WELCOME JESUS, THE CORNERSTONE

Passage: Matthew 21:33-46

Key verse: 42

NIV

The Parable of the Tenants(A)

33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted(B) a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower.(C) Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.(D) 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants(E) to the tenants to collect his fruit.

35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.(F) 36 Then he sent other servants(G) 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.(H) Come, let’s kill him(I) and take his inheritance.’(J) 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,”(K) they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants,(L) 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’[a]?(M)

43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you(N) 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.”[b](O)

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.(P)

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 21:42 Psalm 118:22,23
  2. Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts do not have verse 44.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Parable of the Tenants

33 (A)“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted (B)a vineyard (C)and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and (D)leased it to tenants, and (E)went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants[a] to the tenants (F)to get his fruit. 35 (G)And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and (H)stoned another. 36 (I)Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, (J)‘This is the heir. Come, (K)let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and (L)threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 (M)When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, (N)“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and (O)let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, (P)“Have you never read in the Scriptures:

(Q)“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;[b]
this was the Lord's doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God (R)will be taken away from you and given to a people (S)producing its fruits. 44 And (T)the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and (U)when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”[c]

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And (V)although they were seeking to arrest him, (W)they feared the crowds, because they held him to be (X)a prophet.

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 21:34 Or bondservants; also verses 35, 36
  2. Matthew 21:42 Greek the head of the corner
  3. Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts omit verse 44
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

In this second parable to the religious leaders, Jesus presents an easily understood scenario from Israel’s prophetic writings (33-41). We find a patient and humble landowner of a fruitful, well cared for vineyard, seeking to collect his fruit. We then meet the tenants, whose self-centered worldview causes them to respond with increasing violence and delusion, as if they could own the vineyard. The religious leaders fully understand the parable, and give the right answer (41). Perhaps they thought of themselves as the landowner’s agents, dealing with “upstarts” hijacking their temple. But the point isn’t the struggle over ownership. The parable is about the response to the coming of the Son (37-38).

Jesus quotes to them Psalm 118:22-23 (42), and uses their own answer to pronounce judgment on them (43-44). The people and children blessed his coming (9; Ps 118:25-26), showing the right response to the cornerstone. But they hardened their hearts further (45-46). Let’s not harden our hearts, but welcome the Son, humble ourselves before the cornerstone Jesus our Savior. As we do so, we are free to participate joyfully with Jesus, producing the fruit of the kingdom in our world.

Prayer: Father, thank you for sending Jesus so humbly and gently. Soften hard hearts toward Jesus. Help us welcome him humbly, and joyfully participate in your kingdom work today.

One Word: Receive Jesus as the Cornerstone