The Stone that the Builders Rejected

"Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. He leased it to tenants and farmers and went away. When the grape harvest drew near he sent his slaves to the farmers to collect his fruit. But the farmers took his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned the third. Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first group, and they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said. But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'this is the heir, come let us kill him and take his inheritance!' So they seized him and threw out of the vineyard, and killed him. Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?"
"He will completely destroy those terrible men, " they told Him, "and lease his vineyard to other farmers who will give Him his produce at the harvest."

Jesus said to them, "have you never read in the scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This came from the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruit. Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whoever it falls, it will grind him to powder!"

The Landowner represents God, the vineyard stands first for Israel, then Jerusalem, then the kingdom. The tenant farmers represent the Jewish leaders, the slaves the old Testament prophets, the son, Jesus.

Religion scares me! The leaders of the Jewish religion had become arrogant and self-righteous to the point that the Son of God they would kill.

Religion down through the ages has killed and maimed so many people, where does this mind set come from? The Pit!

What does it tell me? Keep humble, stay broken before the Lord or I too will become blind, arrogant and destroy lives.

No doctrine, belief structure is higher than our God. His ways and thoughts are more important that anything else.

What does He require today? What is He looking for? Sons and daughters who carry his heart, his purpose. People who are open to broken, messed up lives, that don't require them to jump through hoops. People who will welcome the prostitutes, homosexuals, transvestites and have the grace to not be offended by them but give them room to find Christ.

'I'm living for the gospel of truth, nothings going to change that'. (song by Joe Pringle, CCC)