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‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes”? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet. (Matthew 21:33-46)
In this parable, Jesus is speaking of His own life and purpose. He shares how God sent prophets to share His word. The prophets never held comfortable nor popular jobs, and as Jesus says, "the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another." The prophets did as God asked, but the need remained for God's love and grace to be known. Who do you think is the son sent to these tenants? Jesus, of course. Notice what Jesus says, and compare that to what indeed happened to Him: "This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance." What these tenants hoped was that they would get the son's inheritance, but instead they would be killed, and the vineyards leased to those who would produce the fruits God wants. And Jesus further goes on to quote the passage of "the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Jesus further warns the Pharisees that the kingdom of God would be taken away from them and given to a people who would produce the fruits of the kingdom.
This has mostly happened. The fruits being produced are from all corners of the world; the good news is attracting new believers each and every day. The word of God is alive and powerful and active. As we share it, those who need it, receive it, rejoice in it, and begin to live it. If we are not careful, we may become like the religious people of Jesus' day who took it for granted that their relationship with God was secure and only did things against the kingdom of God. We still have work to do; people to reach and help. We must be alive, powerful, and active at all times, connected with God and open to God's leading.
PRAYER: Living God, speak to our hearts and let us respond with joy that which is still left to be done. We seek to build the Kingdom, not hurt it. Help us and bless us so that we may be a blessing to others. And, Lord, we pause to pray for the loved ones of those killed last night in Las Vegas. It was a senseless act of violence that has left so many dead and so many injured. We cannot make sense of it, but we pray that You would bring comfort. We continue to pray for brothers and sisters still affected by the aftermath of hurricanes and earthquakes. Bless them and help us respond to their needs. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Be a blessing to someone today.
Eradio Valverde
