The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 21:38-44,
"'"This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance." So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?' '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.' 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"?
'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. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.'"
The above passage is from Jesus' parable of the tenants. I will leave the reading of it to you, found in Matthew 21:33-46.
The parable is a momentous announcement to the nation of Israel, the leaders of the Jews, and the world as a whole that the kingdom of heaven, at first offered to Israel, will shortly be taken from Israel as a nation and be given to others. In this parable Jesus explains what will take place, why this is to take place, and what the outcome will be, "kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." Verse 43. All these things have taken place exactly as Jesus explained them through this parable and his explanation of it.
Although oblivious to spiritual things, the chief priests and Pharisees knew this was spoken against them, "When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them." Verse 45. What is so fascinating to me about how Jesus couched this parable, is that he led them to proclaim God's need to do it! (Of course without them realizing they were proclaiming the appropriateness of God doing such a thing to them, "'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.'" Verse 41.)
This is a very significant passage, and together with other Scriptures, such as Romans 11, etc. we can learn clearly what God has done and will be doing with the church in the hands of Gentiles, and what is to become of the nation of Israel.
Just a fascinating passage!! You've got to read it!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"'"This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance." So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?' '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.' 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"?
'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. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.'"
The above passage is from Jesus' parable of the tenants. I will leave the reading of it to you, found in Matthew 21:33-46.
The parable is a momentous announcement to the nation of Israel, the leaders of the Jews, and the world as a whole that the kingdom of heaven, at first offered to Israel, will shortly be taken from Israel as a nation and be given to others. In this parable Jesus explains what will take place, why this is to take place, and what the outcome will be, "kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." Verse 43. All these things have taken place exactly as Jesus explained them through this parable and his explanation of it.
Although oblivious to spiritual things, the chief priests and Pharisees knew this was spoken against them, "When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them." Verse 45. What is so fascinating to me about how Jesus couched this parable, is that he led them to proclaim God's need to do it! (Of course without them realizing they were proclaiming the appropriateness of God doing such a thing to them, "'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.'" Verse 41.)
This is a very significant passage, and together with other Scriptures, such as Romans 11, etc. we can learn clearly what God has done and will be doing with the church in the hands of Gentiles, and what is to become of the nation of Israel.
Just a fascinating passage!! You've got to read it!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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