Delusional Fools [6-28-26]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g8er1vOnOc

June 28, 2026

Luke 20:9-19

“Delusional Fools”

The other day, a classic song came on the radio. “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits. It’s got that great refrain:

Get your money for nothin', get your chicks for free.

That’s the mindset of the idiots in today’s parable.

Here is Luke 20:9-19:

And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected    has become the cornerstone’? 

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

Before we get into the technical details of today’s parable, let’s first 

consider the primary players in the parable. The tenants. Here’s the best 

way to sum them up:

THEY ARE DELUDED FOOLS WHO THINK THAT THEY CAN TAKE OVER THE VINEYARD FOR THEMSELVES BY DOING AWAY WITH THE SON.

Fools. Great word. Jesus doesn’t hesitate to call idiots out. Remember the parable back in Luke 12? A rich guy stored up massive treasure for himself because he thought he had all the time in the world to enjoy it. Remember what God said to him? “You fool, this night your soul is required of you.” The word Jesus uses literally translates as mindless…stupid…ignorant.

The tenants in the parable are fools because of two things:

1. They don’t know how good they’ve got it.

2. They conspire to employ a foolhardy plan.

How many people want what they want, when they want it, at little or no cost? Here’s an absurd example. When I log onto my Pandora music app, it asks about accepting cookies. Of course, I click on “Accept All Cookies.” Have I ever received a single cookie? Absolutely not. And I love cookies. I’ve never eaten a cookie I didn’t like. As I like to say, there’s no such thing 

as a bad cookie. Simply some cookies are better than others. Am I right?

Now, you’d call me a fool for thinking by clicking a button on Pandora, cookies would somehow magically appear. Who would ever believe that? You can’t get something for nothing.

Now on to context. There are two kinds of context. Literary and cultural.

First, the literary context. Luke has the most parables of the four Gospels…Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Luke has 24 total, of which 18 are unique to his Gospel.

Today’s parable is different from some of the earlier ones. It is an allegorical parable. While all the parables told by Jesus can have multiple layers and meanings, allegory specifically means that the characters, settings, and events point to real characters, settings, and events. For example, in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, there is no real-world correlation with a son who leaves the family. It’s simply a story to make a theological point. In the case of the Prodigal Son, it’s about God’s grace 

and mercy.

Today’s parable is more like nuanced poetry. Jesus is slightly disguising what he’s saying. There are two intended audiences. The leaders, chief priests, and scribes, who hear it’s about them. But they miss the warning of God’s judgment. And then there’s everybody else.

Remember, the first group are the deluded fools. There is much they think they are entitled to. Jesus tells them different. All they have to do is be decent, kind, and gracious caretakers of what God has given. But they can’t. It’s not in their character. They want it all.

So here we are. One of the most pivotal points in Jesus’ ministry. It calls for a powerful image of what’s about to unfold.

Remember…back in chapter nine, Jesus sets his face for Jerusalem. That 

means the cross, and his suffering and death. Which leads us to where we 

are today. It’s the middle of Passion Week. This movement runs from 

Tuesday to Wednesday. Friday Jesus will be crucified. That’s important 

because that’s the day Passover lambs are slain. And Jesus will die on Friday as the One, True Passover sacrifice for our sin. Sunday he will rise again. We’re on the cusp of those momentous events.

So in these days leading up to Friday, Jesus brings the message of salvation and forgiveness and eternal life to the people. And now, Luke brings it to us.

Who plants the vineyard? A generous man who owns the land. It’s his property. He worked for it. He maintains it. And it is lush and productive. It is beautiful, fertile soil. Everything about this situation is good.

So, he plants a vineyard. His tenants work it, maintain it, and harvest it. All they have to do is set aside some of the harvest for this very generous man. The rest they keep for themselves.

These tenants really have the best of everything. Of course, they have to 

work. Work is good. They can work the land the way they want. Remember, the owner goes away for a long time. Jesus is describing the owner’s patience. He gives his tenants time to work out a routine and a process, so they can get the best out of the land. He doesn’t rush them. He doesn’t pressure them with a deadline.

So, as we see, they have the best of everything. They can be as creative as they want. Nobody’s looking over their shoulder. So, without having to purchase the land, they can do very well making a living.

Which leads us to harvest time. The owner sends a servant to collect the agreed-upon amount. They are supposed to be all in agreement. This is a very normal interaction. Nothing hidden or obscure. Pay the agreed upon amount. Do what you want with the rest. Win/win.

But what do the tenants do? They reject…refuse to pay…and treat the servants violently. Actions that are illegal and criminal. Can you imagine treating someone so generous like that? And yet he remains patient. And merciful. And gracious.

Let’s pause for a moment to remember Jesus’ primary audience. It’s the 

elders…chief priests…and scribes. Like the tenants in the parable, they are caretakers of this beautiful gift from God. They get to lead the people in worship and devotion to God. They get to move God’s plan for His people forward in a positive way. Can you imagine the honor and blessing from God? Yet they think it all belongs to them. Like the tenants, they want to guard what they consider their turf. They will do anything to defend it.

So, the landowner has sent three servants. All three are brutalized and rejected. By now, you’d think the landowner would seek vengeance. He asks, in verse thirteen, “What shall I do?” One expects vengeance. An eye for an eye, and so forth. Life for life.

But the owner is, again, very patient. He tries one more approach. “I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.” And thus we read:

And the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

• Luke 3:22

And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my 

Chosen One; listen to him!”

• Luke 9:35

We know the point Jesus is making. God is the landowner. Jesus is the son. The religious bureaucrats are the foolish tenants. When the landowner sends his son, what do these wicked tenants do? They reject him. They beat him. They kill him. We can hear what Jesus is saying these two days before Good Friday.

Here’s what’s stupid in the actions of the wicked tenants. They think killing the son…killing the heir…will lead to them taking possession of the vineyard. But that’s not how it works. Not 2,000 years ago. Not today. To that point, here’s something you might want to write down:

IT’S NOT THEIR INHERITANCE AND IT NEVER WILL BE.

It’s not something they can take. It doesn’t belong to them. It is the landowner’s to give out of his grace and mercy. Why would anyone be so foolish as to reject such a gift?

Luke 20:9-19 ends in the most pathetic way you can imagine. Again, as we 

read:

The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

At this point, the scribes and chief priests are pitiful and pathetic. Here’s what we know about confirmation bias:

Confirmation bias is the unconscious tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information that supports your preexisting beliefs while ignoring or dismissing contradictory evidence. It often leads to poor decision-making, as it creates an inaccurate perception of reality and reinforces prejudices.

That’s the scribes and chief priests. They are so locked in to what they think they know, that Jesus’ point is lost on them. Here they have the truth of grace and mercy standing right in front of them, and they can’t see it. The inheritance is forgiveness and eternal life. And they totally miss it. How foolish.

How foolish today are people who reject Jesus Christ as their Lord and 

Savior? And yet, God is patient with people’s foolishness. One…two…three servants come. Rejection. And then He sends His Son. As we read in the gospels, Jesus is His Beloved Son. That is such a beautiful promise and affirmation. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” {John 3:16}

The only way to receive the inheritance is to believe in the Son as Lord and Savior. That’s the only way. We have no control over our future. Our eternal destination is in the hands of the Son, and the Son alone.

After I finished that paragraph, I had to run a few errands. I cogitated about how to wrap today’s message up. As I started the car, a song came on The Message. “Good” by Matthew West. Here are a few of the verses:

I used to think grace was a ladderEvery sinner had to climbIf only I could just do betterI could earn it over timeTried to work my way to goodTrouble is I never couldBut then You showed meJust exactly how grace worksI’m good at always falling downYou’re good at never giving upI’m good at getting turned aroundYou’re good at saying I’m still lovedAnd I was wrecked by mercyThe day I understoodI’m not loved because I’m worthyI’m loved because You’re good

I think Paul wrote the book of RomansFor people just like meFor all the beat up and the brokenWho need to know that grace is freeWhy do I do the things I shouldn’tAnd I don’t do the things I shouldThat’s just the proofYou’re the only part of meThat’s good

What a great song. I didn’t think I’d ever heard it before. So there it was, hanging like a big matzo ball in the sky, as I’m thinking about how to end today’s message.

Here’s what I’ve figured out about The Parable of the Wicked Tenants.

There are two primary groups listening to Jesus.

The first are the scribes, chief priests, and temple leaders. They don’t want to know anything about how to inherit eternal life. All they want is to protect the status quo. They want to maintain their position, power, and influence.

The other group resonates with the forbearance and patience of the 

landowner. Remember, they express shock over the treatment of the son. 

They can see past self-interest. They are beginning to understand that 

Jesus is talking about his death. In two days his death on the Cross will pass on to us our inheritance of eternal life.

Here’s how Jesus leads them to that truth. It’s in verses 17-18:

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

I love Charles Spurgeon’s take on these two verses. Over 150 years later, and it’s still the best insight I’ve read:

Jesus offers two distinct realities for every human soul:

• Falling on the Stone (Grace): To fall upon Christ in humility and faith means to be "broken to pieces" - a beautiful breaking of human pride and self-righteousness. Spurgeon preached that only a broken, contrite heart can truly be built by God into His spiritual house.

• The Stone Falling on You (Judgment): Conversely, for those who stubbornly reject Christ, the Stone will eventually fall upon them in judgment, grinding them to powder. Spurgeon warned that no one can withstand the weight of a rejected Savior.

And together, people who fall upon the stone say:

SOLI DEO GLORIA…

To the Glory of God Alone