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Zechariah 11:7-14

Rev. Erik Veerman

7/17/2022

The Rejected Shepherd Rejects the Shepherds

Last week we looked at the beginning and end of Zechariah chapter 11, which sort of bookended this chapter. It was about God’s judgment on the worthless shepherds. And why he was so harsh.

The middle section is obviously connected. And it’s a drama. A play of sorts. God tells Zechariah to act out a scenario for the people to see. Zechariah was to become the shepherd. Not just any shepherd. Zechariah is to play the role of God as shepherd. So, as I read these verses, have that in mind.

Let’s now come to God’s Word.

Please stand for the reading of our sermon text. Zechariah 11:7-14.

Hear now God’s holy inspired word.

Reading of Zechariah 11:7-14

Prayer

Jesus was the master of parables. Of stories. They really penetrated to the heart of an issue. And often times Jesus’ parables were about his audience. Part of the punch of the parables was that Jesus’ audience wouldn’t realize, at first, that he was talking about them. But then, Jesus would flip the parable on its head. He would reveal that they were the antagonists. They were the ones in the story who committed the offence or who needed a complete reorientation to God and salvation.

Well, shortly after Jesus arrived in Jerusalem (the week before his death), Jesus told a series of parables. And his audience? The pharisees – the hypocritical religious leaders of Jesus day.

In one of these parables Jesus spoke of a landowner. This man owned a home and land. And he decided to build a vineyard on his property. So he planted grapes and he put a fence around it and built a press to process the grapes after the harvest. Before the first harvest, the man needed to travel out of the country, so he leased the property to some tenants. They were to care for the buildings and the land while he was away.

Well, the vineyard started to produce grapes, so, of course, the landowner sent three of his servants to help with the harvest. But what happened was that his tenants attacked his servants. One servant was beat up, another was stoned, and worse, the third one was killed.

Because of that, the property owner decided to send more servants to address the situation.

What happened? Same story – they were attacked, beat up, and some killed.

Imagine being there when Jesus was telling this parable. Even though it just a story, imagine the anger you would feel at the tenants. I mean, it was the owner’s property. He was being kind to lease his land. Yet, in total disregard, the tenants assaulted and murdered some of his servants.

Well, finally the owner thought, “I know, I’ll send my son. This time, surely they will respect him....