Jesus asked his twelve, what will he (the landowner) do to those vine-growers?

They had beaten, murdered, and stoned the servants of the landowner … then they murdered his son.

The disciples responded correctly: He will bring those wretches to a wretched end…

But that’s not what the landowner did?

The Land Owner watched from afar and observed His Son hanging on an instrument of maximum torture, near death.  Then the Land Owner heard His Son gather a breath … and ask His Father to forgive the murderers.

The Land Owner would have been well within His rights to decline His Son’s dying request, and instead do exactly what the twelve thought should be done.  What we all think should have been done.

But the Land Owner did the irrational, the unthinkable, and honored the request of His dying Son … and forgave the murderers?

Perhaps having seen unimaginable forgiveness, and having recognized that their destiny didn’t have to be one of “a wretched end”, the murderers would see fit to offer themselves as eternal slaves to the gracious Land Owner … as did the prodigal son?

Perhaps some will?  For those who do, they would of course recognize that their fate would be markedly better as the Land Owner’s eternal slaves.  But the Land Owner does the unthinkable AGAIN!

To those who desire the Land Owner, He clears a path.  One that leads to, of all things, adoption.  The Land Owner gives them (and us) equal status … with His own Son!  The very Son whom they (and we) murdered.

I think that Chris Tomlin has it right – How Great is our God!

He is beyond capacity to grasp in His grace, in His righteousness, in His compassion, in His patience, especially with me, wretched man that I am.

How could I not desire a God like that?