Luke takes us from the loving and forgiving father imploring the older brother to celebrate the Kingdom which is arriving, but then he moves to deal with the reality and gravity of situation at hand. Jesus' message is a hard word for them. Israel's leadership, the Sadducees as temple leaders and the Pharisees as leaders of the people, and thus all Israel is losing their stewardship...not only of the land they so desperately wanted to hang on to, but they failed to be the Light of the world, they killed the prophets that where sent to them from eternity and now they were rejecting the Son who came down from the world to come. The whole vineyard was to be taken away and given to another. For now, the Master wants an account of their stewardship and surely when everyone sees what they have been doing with their stewardship they be utterly tossed out where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. What shall they do? It will be an embarrassment to become a servant or a beggar, think about the humiliation! What's worse, who will carry them forward? Where will there souls find solace now? Where will they live?
For Jesus, the wise answer for them...at this point, would be to go to all those of whom they required so much of...so much more than was actually required and mark it down to what is actually required. To lift the exorbitant debts they had placed on people in the name of the master. Then when all is taken away, they will be seen as the people who took away a burden rather than one who added to it...they will be loved and welcomed into the households of those they once oppressed with their desire for currency, whether it was Roman currency, Temple currency or the witholding and greed for the Father's currency...love, affection,acknowledgement and relationship (go back to the parable of the older brother). Jesus has found more wisdom in children of the world, than in Israel when it comes to dealing with people as well as in matters of faith (Matthew 8v10-12).
Jesus' advice to Israel's leadership? Take those things you've so desired and been hoarding at the cost of others and make for yourselves friends, build up treasures in heaven, that you may have a dwelling place in the heavenly places, and on earth as there, when your stewardship is taken away. Essentially...repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near to you.
"He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does YHVY require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?"
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