WAGES OF SIN
Opening Prayer
Lord, in this time with you, I ask for a surer knowledge of who I am and what I must be about.
Read MATTHEW 21:33–46
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’[a]?
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.”[b]
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.
Footnotes
- Matthew 21:42 Psalm 118:22,23
- Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts do not have verse 44.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Invite the Holy Spirit to work in you now, to grow you in both faith and fruitfulness.If you rent out your house, you expect the tenants to look after your property. If they fail to do so, you will end the agreement and find new tenants who will take proper care of what belongs to you. Essentially, the same principle applies to God and his dealings with his people.
Deliberately evoking the imagery of Isaiah 5:1–7, Jesus’ story speaks of Israel’s historical mistreatment of the prophets (vs 35–36), and her impending rejection of him (vs 37–39). This is a people that has failed to bear the fruit required by God, and of religious leaders, who – especially culpable for this failure – will have their tenancy terminated (v 43). Fruitlessness is not without consequences.
However, there’s something more than régime change here. God is going to renew the whole ‘house’ of his people to fulfill their covenant calling to be a light to the nations – all through Jesus, the Messiah, and his disciples! He is the once-rejected but resurrected Son in whom God’s people will hold together (vs 39,42). He is also the stone that will ultimately crush all kingdoms that refuse to submit to his reign (v 44) – including that which the chief priests and Pharisees had built for themselves around the temple and its traditions. Fruitlessness is not without consequences.
Apply
Reflect on Jesus’ description of himself in verse 44. How might this change your view of Jesus and his kingship?
Closing prayer
Loving Father, I am reminded today that actions have consequences. May following your will and obeying your Word be my priority. I’m so grateful I am your child.
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