A child is a wonderful thing! What a joy to raise up a child, helping them learn to walk and talk. Helping them to make wise choices, cleaning and bandaging scraped knees. Watching as they learn who they are, what their skills and interests are. And the satisfaction and peace that comes with seeing the emotional and physically security our presence brings them!
Then the owner of the vineyard said, “What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.”
Luke 20:13Luke 20:13
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
13 The owner then said to himself, “What am I going to do? I know what. I'll send my son, the one I love so much. They will surely respect him!”
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my beloved son. God’s love for his son is not an abstract theological truth. It is a powerful picture of God’s character and activity. God loves the son. This is the resounding message we hear in Scripture. The son is unique, expressing the character and nature of God himself. He carries the authority of God, and is the power and voice behind God’s creative work in creation and salvation. So Jesus’ words in this parable bear a sad irony. Jesus offers the heart of the Father, sharing his love for the son, and the desire for his people to respect him and the message he brings.
This is not the only time we see these words. One great example is at Jesus’ baptism:
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:16-17Matthew 3:16-17
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
16 So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. 17 ; ; ; ; ; . Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.”
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God loves his Son, and is pleased in him. This should remind us of God’s words of pleasure at creation. And we should take note when God expresses pleasure! As we desire to please God, we have an example in the Son. And God’s love for the son is shared with us. God even loves the body that bears his name; He loves us, and has commissioned us to serve him, just as he commissioned Jesus at the Jordan river.
But one more example of these words stands out in my mind:
He [Peter] was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Matthew 7:5Matthew 7:5
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
5 You're nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye.
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This last verse brings these strands together. The words of the parable, I will send my beloved and perhaps they will respect him. The words of Matthew 3, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. And finally, This is my beloved Son…listen to him. With God’s love stands God’s authority and power. God offered Jesus as the son worthy of respect, the son that pleased him, the son worthy of being heard. The Pharisees reacted in anger, recognizing that this was the end of all their clever scheming to hold the hearts of the people. The world reacted swiftly, stripping the son of any chance it worried might lead to its own dethroning.
But God’s love for the Son did not end in the grave. His love for us will not end there either. Praise God for his power and presence! Praise him that love is more than just emotional baggage and more than just a biochemical fog. Jesus is love, the expression of God’s nature and purpose towards us.
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