“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’”
Luke 20:13 NKJV
The owner’s response is not normal. Knowing that his servants have already been mistreated and abused, he does not respond with force or protection—rather, he sends his beloved son directly into harm’s way. And the son, fully aware of the risk, agrees to go.
These religious leaders listening to Jesus would have immediately recognized the pattern of this parable as mirroring a critical story in their spiritual heritage—Genesis 22—where God asks another father:
“…Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah…”
Genesis 22:2 NKJV
The Connection to Genesis 22: Two Foundational Revelations
1. Jesus as the Fulfillment of the Promise
Just as Isaac is presented as the son of promise, Jesus is revealed as the greater Son—the Messiah who accomplishes what Isaac’s sacrifice could not. Isaac was spared; Jesus would not be. He came to take upon Himself the sins of the whole world.
2. Abraham as the Model of True Stewardship
Abraham did not act as though Isaac belonged to him. He recognized that both the promise and the son were God’s. Conversely, in the parable, Jesus exposes the vinedressers’ failure: they mistook stewardship for ownership.
God Models the Standard of Stewardship Through His Son
In the parable, the owner—representing God—acts in a manner that defies human logic. He relinquishes what is most precious to Him. He entrusts His beloved Son to violent men and to violent treatment—even death. The Son submits in obedience.
This act is inconceivable from a human perspective. As I reflect on the things I value most, I instinctively seek to protect them—guarding against loss, praying fervently for their preservation. Fear and anger rise at the thought of losing them. In those moments, I identify more with the religious leaders than with the owner.
This realization illuminates the deeper purpose of the parable—not merely to teach us about faithful stewardship, but to reveal how utterly other God is from us.
Holiness as Otherness
God is not like man. He cannot be compared to anything we know or understand. This is the essence of His holiness. His holiness is not only His grandeur, His role as Creator, or His perfect love—it is His complete otherness, the reality that His thoughts, motives, and ways exceed human comprehension.
We must be helped by the Holy Spirit even to grasp the smallest revelation of who He is. We forget continually, as our human frailty is besieged by emotion, instinct, and limited reasoning.
We cannot understand God beyond what He chooses to reveal. As Isaiah declared, His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. The Apostle asks, “For who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” This is the language of wonder.
We cannot make God. We cannot define Him or bring Him into being. He exists wholly beyond what we could ever conceive.
Amen.
Legacy Stewardship Planning: Defined by God’s Holiness and Otherness
Legacy stewardship arises from this understanding. We do not manage our lives, resources, or impact according to human preservation or the instinct to protect; we steward them in reverent submission to the Holy One whose purpose and wisdom exceed our own.
If God—being holy and utterly other—could release His beloved Son in alignment with His will, then we cannot build legacy strategies around fear or control. Instead, they must acknowledge that all things originate from God and ultimately return to Him.
Three Legacy Stewardship Principles Rooted in Holiness
1. Stewardship begins with acknowledging God as the Holy Owner.
Just as Abraham recognized Isaac as belonging to God, our planning begins with the confession that nothing is truly ours. What we pass on is not our possession but our portion of responsibility before a holy God.
2. Legacy is shaped not by control, but by surrender.
Because God acts beyond human reasoning, our stewardship must reflect faith rather than human preservation. True legacy is created when we entrust outcomes to His sovereignty rather than our understanding.
3. Holiness requires trust beyond comprehension.
The owner’s decision to send his son defies logic. Abraham’s ascent up the mountain makes no human sense. Jesus’ submission to the cross contradicts human instinct. Likewise, legacy planning must be based not simply on strategy, but on submission to God’s purpose.
Conclusion: A Legacy that Reflects the Holy God
The owner gives his beloved son. Abraham lifts Isaac on the altar. Jesus embraces the cross.
Each act reveals that God moves beyond human reasoning, and true stewardship follows His example.
Legacy stewardship is not about preserving what we fear losing—it is about faithfully managing what we have been entrusted with, in alignment with God’s holiness, in surrender to His purpose, and with confidence in who He is.
A legacy shaped by God’s holiness is one surrendered in faith, not held in control.
Amen.
By Christopher L. Walker at myfathersestate.com
