In Ephesians, the author speaks of “the household of God” (the church) “being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19). Today’s Gospel lection is just such a second parable addressed to the challenge posed by the chief priests and elders about the source of Jesus’ authority (21:23-27). This should serve as a warning for us. The chief priests and elders asked Jesus, “By what authority do you do these things?” (“these things” meaning the cleansing of the … Then everything came apart! Our confusion about how to read this parable is built into its role and place in Matthew’s Gospel. However, this verse does not point to the Second Coming. the same was made the head of the corner. Crossing the Threshold We can use other physical laws to counter gravity to permit flight, but the person who tries to ignore gravity or who miscalculates its force can find him/herself crushed by its power. It is important, however, that he show diligence in collecting his rent (or his portion of the produce). 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they … October 5, 2020. They killed Zechariah by stoning him (2 Chronicles 24:21)—beat Jeremiah and placed him in the stocks (Jeremiah 20:2)—killed the prophet Uriah (Jeremiah 26:21-23)—and “killed your (God’s) prophets that testified against them to turn them again to you (God)” (Nehemiah 9:26). Oh, what blessings we have as Jesus constantly calls us to repentance, as He works in … As men treat God's people, they would treat Christ himself, if he were with them. Summary The meaning of the parable is clear: Ancient Israel rejected prophets of old; they will reject and kill Jesus. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed … This parable could tempt us to spiritual pride or anti-Semitism, but neither is appropriate. The rejected stone—the crucified Christ—will become the cornerstone (Greek: “head of the corner) of God’s new edifice. • God leased the vineyard to other tenants (the church) who will “give him the fruit in its season” (v. 41). Browse Sermons on Matthew 21:33-46. Again, he sent other servants more than the first”, “But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son'”, “But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Matthew 21:33. Perhaps neither allegory is the best way to approach this parable. Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that … 21:33-46 This parable plainly sets forth the sin and ruin of the Jewish nation; and what is spoken to convict them, is spoken to caution all that enjoy the privileges of the outward church. Jesus is telling this story to make a point—that he is God’s son sent to redeem the world, and that the Jewish authorities are going to kill him. We see this principle acted out in the rise and fall of denominations and congregations. Matthew 21:33-46 Lexham English Bible “Listen to another parable: There was a man—a master of a house—who planted a vineyard, and put a fence around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey. T he Parable of the Wicked Tenants has the characteristic of being both historical and predictive. Jan Lundy 3036 … The death and resurrection of Jesus is “the capstone / cornerstone,” the “beginning and the end” for all of us. 33 "Listen to another parable," Jesus said. There was a man who was a master of a household,(oikodespotes) who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country. “But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. It is unlikely that they would have provoked the Romans to the war that culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Therefore the owner destroyed the vineyard, removing the hedge, breaking down the wall, and commanding the clouds not to rain upon it (Isaiah 5:5-6). This is one of only three parables to be found in all three Synoptic Gospels (see also Mark 12:1-13; Luke 20:9-19)—the other two being the Parable of the Sower (13:1-23) and the Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31-32). This portion of Psalm 80 responds to the first lesson from Isaiah 5 by employing the same metaphor of God’s people as a ruined, forsaken vine and vineyard. October 4 2020, Lectionary Year A, 10-4-20. He stopped a car that may have been involved in a bank robbery. This week’s lectionary text is a bit daunting. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. Second, the religious leaders will pull together a crowd of people on whose support they can count, and it is this different crowd who will call for Jesus’ crucifixion. “He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust” (v. 44). Come, let’s kill him, and seize his inheritance'”, “So they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him”, “The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner”, “the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation bringing forth its fruit.”, “He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust”, “There will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down”, All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan. , let ’ s life crowd is composed of people who will bring fruit... In Roman-occupied Palestine • God put the original tenants to death ( pronounced judgment upon Israel ) one... Collecting rent on a regular basis, the groups of aging worshipers for example, ’! Would send in troops or some form of armed enforcement of his!! 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