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Commentary of
Parts of Mark 12
from Doug Perry - www.FellowshipOfTheMartyrs.com
- (Click here for printable PDF file)
What I do is look
at Scripture and ask the Lord to show me some application (or
“spiral”) of it that I have never seen before. Sometimes He
shows me things that maybe nobody else has seen before. He has been
POUNDING on me with Mark 12 over and over for weeks. I doubt that
I've sucked all the application out, but finally I'm getting a
release to write about it. I hope it blesses you. Don't take my word
for anything, ask the Lord to confirm it or explain it to you.
Over the course of
several weeks, the Lord showed me multiple applications for this
first parable about the Tenants of the Vineyard. They have
application to the individual, to the Church, to America, to Israel
and to the whole world (and others that aren't within my scope at
this time).
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What you need to
understand is God's Law of Multiple Applications – which is what
I mean when I talk about “spirals”. History repeats itself,
but it isn't circular, it's spiral. There are always more of us
making the same mistakes than last time. When things come back
around again to where we started, you can figure He's going to react
pretty much like He did last time (although He's very creative so it
may manifest differently).
He recycles
everything in His Word. Since He doesn't change, when circumstances
start to line up with something that He has reacted to before, you
can be sure He is going to react again in a similar manner. If you do
certain things that irritate Him, He will respond a certain way. The
more of it you do, the more of it He will do. If you obey Him, He
will bless you. If you obey a lot, He will bless you a lot. |
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Mark 12:1 And
he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a
vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the
winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went
into a far country.
The Lord showed me
multiple applications to this:
For the
Individual, when He purchases a person by the Blood of Jesus and
they become His because of the seed He planted that has begun to grow
and because He has redeemed the Land. He knows it to be fertile and
valuable because things start to sprout and He has an assurance that
it's worth protecting so He puts a hedge of protection around them,
that is He places a guard all around them that can keep the enemies
out. He digs a place for a winevat, which is like a cistern to catch
the pressings of the oil and the grapes. He showed me that this is
the “cup” that He gives us into which He pours His Spirit
(Read “Fill My Cup, Lord” article on the website). He
builds a watchtower that keeps a lookout for enemies infiltrating the
wall, but also for changing weather conditions and even the approach
of the Master. This is the Holy Spirit in us that stands on the wall
and by conviction or revelation from the still, small voice inside
makes us aware of the presence of dangers and of movement in the
spirit. At that point, everything is in place and operating
efficiently. Then He turns it over to husbandmen, that is,
caretakers, renters, servants. It's still HIS vineyard, He bought it
and built it, but He allows them free will to see how they will
manage it. If they need help, they can call, but He's going to give
them their head for awhile and see what happens.
For the Church, the
Master planted a vineyard by taking cuttings from the True Vine and
established them in fertile soil. Those who plant are the
Evangelists. Then He set a hedge of protection around the Church
through the Prophets and Apostles. These are the trusted servants of
God that will stand on the wall, that can call down angelic help,
that can speak forth the words that will protect against enemies
– internal or external. He dug them a winevat to
catch the pressings of the vineyard, this is the reservoir of the
fruit when it is all mashed together. Individual grapes come and are
stomped on and squished and lose all their individuality by becoming
part of a greater whole. No individual grape alone could produce a
bottle of wine. They have to be melded and blended and fermented
together before something greater than themselves can result. The
Church is the winevat that catches the result of the pressing on each
individual. If you refuse to be pressed, then you can't make juice
and you can't be wine together. Then the Master establishes a
watchtower from which the Prophets and Apostles can call out the news
of the times and seasons and the dangers, or the coming of the
Master. Then He turns it over the husbandmen to manage it. These are
the Pastors and Teachers, the elders and deacons of the local church
who are responsible for the management and operation and to see to it
that the vines are tended, defended, harvested and properly and
sufficiently squished. The size of the harvest and the return
on investment is dependent on the husbandmen.
For America, the
Master planted a vineyard in fertile soil when He established this
as a Christian nation. He put a hedge around it and protected it
repeatedly from outside enemies. He made it a “melting pot”
to collect the varied fruit of all the different kinds of grapes He
planted in it. He set the Church as a watchtower over it. Then He let
the husbandmen take responsibility for it and left them alone to see
how they would do.
For Israel,
the Master restored them to their original vineyard, set a hedge of
protection around them (the Archangel Michael) that has kept them
from being defeated over and over by external forces. He dug a
winevat to catch the fruit of all the amazing variety of grapes He
planted there. He set a watchtower to guard them – the true
Church. Then He turned it over the husbandmen to produce good fruit
and manage and protect.
For the World, the
Master created fertile ground then planted His True Vine by sending
Jesus. He set the Holy Spirit as a restrainer and a hedge about the
whole of the planet to protect it from the forces of the King of the
Air that want to corrupt and destroy all the creation of God. He dug
a winevat, a giant cup to collect all the fruit of the Bride for the
wedding feast of the Lamb. He set a watchtower over it through His
Prophets and Apostles and the righteous remnant that calls out the
dangers of the times and the movements of the Master. Then He turned
it over to us to manage.
Mark 12:2
And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might
receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
At some point, God
wants to see what return He has received on His investment. He comes
back(just as in all the Parables in Matthew 25) to see how well they
have done with what was entrusted to them. For the Individual,
the Church, America, Israel and the World, this should be a sober
warning that there will be an accounting to see how much we have
produced for Him. .
Mark 12:3
And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
The Master has
been sending people repeatedly to call people to account and to show
the balance sheet and to produce forth the Master's share of the
harvest. Individually we do this when the Holy Spirit speaks convicts
us of some enemy inside the hedge and we ignore Him and refuse to
repent of letting it in. The Church beats and casts out the prophets
and apostles that are sent to speak a word of correction. Many of the
pastors and teachers deny that there even IS such a thing as prophets
and apostles anymore! America and the Church and Israel refuse to
listen to the voices crying out that the Lord expects His share of
the harvest. They refuse to release that which was entrusted to
them, or even the just, agreed upon rent due to the Master. The World
does not acknowledge who the true owner of the vineyard is, and
insists on going its own way. Mark 12:4 And again he sent
unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded
him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. Those
that He sends are the Prophets and Apostles, or sometimes He Himself
comes in the form of the poor, hungry, lost or naked and is turned
away (Matt. 25:40). If you have missed an opportunity to feed,
clothe, care for one of the least of the brethren, that was probably
Jesus you wounded and shamefully handled.
Mark 12:5
And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others;
beating some, and killing some. How many have we killed? How
many times have I individually grieved the Holy Spirit by refusing to
listen to the conviction in my own heart or the insistence to walk in
the calling He has for me? How many lives depended on me that are now
lost to the Master because I beat and killed those messengers that
were sent to me? How many times has the Church, America, Israel or
the World beaten and killed those messengers speaking forth the Truth
of the Master – that the vineyard is His and all the fruit
thereof? Mark 12:6 Having yet therefore one son, his
wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will
reverence my son. Personally, I didn't turn until I had a
close encounter with the Son Himself. But many don't turn. I believe
that this parable is saying that God has sent servant after servant,
but they have ignored them all, so He's going to send the Son. Not
just that He already did. I'm looking forward. The Son is the vine
that was planted, but the Son is also the one that is going to come
again. To the Church, to America, to Israel and to the World, at
different times and in different ways, the Master is going to send
the Son in a clear, unmistakable way and see what they do.Mark
12:7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir;
come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.' They
schemed, they conspired, they ganged up together and collectively
killed the Son. So that they could keep the vineyard that wasn't
their's to begin with. They are only caretakers, but they believe
that they can be the heir by killing the Heir. They are mistaken.
When the Master sends the Son to you personally and individually, if
you reject Him and insist that it's YOUR vineyard, things are going
to go very badly for you. There are those in the Church who will
conspire together to deny that they are husbandmen and insist that
they are heirs. They will join forces and kill the Son when He is
sent to them to demand the just, agreed upon fruit due to the Master
and Owner of the Vineyard. There are those in America and Israel and
the World that are already anticipating this and already galvanizing
to respond with violence to the appearance of the Son and the army of
which He is the Head. Mark 12:8 And they took him, and killed
him, and cast him out of the vineyard. In the face of one who
speaks clearly on behalf of the Master and carries all of His
authority, they will commit this final act of outrage because of
their rebellion and pride and greed. They set themselves in the place
of the Master and become a law unto themselves. They have no fear of
the Master and they believe that the hedge around them was built by
their own hands. They are wrong. Mark 12:9 What shall therefore
the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen,
and will give the vineyard unto others. For the Individual,
the Master will come and strip the husbandmen of all that they have
and give the land to another. I believe that for the individual, all
the Master has to do is take down the hedge of protection for a
moment and let whatever come in and kill, steal and destroy those
husbandmen. It's His hedge, He built it and He can drop it –
then they get turned over to a different kind of ruler that will
torture them endlessly. That vineyard, that piece of dirt from which
they were made, will be taken away and they will be cast out of it
into outer darkness.
