Matthew 21:33-46 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 21:33-46 on biblegateway.com
Verse 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. Verse 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. Verse 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Verse 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Verse 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' Verse 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance." Verse 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Verse 40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" Verse 41They 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." Verse 42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'? Verse 43Therefore 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. Verse 44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls." Verse 45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. Verse 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
Devotion
A few times a year, I decide I need to eat better and exercise more. I eat salads and stay away from sugary desserts. I walk on my treadmill every day and regularly do my stretches. Inevitably a few days in, I’ll get on the scale, expecting things to have changed at least a little. More often than not, I’ve not lost any weight and sometimes I have even gained a pound or two! It’s so disappointing, because I feel like I’ve worked hard and I expect better, more immediate results. Good results, however, come from more than a couple days or even a week of effort. What is required is a consistent lifestyle change. In the same way, bearing good fruit for God isn’t just showing justice, kindness, and obedience on Sundays and Wednesdays. God expects us to live every minute of every day the way Jesus taught us.
Prayer
Dear God, please give us the discipline, patience, and drive to live our entire lives the way your son taught us. Help us to remember that being a Christian is a fulltime job, one that will bear good fruit in our lives and the lives of others. Amen.
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