A Serving Leadership Insight from the Life of Jesus Christ (Mark 12:1-9)

“Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: ‘A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.’” (See Mark 12:1-9 for full text)

 In Mark 12:1–9 Jesus told a parable of a man who planted a vineyard and entrusted it to others. From a similar story found in Isaiah chapter 5 of the Old Testament, it’s obvious that Jesus was alluding to Israel as the vineyard from which he desired a harvest of good fruit. Jesus placed his emphasis on the stewardship of the vineyard, reminding the religious leaders of their responsibility versus a mindset of entitlement. The owner had planted the vineyard, erected a wall around it for protection, and installed a watch tower for further security. He had set his occupants up for success and provided them with the means for sustenance in a safe environment. However, they took advantage of the landlord when he moved to another place. Rather than managing the vineyard wisely, they used it for personal gain. Serving leaders are stewards, accountable to God who entrusted them with great responsibility. It’s His world after all.

KEY QUESTIONS: What am I currently stewarding? Could I take on more responsibility? What might be preventing that possibility? How do I weigh the risks of giving others opportunities for taking on responsibility? How can I prevent setting others up for failure?