Matthew 21:33-46 The Parable of the Wicked Tenants.

This week I tackled the difficult verses found in Matthew 21:33-46. It was a considerably different sermon for me, compared to my general focus in preaching. This is a sermon touching on judgment. As much as we'd like to stay constantly focused on grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation, there is undoubtedly an emphasis on judgment in scripture and in the preaching of Jesus himself.

I did also point out that these verses have to do with the sins of the leadership, and that any refocusing of these verses into our own time must remember that Jesus is warning the leadership... folks like myself and those higher up in the chain of command in our various denominations. The warning that Christ is voicing as a prophet here is against the collaboration of the Jewish Leaders with the Roman Empire. Today, we see the entire block of the Mainline Protestant Denominations lined up in support and honestly indirect at best, and most assured actual direct collaboration with one particular political party. There's no difference here than what the Jewish Leaders were doing with the Romans. Our leaders should fully expect on judgment day to be called to task for this collaboration.

As a moderate, I see the collaboration of other denominations with the opposing political party, this is no better... and I called them out in the sermon as well.

Let us strive to remove ourselves from politics, to see a third way through these times. If you find yourself always in the camp of one political party, I present to you that you are being guided by political concepts and NOT theological concepts... no matter how hard you work to rationalize and legitimize your standing.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

Matthew 21:33-46  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
33 “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 watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 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.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;[a]
this was the Lord’s doing,
    and it is amazing in our eyes’?
43 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.[b] 44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”[c]

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Footnotes:

a) Matthew 21:42 Or keystone
b) Matthew 21:43 Gk the fruits of it
c) Matthew 21:44 Other ancient authorities lack verse 44