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Morning Message Text: Matthew 21: 33-46
The Parable of the Tenants
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.
Morning Message:
As I read today’s scripture I am emboldened. I see the way our Savior spoke plainly to those of his day who were clearly wrong and that makes me want to do the same. I try to not allow fear to govern what I preach from the pulpit, but that is not easy and, in this world, even in the church, you pay a price for speaking the truth. Today we celebrate communion with every true believer in our world. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could all be in one place, breaking bread together, not separated by time or space or even language? One wonderful day that will happen. We will all gather in heaven before the throne of God and celebrate Jesus together.
We should not fear, but we should be cautious of the world we live in. We should pay attention and be cautious about the things that are taking place in our nation today. I want to share something that I came across this week because to me it sounds like the times in which we are living, even though it was said over 2400 years ago. I’m sure that you have heard of Socrates, the philosopher. He wrote this and titled it “When does the decline of society begin?” Now listen carefully and think. “When the stupid are louder than the wise.” Not my words. “When the lazy have more than the industrious.” You know like now, when if you work hard and get sick, go to the hospital and then get a huge bill in the mail, while others are given free healthcare. Now don’t get me wrong. I am the first to say that we should take care of anyone who cannot take care of themselves.
Let’s continue with Socrates. “When the unscrupulous are respected more than the honest. When those who have none, preach morality.” Don’t you just love it when all of these so-called stars who live very open immoral lives tell everyone else how wrong they are? “When character counts less than reputation. When children are no longer allowed to be children.” It just seems like we make our children grow up so fast instead of allowing them to enjoy their childhood. In some cases children are not even allowed to come to Jesus even though our Lord clearly said, “Let the little children come.” Maybe you don’t believe me,; let me read you this true story. A Maine mom was banned from taking her own daughter to church. The Maine Supreme Court just unanimously upheld a custody order that bars Emily Bickford from taking her daughter Ava, 13, to church, religious events, or Bible studies. Now listen: Emily had primary custody. The court itself found her to be a fit mother. No finding of abuse. The ban has been in place since December 2024. Ava had been attending Calvary Chapel in Portland for 3 years. Then she told her father she wanted to be baptized. Her father went to court. The order doesn’t just block one church – it bans exposing Ava to “religious philosophy or the bible in general.” For almost 2 years she has been kept from church, Christmas services, Easter, and bible study.
Back to Socrates: “When perpetrators are more protected than victims.” This could have been written today. Are you paying attention to what is going on today? You can strangle your children, openly attack officers of the law, stab someone at a track meet, and shoot a CEO in the head and people will support you. They’ll raise money in your name, protest in the streets for you, and fight to set you free. If you come to this country illegally and murder or rape someone, there are actually people in this country that will fight for you to stay. But if you are simply a person who goes to college campuses and debates ideas, people will celebrate when you are assassinated, desecrate your memorial, threaten your wife and children, and treat the anniversary of your death like a holiday. That isn’t normal. In my opinion, that’s evil.
Last two, “When madness is glorified as normal.” When politicians live not for the people, but off the people. Remember this when Socrates, 2400 years ago, said the decline of society begins, and we are well on our way. Should we, as Christians fear what is happening in our world? Absolutely not! Should we pay attention and stand for what is right? Absolutely!
There are different ways to look at today’s scripture. Clearly Jesus is comparing the landowner to God and the tenants to the Jewish nation. God not only gave them the land to live in and take care of, He provided everything that they could possibly need. He called it a land flowing with milk and honey. They had the best vineyards, the richest soil to farm and grow crops. They were provided with things that they didn’t work for. All they had to do was maintain it and serve the God who gave them everything. God wanted His portion. No, He didn’t want their crops or their cattle and sheep. Their sacrifices meant nothing to God if their hearts were not in it. He wanted them to worship with clean pure hearts. He wanted them to adhere to His commandments, not because it benefited Him, but because, by living His perfect laws, they would live in harmony with one another.
That wasn’t good enough for these stiff-necked people and it seems God’s blessings are not enough for us as a nation. The tenants were not satisfied with just living in the land under God’s rule, they wanted what God had provided with no strings attached. In other words, “Thanks God, now just leave us alone.” In my mind that is exactly what God hears from this nation. Thanks for everything Lord, but we will make our own rules and live by our own moral standards, not yours.
As Christians I am asking you to be brave today. I know that it’s not easy to stand against what seems to be the majority in this country, but remember that God’s way is right, and if we stand for Him, we will never fall. Fear is what so many people in this nation are using to keep good, honest people from speaking up. These tenants thought that they could use fear to control the landowner. When they beat and stoned and killed the prophets, God’s messengers, they had lost sight of who God is. I think we do that as well. Think about this for just a moment. We allow people to scare us into submission over things that only God can control. Here are just a couple of examples. You may disagree, but here me out. We have been told for years that climate change was going to destroy the world and us with it. The world is going to end by 2012 if we don’t do this and that, if we don’t make sacrifices. I don’t mind making sacrifices, but I know that this world will last only as long as God allows it to, not one minute longer or shorter. Now we are being told that AI is going to destroy humanity. Maybe so, but only if that is God’s plan to end things. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of politicians using scare tactics to get elected. Let me simplify this for all of us who believe that God is in complete control of all things. Do you believe that? Okay then, here is all you need to do. Fear God, only God, and stop allowing others to scare you.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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