This parable refers to God sending many prophets to the Jewish people in the hope that they would repent for their self-righteousness and control and recognize Jesus as Messiah and Lord.  Of course, they, in fact, kill him, and Jesus in the parable states that God would destroy those husbandman and give his inheritance to others, presumably the Gentile.  Envy and jealousy, power and control were predominant in the Jewish leaders and Jesus is crucified much to the chagrin of God.  Yet on a different note, however, that God would send his son, indicates that God was willing to give the most precious thing he had for our salvation.  Love seldom counts the cost and God in his generosity and love gave his son, his only begotten one, that whosoever would believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life (Jn3:16 paraphrased)  If we are always calculating and weighing the cost we miss the spirit of Christ's birth and the overwhelming generosity of God not to withhold the best for our salvation.  To be like God, to be holy and undefiled, to be generous beyond measure, is grasping the essence of Christ's birth on earth.  Only by dying to self can we begin to come close to God's love for us and begin to appreciate the word made flesh.  Once we begin to see what God did for us, once we realize what he gave us, we begin to see our own selfishness and lack of love for others.  It is then we see our limitations and woundedness and begin to cry out to God for mercy and forgiveness.  The greatest gift God can give the sinner is the experience of who he is and the love he is.  When one experiences that there is nothing a person will not give or do for God.  When one sees God in the face of Jesus the things of the world pale and only the things of God matter. 

            In this season of Advent, in this season of the birth of Christ, ponder the love and generosity of God and ponder how we all fall short of the glory of God.  Begin to recognize your need for grace to overcome selfishness and pride and ask God to give you a new heart.  It is in giving precious things that we begin to grasp the enormity of God's love and it may be in giving ourselves to others we find the most precious gift of all, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen