Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey. At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants to obtain from them some of the produce from the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again, he sent another servant. And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully. He sent yet another whom they killed. So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed. He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son. But those tenants said to one another, 'This is his heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So, they seized him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read the Scripture passage: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?"
Consideration: The Father sent his Son, but he was rejected, ridiculed, beaten, abused and put to death. All things that were given freely to the tenants of the land shall be taken away and given to the tenants that are faithful and thankful. Amen.
