Reflection for March 20 – Barry Kercher

Today’s Passage from The Bible: Mark 12:1-12

Then he began to speak to them in parables. ‘A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watch-tower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally, he sent him to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture:

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 
this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes”?’

When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So, they left him and went away.

Reflection – Barry Kercher

“Parable of Evil Farmer” is about a sinful man who leased land from a righteous landowner, then reneged on his lease when the owner sent his servants and his son for the lease payment. The parable points out that the evil farmer should be forgiven by the righteous landowner, and for the landowner not to seek revenge for the betrayal.

The moral to forgive rather than retaliate is a lesson in most Bible Scriptures. In the end the best outcome for the evil farmer would be to repent, reconcile and seek atonement. Jesus’ message to sinners is that there is more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than 99 people who need no repentance.