But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. --1 Corinthians 2:9-10
19th century poet John Godfrey Saxe gave us this retelling of a parable from India:
It was six men of Indostan to learning much inclined, who went to see the Elephant (though all of them were blind), that each by observation might satisfy his mind.
The first approached the Elephant, and happening to fall against his broad and sturdy side, at once began to bawl: "God bless me! but the Elephant is very like a wall."
The second, feeling of the tusk, cried, "Ho--what have we here so very round and smooth and sharp? To me 'tis mighty clear this wonder of an Elephant is very like a spear."
The third approached the animal, and happening to take the squirming trunk within his hands, thus boldly up and spake: "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant is very like a snake."
The fourth reached out his eager hand, and felt about the knee. "What most this wondrous beast is like is mighty plain," quoth he. "'Tis clear enough the Elephant is very like a tree."
The fifth, who chanced to touch the ear said, "E'en the blindest man can tell what this resembles most; deny the fact who can, this marvel of an Elephant is very like a fan."
The sixth no sooner had begun about the beast to grope, than, seizing on the swinging tail that fell within his scope, "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant is very like a rope."
And so these men of Indostan disputed loud and long, each in his own opinion exceeding stiff and strong, though each was partly in the right, and all were in the wrong.
So oft, in theologic wars the disputants, I ween, rail on in utter ignorance of what each other mean, and prate about an Elephant not one of them has seen.
There are times where we need to broaden our perspective and not put God in a box. On the other hand, we do not need to emulate Carl Sagan who said the earth is a tiny, blue dot and that all of our lives and efforts and theologies are quite insignificant in the universe. The fact is that God, who is bigger than the universe, sent His Son to the earth so that the world might be saved from the wrath to come.
In our scripture passage today, some sought to question Jesus, and though the question was so limiting that Jesus initially refused to answer it, He eventually broadened their perspective so that the answer was self evident. Read with me from the book of Mark, starting in the 11th chapter, verse 27:
Then they (Jesus and His disciples) came again to Jerusalem. And as He (Jesus) was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?" But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From men' "--they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." Then He began to speak to them in parables:
"A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard."
Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not even read this Scripture: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes." --Mark 11:27 - 12:11
There were several layers to their question, so it is important to know what they meant when they said, "These things." Remember earlier in Mark 11 Jesus had violently cleared the Temple; before that He had ridden a colt into Jerusalem, letting all the people shout praises to Him as they laid palm branches and even their cloaks on the ground to soften His path. Even before that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, and many eye-witnesses had come to Jerusalem and spoke of it. "These things," therefore, included miraculous works, being welcomed by the people as royalty, and chastising the Temple leaders for mismanagement and selling out.
On one level, their question seemed to be, "Who told you that you could do that?" On another level, it was more like, "Where did you get your superpowers, and are you going to use them for good or for evil?" The more self-centered of them may have been asking, "Who made you ruler over us? You're not the boss of me--are You?"
Jesus counters with a question of His own, to give His answer more of a background, to broaden their perspective. No doubt many of these same Scribes, Pharisees, and Elders had been present three years before when they went to investigate John the Baptist. Some may have been there when John was baptizing by the Jordan river. Some of them may have even come to be baptized by John, but John saw that they were not repentant, and that their hearts were hardened so they were just going through the motions. Prophetically, John denounced them: "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance." (Matthew 3:7-8).
So Jesus' first answer is in the question itself. John said, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matthew 3:11) John was a prophet, and he had testified of Jesus' authority. Not only that, but when Jesus went down to be baptized, an amazing thing happened: "When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'." (Matthew 3:16-17). Not only did John testify of His authority, but God Himself spoke, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. You can't get much higher authority than that.
The Pharisees and Elders, though, were discussing politics instead of giving an honest answer. They were blinded to what Jesus had just alluded to. "What about the people?" they were saying among themselves. "If we say John's baptism was from men, the people will rise up against us, because they thought he was a real prophet. On the other hand, if we say his baptism was from heaven, then Jesus can say, 'Gotcha!' We can't win either way." They declined to answer Jesus, so Jesus told them He would not answer their question, either (even though He had already answered it without their realizing it.)
Jesus then turned to the people assembled there, but still in the hearing of the scribes and Pharisees. He told a story that illustrated God's authority over the elders of the temple, who had been charged with "tending the vine." Many times throughout the Old Testament God had sent His prophets to them to draw them back to God, to warn them of impending danger, or to urge their repentance after they had been punished for their sin. Each time the elders ignored the prophets, and had them silenced or killed. When He came to the part in the story where the owner of the vineyard (the creator, without whom there would be no vine, no fruit, no wine) sent his own son, Jesus was identifying Himself as the very Son of God. "You really want to know where I got My power over nature, My power to heal diseases and raise the dead? It was from my Dad--you may know Him as Elohim, or Yahweh, or Adonai. Yeah, He gave me the authority to put you in your place. It was Him, and the prophets He sent."
Then, proving Himself as Prophet and not just Priest and King, Jesus foretold of His own death. The parable ends with the hired hands killing the son. He then quoted Psalm 118:22-23, and identified Himself as the Messiah. The Pharisees were familiar with this Old Testament passage, and it was widely thought to be a messianic prophecy. Jesus pointed out that this passage prophesied His death, in that He was the "stone which the builders rejected." Then He prophesied His own resurrection, because the passage goes on to say that even though He would be rejected and killed, He would become the cornerstone of the faith.
He ends the story by quoting, "This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes." The word for "marvelous" (Greek thoumastos) literally means extraordinary, striking, and surprising; but it can also mean passing human comprehension and causing amazement joined with terror. The pharisees and elders certainly could not comprehend what they were hearing, and their hearts were filled with terror because they immediately began plotting how to kill Jesus. That will be where we take up next time.
Friend, please recognize the authority of Jesus to rule and reign over our hearts and minds. In Matthew 28:18 Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." Call out to Him, and submit your life completely to Him. The alternative is judgment, and eternal separation from Him. He will have grace and mercy if you call on His name today. Do it, before it is too late.
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