owner sent a slave to his vineyard to receive some of the produce.  However, the tenants were not willing to give up any of the profits,  so they beat the slave and sent him away with nothing.  One after another the landowner sent his representatives; and one after another they were beaten or killed.  Finally, the man sent his own son, hoping that the tenants would respect him.  But, they did not.  Instead they killed the heir and claimed the property for themselves.

The story is a parable of God's kingdom. It is God Who created all things.  It is God Who called out Israel to be His people.  It is God Who brought them out of captivity and set them in the promised land.  It is God Who commissioned His people to be a holy nation, a nation set apart for Him.  To bear the fruit of purity and righteousness, of grace and truth; to be the light to the world.   But, the people rebelled and hijacked the kingdom for themselves.  They persecuted and killed the prophets.  They were preparing to kill the Son.  They rejected the Cornerstone.  They would lose the kingdom.  It would be given to another.

The Pharisees and Sadducees, the priests and scribes and elders of Israel,  were the tenants who claimed the kingdom for themselves.  They did not fear God anymore... for they did not even understand His Word or His power.   They questioned Jesus about taxes and about marriage in heaven. They tried to trick Him into saying things that they could use to judge Him and destroy Him.
They failed at the most important thing... serving God.

Jesus told the Jews that they were mistaken because they did not know the Word of God or the power of God.
They were wrong in their politics.
They were wrong in their theology.
They were wrong in their priorities.
They were wrong in their concept of Who God Is.

We must look at our own hearts and minds, examining ourselves to be sure that we are walking in the Truth.
 Do we know what the Scriptures really say? 
 Do we know Who God really is?  
Have we lost sight of the fact that He is Almighty God?  
All of creation belongs to Him. All that we have, we have been given by His Hand.  So "render... to God the things that are God's."
God is eternal and infinite.  Life and death are in His hands.  Eternal life is life in Him.  "He is not the God of the dead but of the living..." The body lives only for a season on this earth.. the soul is forever - will it be forever in glory?  or forever in torment?
God is worthy of our love.  The greatest command is "And you shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength."  Is this our priority?
God sees and understands us completely.  Jesus knew that the scribes were pretentious hypocrites and that the poor widow was giving to the Lord from her heart.  What motivates us?

Father in heaven, hallowed is Your Name. "Forever God stands apart in light unapproachable."
( Tozer)  You are infinite and transcendent.  You are all powerful and all knowing.  You are "awesome and dreadful" and if we were to see You with these physical eyes, we would fall dead before You. But help us to see You anyway...open the eyes of our hearts.
May all the earth praise You!  May this dark and weary world behold Your glory and be transformed by Your glorious Light.
 Let Your Kingdom come, Lord!  Remove the evil tenants and come reign over us in righteousness and truth and peace and goodness.   Let Your good and acceptable and perfect will be done in us.  In Your church.  In Your family.  In me.  Give us our daily bread.  You are the giver of all life.  We have nothing but what You have provided.  Forgive us our trespasses and sins. Help us to forgive others with hearts of grace and mercy.  Lead us away from temptations and into Your paths of righteousness.  Deliver us from the evil one, from the snares and traps, from the lies and deceptions, and from our own evil hearts.  You are the King and the Kingdom is Yours.  All Glory belongs to You.  All power is in Your Hands.  We give thanks to You for saving us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Lord.  In Him we pray.  Amen.