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DEVOTIONAL
OPENING PRAYER
My God, I put myself before you to receive instruction for the course you assign me today. Give me strength according to my burdens and finish your good work in me that I may grow to be your faithful and obedient child. AMEN.
INTRODUCTION
Jesus is in the Temple teaching during the last week of his life. He has established his authority to teach and now uses parables to instruct the people and the religious leaders. The religious leaders understand that Jesus is speaking about them and they begin to look for a way to arrest him without disturbing the people. The people considered Jesus to be prophet. Let’s read the scripture.
SCRIPTURE LESSON
Matthew 21:33-46 NIV
The Parable of the Tenants
33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’
43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
REFLECTION
The parable refers to the history of Israel rejecting the prophets sent by God to correct Israel. A judgement is pronounced by the people hearing Jesus’ parable against the tenants who killed the messengers of the land owner (God). Then Jesus quotes from Psalm 118: 22, 23 about the stone rejected by the builders becoming the capstone (the most important stone in a building.) Then Jesus makes it clear that the same fate will come to those who reject the Kingdom of God – it will be taken away from them and given to people who will produce its fruit. Those who trip on the stone will be broken but a crushing fate awaits those upon whom it falls. This is a dire warning to all who are stewards – tenants – workers – disciples in the vineyard of God – the church.
Jesus is making a connection to his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 7:15-20).
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Mt 7:15-20.
The chief priests and the Pharisees reject Jesus and identify themselves as bad fruit – evil tenants – and selfish leaders who reject the Kingdom of God. We have the same responsibilities and opportunities as disciples of Jesus today as we serve and lead the church. We must not fall on the stone (Jesus) as we tend his vineyard – the church.
CLOSING PRAYER
Be bound to Christ this day and always. AMEN.
Blessings,
Pastor Tom
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