More Servants Sent and Killed - Mark 12:5

Mark wrote how Jesus, “began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and dug a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant;and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled”, and in chapter twelve and verse five of his book, Mark shared how Jesus said the husbandmen, “sent another; and him they killed” where we read:

And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.

The verse reads, “And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others;” Mark began with the words, “and again” which means “and another time” “he sent another” or “the lord of the vineyard sent another slave, servant or man of servile condition”; “and him they killed” which means “and that servant the husbandmen expired, destroyed, extinguished and inflicted mortal death upon”, “and many others” or “and a good number of more servants”. Mark shared how Jesus said the “lord of the vineyard” sent another “servant” to the “husbandmen”, but they “killed” the “servant” as well as mistreating “many” more that were sent.

The verse goes on to say, “beating some, and killing some.” Mark continued with the words, “beating some” which means “flaying, skinning, thrashing and smiting some of the servants sent”, “and killing some” or “and expiring, destroying, extinguishing and inflicting mortal death upon other servants”. Mark shared how the “husbandmen” “thrashed and smote” some of the servants sent and “inflicted mortal death” upon others.

When we consider Mark's words in this verse, we see how “horribly” these “husbandmen” treated their “lord's” servants. These “servants” were sent by the owner of the “vineyard”, and they were representatives of him. God has sent His representatives to this world to share about the Kingdom of God, and many of them were “beaten, mistreated and killed”. God loves people, and although people abuse His “servants”, including His Son Jesus, He still gave Jesus to “save” them from their sins. Those who are wise will understand who God's representatives are in the world and do everything they can to preserve the message and gathering of fruit from the “Lord Jesus'” field.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus said the owner of the vineyard, “having yet therefore one son … sent him” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".