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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. (Matthew 21:33-48 RSV)
Happy Monday to you, dear Friend! I pray this finds you doing well in all your endeavors, especially your daily walk with Jesus. I pray you had an opportunity to worship God either in person or online. I pray that we continue to pray for one another, especially those who have been on our hearts as we seek their healing and wholeness. In the needs of Ms. Elizabeth Alegria Riley, we see the seriousness of this disease, that some days are better than others; one of the nurses told her friend, Ruth Vera, who's been keeping us constant with Elizabeth's situation, "You take six steps forward, and one back." We pray that after that "back step" she will take nothing but forward steps, and that is our prayer. As you have updates on others, please share those with me, so that we can adjust our prayer emphases. God is faithful; so should we be with Him.
The parable is a wonderful teaching tool. It is usually a short story and it contains truth for all to identify with, and it usually connects with most in the audience. And sometimes, as is the case with this one, the teacher tells a hard truth that someone in the audience needs to hear. Jesus tells a story about a vineyard, which helps most in the audience to hear and identify with; vineyards were common in that area and the purpose and running of such businesses were understood, and usually benefited many. The story concerns a landowner who started the vineyard, a walled one with a watchtower for sentries to protect it. As a wise landowner, he rents the vineyard to some tenants, and he moves to another place. When it was harvest time, the landowner sends workers to the renters to collect their share of the rent in the form of his share of the crop. The reaction of the tenants is not the one expected; they seized the servants, beat them, killing one in the process, stoning another. The landowner sends another group, this group larger in size, and the same treatment awaited them. Finally, he decides to send his own son, thinking they will respect the son. The tenants, upon seeing the son, think that if they kill the son, they would receive his inheritance. They grabbed the son, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. The question Jesus asks is an honest one; "When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" And, those listening to this teaching replied, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time." Remember, even the religious leaders of the day were answering Jesus' question!
Those in Jesus' audience know exactly what He is talking about; more importantly, they know who He is talking about. Yet, Jesus is not finished; He reminded them of their own scriptures and how "the stone the builder rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes." Ouch. If you were part of the "religious" group there, you know this is hitting close to home. And the heat is turned up when Jesus says to them, "The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed." Double ouch.
I have had some similar reactions during my preaching days, even to the point of anger. Truth has a way of hitting home and hitting hard. Truth has a way of convicting people and their responses and reactions vary, but those who were convicted during a sermon were hearing the word of God hitting them, not my words. The Rev. Charles Stanley, soon-to-be-the-retired pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, years ago during his broadcast said he raised his children with the Bible being the basis for his rules for living in his house. He would say, "If you have a problem with these, take it up with God because these are His rules, not mine!" And the same is true for us, as we read something that disturbed us or convicts us; it is God who has spoken a word, for our good, that rubs, even scrapes us hard. And, here we see Jesus doing the same thing in person with the very people who would soon grab Him, beat Him, take Him outside the city and kill Him.
The Good News is that God forgives! And God gives us another chance. And, if that is not enough, God will give us another chance. And, if that is not enough, God will give us another chance. The hope is that we will learn, we will repent, and truly change our lives to be better children of the Most High God. And all we have to do is ask!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your love and grace. Bless us on our journey and draw us nearer to Thee. We pray for the healing of those for whom we have been praying; bless those at their bedsides or who are kept away because of this virus; we pray that You be glorified; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show someone a new opportunity in their life if you can!
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio
