The Heir Killed - Mark 12:8

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 again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. Having yet therefore one son, his well- beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours”, and in chapter twelve and verse eight of his book, Mark shared how Jesus said the husbandmen, “took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard” where we read:

And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

The verse reads, “And they took him, and killed him, ...” Mark began with the words, “and they took him” which means “and the husbandmen lay hold of, seized, apprehended and took possession of the vineyard owner's son”, “and killed him” or “and destroyed, extinguished, abolished and inflicted mortal death upon the son”. Mark shared how the “husbandmen” “seized and apprehended” the vineyard lord's son and “inflicted mortal death” upon him.

The verse continues, “... and cast him out of the vineyard.” Mark added the words, “and cast him out” which means “and expelled, thrust and ejected the son” “of the vineyard” or “from the field with vines with fruit upon them”. Mark shared how not only did the “husbandmen” “kill” the “lord of the servant's son”, but they also “threw” his body out of the “vineyard”.

When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we discover this horrific act of the “husbandmen”. They had already “beaten and killed” servants sent by the “lord of the vineyard”, but now they “killed” the “owner's” son and threw his body out of the “vineyard”. Can we even imagine such acts? However, this is exactly what took place with God's “servants” and His “Son Jesus”. The Psalmist David wrote, “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (See Psalm 24:1 and 1 Corinthians 10:26), and God sent His Son Jesus to die for the sins of every person in His world. People along the way “beat, mistreated, persecuted and killed” God's prophets, and they “killed” His Son Jesus. We can only imagine how God felt as He watched all these things occur, and because He loves people so deeply and desires to have a personal relationship with Him, He allowed each of them to come to pass.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus asks, “what shall the lord of the vineyard do?” 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".