If you want to
break it down a different way, when that within you that rebels
against God and believes it is in charge is killed and fully
purged out THEN that little righteous remnant within you that obeys
and produces good fruit will be GIVEN the land. THEN you become a
joint heir and inherit the rights of Sonship.For the Church,
those husbandmen that have rejected and killed the Master's
messengers and even rejected his own Son will be destroyed and the
vineyard given to others who have proven their loyalty –
probably the messengers that were beaten, but survived. A reward for
what they suffered and a just vengeance on the wicked
husbandmen. It doesn't say the vineyard will be rented to them
as it was to the first husbandmen, it will be GIVEN to them. A free
gift, not rented out. He repeats this also in the Matthew version of
this parable (Matt. 2:33-46) where the people hearing it expect that
the Master will rent it out to different people, but Jesus says,
“No, He will GIVE it to a people who WILL produce its
fruit.” THESE will be the ones who become joint heirs with
the Son and sit with Him on His throne!For America, Israel and the World,
those who reject and kill the Son when He is sent to them (in
whatever form) will be punished severely and all that they have will
be taken away and given to those that have been loyal to the Master.
This is the message of the Book of Revelation. The Master will send
an army that looks just like Jesus to bring in the final harvest and
many will persecute and kill them. The enemy that has infiltrated the
vineyard and taken control of their minds will whisper to them that
the will be like the Master if they kill the Heir. The consequences
Biblically are that two-thirds of the world dies and the Master
dramatically purges the vineyard and gives it over to those who can
be trusted. The consequences to America vary depending on whether you
believe her to be the Babylon in Revelation 18 (in which case it's
total destruction). The consequences to Israel are described
prophetically through the Scriptures and they are pretty scary. Many
will be cast into outer darkness for their prideful, stubborn refusal
to see that they were not owners of the land, but renters only.
And yet a righteous remnant will remain. The vineyard will be GIVEN
to those who can be trusted to produce fruit.Mark 12:10 And
have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders
rejected is become the head of the corner: 11 This was the Lord's
doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Our nature wants to
go our own way, but the stumbling stone is the Son. All those throw
themselves ON that Rock will be broken into pieces – the
obedient pieces and the rebellious pieces will separate and God can
eliminate the chaff, the dross, the tares, the rebellious husbandmen.
Those UPON WHOM that Rock falls will be crushed to powder, back to
the dirt from which they were made. (Matt. 21:44)He doesn't do things
the way we do. He uses the foolish things to confound the wise. He
uses the base things to shame the precious. He crushes the proud and
exalts the humble.
Following this (v.
12-27) is the discussion of paying taxes to Caesar and the issue of
marriage at the Resurrection which I'm not going to comment on at
the moment. (Except to say that the Lord showed me that one
application of the latter passage is that the seven churches in
Revelation are all the bride and yet none the bride. The seven ages
of the Church are all the bride and yet none the bride. I know. Chew
on that for awhile.)
The remaining
three parables illustrate the kind of servant that is going to be
given the vineyard when the Master destroys the wicked renters. These
can be used to diagnose who is and who isn't going to be left
standing the the Master of the Vineyard returns.
Mark 12:29 And
Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O
Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy
mind, and with ALL thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Mark 12:38 And
he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love
to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, 39
And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at
feasts: 40 Which devour widows' houses, and for a presence make long
prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
Mark 12:41 And
Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast
money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42 And
there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which
make a farthing. 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith
unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more
in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44 For all they
did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in ALL
that she had, even ALL her living.
If that doesn't
put a little fear of the Lord in you, you might want to pray for Him
to teach you some more. He is clear that those who are meek and
humble and obedient and sacrificial, even unto the last that they
have, are those who He loves. Jesus doesn't preach the tithe, He
preaches ALL – all the time of all that you have in every
possible area, body, soul and spirit. That's setting the bar pretty
high up there. That's why we're to work out our salvation with fear
and trembling.
Use freely,
but without changes or removing links.
www.FellowshipOfTheMartyrs.com
- fotm@fellowshipofthemartyrs.com
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