Matthew 21:33-46 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.
Jim Shields
Sanctuary Ministries
Observation: Father, I hear you saying You have prepared Your Kingdom (the vineyard). You have provided everything I need to bring in the harvest – a wall of protection, a watchtower for strategy, a winepress for the work of the harvest. It is Yours and You have chosen me for the privilege of Your Kingdom work. You are inviting me to work in what You have provided. I do not own the Kingdom, I do not have to ‘create’ my own thing.
Action: Jesus, I am going to ask You what You would like me to do in Your vineyard today. I will respect Your leading and avoid the temptation of asking for Your blessing on my ideas. At the end of my day, I will ask if my efforts were respectful of Your leading.
OBSERVATION: The tenants plan is to kill the son and take his inheritance… I hear God saying God’s inheritance is not something that needs to be stolen or earned or taken, it is a gift that has already been given. I don’t have to beg and plead, plot or kill to take an inheritance in which I have already been included.
ACTION: Today I am going to proclaim the KINGDOM COME in the places of poverty in my life.
good word – proclaim the word in the places of poverty in my life
So if I am but a tenant, and if the fruit that I bear belongs to the Lord, it comes to a decision of my willingness to let that fruit bless the Master’s Kingdom or bless me. Hanging on to the fruit to feed my own appetites, ambitions, and approval will certainly bless me, but miss God’s original plan and purpose. Time to re-think my priorities.
Wherein the fruit multiplies!
Father again in the words, “I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit,” that You expect a return on Your good investment in me.
My response is from my heart, I don’t to be like these religious leaders that were so submitted to the opinions of others they could not be committed to Yours. Today I will pause before acting and search my heart motives and ask, “Am I doing this because I am submitted to You or committed to the applause of the crowd.” I will commit my way to Your voice and trust Your will done Your way will produce the good fruit You would see in my life . . . even when it doesn’t look like the popular opinion.
Needed these words in my thoughts “Search my heart for Motives” & “Popular Opinion” (can almost feel as heavy as Laws) to be aware of who I’m serving and what matters most.
I feel that this is saying that though we gain and gather profitable treasures for self worth here on this earth – all things will pass away – all things can be taken away. We need to hold onto our heavenly vision – for God has promised to those who love Him a place beside Him for eternity – there lies our treasure! I pray that God will guide me in keeping my eyes firmly focused on Heaven. That my hearts desire will be for Him alone and not treasures of this world. AMEN!!!
I can’t help but think of the sixties saying, “Bloom where you are planted”. I am planted in the vineyard today wherever I am-at home, traveling, or in cyberspace.
Therefore, today I will celebrate and tend the vineyard with joy.
Amen and well said, Olin! Great reminder that the vineyard is wherever we are – not some far off, distant place we need to find. God is calling us to till the soil at our feet.
What is God saying: You are not a renter, you are an heir. Renters trash the place then leave. Heirs invest and share in the harvest. So treat the vineyard like it’s yours. Someday it will be.
What am I going to do: Invest, invest, invest. Even when I don’t or won’t see the return, invest. Invest in somebody the world thinks is a bad investment. See the value that God sees, see the potential not the past mistakes. As they say in the investment world, ‘Past performance is no guarantee of future results.’
Awesome — “You are not a renter”
Observation: I see God showing me that when the cornerstone was rejected, He gave it to someone else. I see Him showing me that I reject the cornerstone in subtle ways – too busy to spend time, too distracted to submit, too arrogant to listen. When I don’t submit to Jesus and His will for my life I lose out on producing some of the fruit He wants for me, from me.
Action: Today I will walk at such a pace as to hear Your voice. I choose You Jesus. Your will, Your kingdom, Your agenda for my day and will respond accordingly.
The tenants (who encouraged each other to do wrong) didn’t trust in their Owner (they trusted in each other) or his provision for them, they chose to do things their own way repeatedly and would not see their wrong doing& be humbled to do right.
God provides means, with opportunity to be fearlessly humbled and do what’s right. Those in our life can seem like minded but are we encouraged to have trust in the Father or “the world”.
Father, Where once I felt so alone&was silenced by the fear& shame in the eyes “the World”. I know who I am Today, I know I am Accepted, Loved& Safe next to you. I will swallow my fears every moment today; that may keep me from remaining in you& trusting who I am in You. I’m scared but I’ll be thoughtful to seek accountability& perspective in making the life changing decisions again in front of me. I know nothing but you know all, never before have you left me and I do not have to do this all alone. Thank you for this moment spent with you.
When I depend upon my Father for everything I have and am, it seems so foolish to try to wrest them from His loving hands. Yet I am guilty again and again of denying His ownership, and doing my own thing. God, please forgive me………..again.
I am the tenant. When I choose to go my own way or rely on my own means, in essence, I am killing the son who was sent to gather the harvest. I am forcefully taking from what is not owned but rather what has been entrusted to to me.
Action: Jesus, I will question my motives and actions, asking for your wisdome and guidance in how to care for the vineyard/my community, my work place…you have entrusted to me.
I hear You emphasizing to me that You give the Kingdom “to those who produce it’s fruit.” Though it is not the main point of the passage, I hear You reminding me that different types of fruit are produced in different seasons.
I am going to respond by seeking You about the type of fruit You are wanting to produce through my life in this particular season. Then pursue You wholeheartedly in order to cooperate fully with You. It is my heart’s desire to see You receive Your full share of the harvest through my life, precious Father.
What strikes me is that in both these interactions – on eiwht the Sadducees and one with the Pharisees – Jesus really challenges them to turn their thinking upside down. In the issue of marriage, Jesus quite bluntly tells them their thinking completely erroneous. And when asked about the greatest commandment, he shows them that they should not be thinking of the commandments, laws, and prophets independently, but rather interdependent upon the greatest commandment of all. I believe God is challenging ME today to turn my thinking upside down…to look at everything as hanging upon those two commandments, as Jesus taught. Upside down thinking is my target this week.