Luke 20:16 NKJV
When Jesus reveals the fate of the vinedressers—“He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others”—the religious leaders erupt with the protest, “Certainly not!” Their shock, however, is not rooted in innocence but in a refusal to accept what the Scriptures had already spoken. Jesus’ parable was a mirror, and they could not bear the reflection.
1. Their Incredulity—and Their Knowledge
The leaders’ outcry rings hollow when held up to their deep familiarity with the Law. They knew the warnings Moses had declared:
“They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God…
I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation;
I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.”
Deuteronomy 32:21 NKJV
Instead of recognizing that Moses’ words were being fulfilled in their own hardness, they resisted the truth. What should have moved them to contemplation only exposed the condition of their hearts.
The revelation was not new—it was the same truth God had spoken for generations, yet they refused to see themselves in it.
2. The Repeated Call They Refused
From John the Baptist to Jesus’ own ministry, the message had been unchanged: repent. But the leaders could not accept Jesus’ warnings because they were unwilling to acknowledge their spiritual condition. The same prophetic voice that confronted their ancestors was now confronting them—and they rejected it again.
Refusal to repent leads to the loss of what God entrusted.
3. Paul’s Clarifying Witness: All Are Accountable
Paul later describes this same spiritual blindness in Romans 1 and 2. He speaks of a reprobate mind—hardened, resistant, self-assured—and shows how both Gentiles and Jews stand under the same wrath. No one is exempt.
And to those who thought their lineage or practices exempted them, Paul writes:
“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering,
not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
Romans 2:4 NKJV
The leaders in Luke failed to see the goodness embedded in Jesus’ warning. They viewed His parable as an indictment rather than an invitation.
4. Their Blindness to God’s Goodness
The original document points to the beautiful imagery of Deuteronomy 32:
“As an eagle stirs up its nest…
Carrying them on its wings,
So the Lord alone led him…”
Deuteronomy 32:11–12 NKJV
This picture of God’s faithful, protective care is part of the very passage that warned Israel of their unfaithfulness. The leaders should have recognized the goodness and mercy of God woven throughout Moses’ song, but they could not see it. Their lack of repentance was rooted in a failure to perceive His goodness.
It is God’s goodness—not fear—that leads the heart to repentance.
5. A Lesson for Us: Repentance as Daily Worship
Your original text stresses that repentance is not an occasional act but a daily necessity for the believer—a continual response to God’s goodness. Jesus taught this when He instructed His disciples to pray:
“And forgive us our sins…”
Luke 11:4 NKJV
This simple line assumes an ongoing posture of humility. Without recognizing our hopelessness apart from Christ’s sacrifice, repentance becomes impossible. And without repentance, no stewardship—spiritual or otherwise—can remain faithful.
Legacy Stewardship Through This Lens
Using the themes already present in your document, the concept of legacy stewardship can be understood simply and clearly:
1. Legacy stewardship requires recognizing God’s warnings as expressions of His goodness.
The leaders rejected the vineyard not because they lacked information, but because they resisted the goodness that called them to repent.
2. Legacy stewardship demands continual repentance.
A hardened heart forfeits its trust; a repentant heart preserves it.
3. Legacy stewardship must be rooted in the revelation of God’s goodness.
Only His goodness—the kind displayed in both Deuteronomy and Romans—can produce the humility necessary to steward what He entrusts to us.
4. Legacy stewardship is the fruit of seeing ourselves truthfully in God’s story.
The leaders refused to see their reflection in Moses’ words; true stewardship begins when we do.
Conclusion: The Vineyard and the Heart
Jesus’ parable is both warning and invitation.
It reveals that stewardship, repentance, and legacy are intertwined. The leaders’ cry of “Certainly not!” stands as a caution to every generation: refusing to acknowledge our need for repentance leads us away from the goodness that saves.
But for the believer who sees God’s goodness, the path is clear:
Repentance becomes worship, stewardship becomes faithfulness, and legacy becomes the fruit of a heart aligned with God.
Amen.
By Christopher L. Walker at myfathersestate.com
