1. "Duty (本分)"
(Mark 12:1-12)
1. Search for Conflict / People must live by their 'Duty (本分)'!
a) People must live by their 'Duty.' What is Duty? According to the dictionary, it refers to 'the inherent status that each person possesses' or 'the duty that one must duly observe and perform.' Therefore, Duty encapsulates 'identity' related to one's status, and naturally, it involves the 'obligation' to be observed according to one's role.
(Example) Last week, I encountered two young individuals who excelled in fulfilling their entrusted 'Duty.' One of them is the soccer player Son Heung-min. After completing two 120-minute extra-time matches, when asked, "Aren't you tired?" he replied, "As a member of the national soccer team, playing for my country is not difficult at all." I was deeply moved. He knew his Duty, understood his identity, and was aware of the obligation he had as a national team representative.
b) Farmers forgot their Duty and killed their servants to avoid paying taxes.
Today's scripture is about the 'owner of the vineyard and the wicked farmers.' A person planted a vineyard, set a hedge around it, dug a winepress, built a watchtower, and then leased it to farmers and went to another country.
(Mark 12:1) Jesus spoke to them in a parable, saying, "A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country."
When the time came, the owner sent servants to the tenants to collect the produce.
(Mark 12:2) And he sent a servant to them again, he sent to the tenants a servant, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.
However, the tenants seized, beat, and sent the servant away. He sent another servant, and this time, they wounded him in the head and treated him shamefully. He sent yet another, and they killed him.
(Mark 12:5) And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed.
c) Farmers forgot their Duty and tried to seize the inheritance by killing the owner's son.
Despite many mistreatments, the owner still had hope for his beloved son.
(Mark 12:6) He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally, he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'
However, the farmers had different thoughts: "This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours."
(Mark 12:7) But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
So, they seized, killed, and cast the owner's beloved son out of the vineyard.
What was the biggest mistake of the farmers? They forgot their 'Duty.' They lost their identity as caretakers of the vineyard, forgot their role as cultivators who should pay taxes to the owner, and, driven by the misconception that killing the owner's son would give them ownership of the vineyard, committed a grave sin. It's truly regrettable.
2. Conflict Analysis / If you don't keep your 'Duty (本分),' God will punish.
a) The parable of the owner of the vineyard and the wicked farmers is connected to the incident of (temple cleansing).
The story of the owner of the vineyard and the wicked farmers is a parable spoken by Jesus to the people. To be more precise, it should be connected to Mark 11, the 'temple cleansing incident.' As soon as Jesus entered Jerusalem, his first act was the cleansing of the temple. He witnessed the scene of the temple being turned into a den of robbers, with people selling doves, exchanging money, etc.
Jesus couldn't tolerate this and, with a whip, overturned tables and drove out those who were defiling the temple. The next day, when he entered the temple again, he was questioned by religious leaders.
(Mark 11:27) Again they came to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him,
(Mark 11:28) and they said to him, 'By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?'
Jesus responded by asking them the same way, "Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me!"
If they acknowledged it was from heaven, they would face criticism for not believing in John. If they said it was from man, everyone considered John a true prophet, so they feared the people and replied, "We don't know."
(Mark 11:33) So they answered Jesus, 'We do not know.' And Jesus said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.'
Interestingly, Jesus chose not to reveal it directly but used a parable to make the Sadducees and Pharisees understand their faults, especially the story of killing the vineyard owner's son. Hearing this parable, they realized it referred to them but were afraid to seize Jesus openly because of the crowd.
b) The Sadducees and Pharisees turned the temple into a (den of robbers).
a) The Duty of the Sadducees is to serve the temple (sacrifices) well.
b) The Duty of the Pharisees is to excel in spiritual (reformation).
(Mark 11:17) And he was teaching them and saying to them, 'Is it not written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations"? But you have made it a den of robbers.'
What is the 'Duty' of the Sadducees and Pharisees? What identity do they have, and what obligations should they fulfill?
The Sadducees are priests who serve in the temple. They are descendants of the tribe of Levi. Their duty is to offer proper sacrifices to God in the temple. However, instead of fulfilling their duty in line with their identity, they were deeply involved in accumulating wealth and honor, connected to Roman authority. Consequently, they turned the temple into a den of robbers.
The Pharisees were involved in religious reform movements. They were spiritual leaders who, during the captivity in Babylon, advocated returning to the Scriptures, even organizing reforms and giving testimony to the Scriptures. However, they became corrupt, no longer being the 'people of the Scriptures.' Instead, they became hypocrites, stumbling blocks to those seeking to believe in God.
Jesus, noticing their corruption and deviation from their 'Duty' and 'identity,' used the parable of the owner of the vineyard and the wicked farmers to point out their wrongdoings. Furthermore, he foretells that in three days, they will crucify him, emphasizing his impending fate at their hands.
- Clue/ To keep your ‘duty’ well, you must know your own identity well.
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The (ownership) of the vineyard belongs to the owner, and the farmers have (the right to use) the vineyard. The duty of evil farmers is to provide the fruit of the vineyards they farm to the vineyard owners. The vineyards belong to the Lord, not to the farmers! The evil farmers lost their identity and did not keep their duties. In the end, they committed a great sin by beating, humiliating, and killing their master's servants, and even killing the vineyard owner's son and throwing him out of the vineyard.
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Wicked farmers who have forgotten their identity and duties are destroyed and their right to use the vineyard is taken away. The vineyard owner did not remain silent about their actions. He could not possibly forgive those who went beyond their servants and murdered his beloved son. The vineyard owner destroyed them and handed over the use of the vineyard to others. (Mark 12:9) What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers and give the vineyard to others. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
In Chapter 2 of the Book of Revelation, there are words from Jesus rebuking the church in Ephesus. God tells the church in Ephesus, who lost his first love, that if they do not repent and find it again, ‘I will remove your lampstand from its place.’
(Revelation 2:4-5) But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from whence you fell, and repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your candlestick from its place. I will move it
Because the evil farmers failed to repent of their sins, they were eventually destroyed and the management of the vineyards was taken over by other farmers.
- These words are not only spoken to evil farmers or bad religious leaders. We must listen to the words spoken to us, to ourselves. We each have ‘our own duty.’ Some people have the duties of a pastor, others have the duties of an elder, some have the duties of a father and mother, some have the duties of a business or job, and some have the duties of a child. However, if you forget your ‘identity’ and therefore your ‘duty’ and make wrong judgments and decisions, God will definitely put into action the warning that he will ‘move the candlestick.’
(Diagram) Our relationship with God is worship. The reason is that God created this world and humans, and only he has ownership. However, if we mistakenly believe that it is God's ownership, we will be in real trouble. Also, if we claim ownership of the world, the church, businesses, and children as our own, we will be 'annihilated' as today's word says.
After God created humans, he gave these commands and promises.
(Genesis 1:27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:28) And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Here, the meaning of being fruitful, multiplying, filling the earth, and conquering the earth means performing the ‘role of a steward’ well. God owns the land, and humans only have the right to operate it. Therefore, it is our ‘human duty’ to ‘care for, cultivate, and preserve’ God’s property and possessions so that God is pleased with them. Why is the future of Earth so dark? Why is the Earth's temperature rising, why are natural disasters becoming more serious, and why are more and more people starving to death? This is because people become confused about their ‘identity’ and do not fulfill their ‘duty’.
4. Gospel Presentation / Who is the Triune God?
Who is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, who created humans and entrusted them with the role of stewards?
1) God the Father
a) GOODNESS (Good God)
He diligently crafted the vineyard. He created even the smallest details. Then, as a good owner, He employed farmers to manage the well-built vineyard. This symbolizes God, the Creator, entrusting the created world to humanity. Regarding us, the ownership of the world God created belongs to Him, and He has entrusted us with the right to operate it. Truly, God is a good and gracious owner.
(Psalm 119:68) You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.
b) PATIENCE (Patient God)
The owner of the vineyard sends servants to collect his share of the produce. This represents God's patience, enduring the mistreatment of His servants by the evil farmers. Despite the farmers' harsh treatment and killing of His messengers, God patiently waits for their repentance.
(Psalm 34:8) Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
(2 Peter 3:15) Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation.
c) LOVE (God of Love)
To reconcile with the rebellious farmers, God sends His beloved Son. Even though the farmers kill the owner's heir and attempt to take over the vineyard, the loving God forgives our sins and sends His only Son, Jesus, to save us.
(1 John 4:9-10) This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
d) JUDGEMENT (God of Judgment)
God comes to the vineyard Himself, executes judgment, and annihilates the farmers who killed His Son.
(Hebrews 9:27) Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.
e) GRACE (God of Grace)
Jesus, though crucified, doesn't stay dead. He rises in three days, resolving all our sins and offering us eternal life. God is a God of grace. The rejected stone becomes the cornerstone, securing our salvation.
(Psalm 118:22) The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.
(Acts 4:8-12) Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
2) God the Son
a) Jesus is killed and cast out of the vineyard.
(Mark 12:8) So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
b) Jesus, the stone rejected by builders, becomes the cornerstone.
(1 Peter 2:4-5) As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
5. Conclusion / Beyond 'Duty' to 'Mission'!
Today's sermon title is 'Duty.' Dear brothers and sisters, I hope each one of you can handle your given 'duty' well. Like Son Heung-min overcame various hardships and challenges by keeping the 'duty of a national representative,' I hope you can proclaim, 'I am a pastor!' or 'I am a parent!' and fulfill the responsibilities God has entrusted to you.
Remember, all ownership belongs solely to God. He is the Owner, and we are stewards entrusted with a mission. Let's not be like the evil farmers who misunderstand and claim ownership. Instead, let's fulfill our 'duty' beyond our identity.
I want to challenge you further. Don't just stay within the realm of 'human duty' but embrace a 'human mission.' Become a pastor who not only fulfills the duty but also embraces the mission.
What is the difference between 'duty' and 'mission'? Duty, rooted in identity, involves fulfilling obligations passively. On the other hand, mission, approached with an active attitude, means taking on assigned tasks with zeal.
(2 Timothy 2:1) My son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
(2 Timothy 2:2) And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
(2 Timothy 2:3) Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
(2 Timothy 2:4) No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer.
For example, last week, I heard sad news about two young firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. It's truly heartbreaking. Both of them went beyond the 'duty of a firefighter' to 'the mission of a firefighter.' They gave up their Christmas for someone else.
Imagine me applying the firefighter's confession to myself:
'Marriage with Jesus.'
'I return my Christmas for someone else!'
While these two firefighters faced a tragic end, they went beyond their duty to fulfill a greater mission of saving lives. Dear brothers and sisters, I pray that I can handle my 'pastoral duty' well. Also, please pray that I can fulfill my 'pastoral mission' effectively!
