St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses: 43a; The Kingdom.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Application of the parable) Part 3. 

The leaders, the priest, and the elders are being told by Christ their fate.  Those who would corrupt the fruit for their own desires are being given a warning.  They are the ones who were put in charge of the vineyard.  They are the ones who were supposed to till the soil and trim the weeds so that the fruit would grow uninhibited.  But they saw the fruit as their own.  They saw the fruit as an opportunity to fulfill their own dreams of wealth and power.  So they cultivated and prepared the fruit so that it would provide them with the desires of their heart, all in the name of the Lord.

Israel was a chosen people.  They were special in the eyes of the Lord.  He came down from heaven to provide for them, to care for them, as a mother hen would care for her chicks.  Yet they rebelled.  They decided their own rules and laws contrary to the laws given them by the Lord.  Their leaders became filled with power and pride and considered themselves above the Law of the common man.  So Christ told them:  "Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you." 

Our religious leaders have a special place in the heart of God.  They are the ones we look up to.  They are the ones that we turn to for guidance.  They provide us with our daily lessons that instruct us how to live.  We follow their example in all that we do.  We are the sheep and they are the shepherds.  We hear their voice and we follow.  God has called them to lead us and to guide us along the way.  He has given them special training and leadership skills.  And they are the vine-dressers that bring forth the fruit from the vineyard.

Do we know who we are?  Do we know that we are the sheep?  Do we believe that our leaders are the shepherds that we are to follow?  Or are there doubts as to who leads us and the example that they give?  Pray that you may know the truth of who you are.  Pray that your eyes may be opened as to who leads you and how you follow.  Pray that you may see the light that is within you and know that you are the beloved of God.  Then you will know the truth of who you are and where you belong. 

God will send you the Advocate.  The Advocate will lead you and guide you to find the place where you belong.  He will show you that place where you can grow and become the fruit that your Father has planted within you.  You are a child of God and his love is within you.  He will provide.  He will protect.  He will show you the way to a new path in life that you may live according to the abundance that he has given you.  Look around you and see.  Is this the place that you want to be?  Do you yearn for something more?  Pray that he will guide you!  Pray that he will show you the way!  Pray and listen for his guidance for he will hear you!

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses: 42b; It is wonderful.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Application of the parable) Part 2. 

So now after relating to them all the parables to help them understand their meaning, he tells them outright the applications.  The chief priests and the elders have been given authority over the people that they may shepherd them to the Lord.  But instead of yielding fruit to the Lord they have produced fruit unto themselves.

Christ tells them about the corner stone upon which the temple is built and how it was rejected by the original builders.  Yet a new structure is being erected and he is the corner stone of this new structure.  They can not believe what they are hearing because they believe that they are the rulers of the people.  And he tells them:  'By the Lord this has been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes'? 

History has been re-written.  The foretold is being fulfilled.  That which was spoken about long ago is now here today.  Time is complete and that which was from the past has now come to past.  And we are the ones who stand in the past now future.  The past is history.  The past is long ago.  The past is not new and does not apply to today.  Yet there were witnesses who were there in the past.  There were witnesses who saw and lived in the past.  And there were those who lived the true meaning of the past.

Today is today.  We live in today.  And yet the past was so long ago that we must make sense of the past today.  We must find a way to make sense of the past into today.  We must find a way to believe in today and not in the past.  But the Lord said that it was good that the past is now the new.  He said that the rejected corner stone had become the new corner stone upon which a new structure would be built.

Are we a part of the new structure?  Do we rationalize the witnesses of the past that we may believe in today?  Are we the vine-dressers who want to hold unto that which is not ours to have.  The fruit is plentiful.  The wine is rich.  The master calls for the fruit of the vineyard.  Do we submit to his will or do we reject his claim to what is his property.  He paid the price.  He gave his life.  He suffered and died.  He arose again to demonstrate the power of God our Father and creator.  The past is now today and the corner stone has been laid.  Come, be a part of the new structure in the kingdom of heaven.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses: 42a; The Corner Stone.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Application of the parable) Part 1. 

Christ Jesus was telling this parable to the people and the leaders because he had a message for them.  He wanted them to understand where they were and who he was since they were having difficulty understanding his words.  What did this parable mean to them?  How will it be applied to the people?  What was the sense of it?

He gave them ample opportunity and many examples to open their eyes, their minds so that they could be redeemed.  And now he tells them about the foundation, the corner stone of the building of all that has come before him.  Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, has become the corner stone.' " 

What did this mean to them?  The builders of the nation of Israel rejected a stone in building up the temple!  The founders did not use a particular stone because they believed that it was unfit for their purposes.  How can the builders reject a stone and it still become a part of the foundation?  This was the part that Christ wanted them to understand.  The rejected stone was used in another construction that was better than the one that the original builders used.  The old building would be removed and a new structure put in it's place.

Something new was taking place that they did not understand, that they did not comprehend.  A new foundation was being put in place and the old foundation would be removed.  This was taking place right before their eyes and they could not see it.  The beginning of a new force was coming into play for the people of the nation and would yield new fruit that the vine-dressers wanted to keep for themselves.  They were in the way.  They were the holdbacks, those who wanted to continue in the old structure in the face of a new beginning. 

Today we are faced with a new beginning.  We are given the opportunity to see the change coming about and to come onboard.  But there are those who would have us maintain the status quo, keep the old guard in place, do not believe in the change that is taking place.  Paint eventually dries, molasses eventually runs, and night eventually becomes day for all of us.  With this knowledge do you want to watch the paint dry or do you want to know that it will dry.  Knowledge will lead you in the direction you want to take. 

Christ calls to each and every one of us day in and day out.  He gives us opportunity to be redeemed.  He open doors for us, create miracles for us to see, sends messages to us that we may know with certainty that he lives and is Lord of all.  He redeemed all.  He saved all.  He awaits all to call out his name.  Many will come.  Many will not.  But his love and compassion is there for all who seek.  It is there for all who want.  It is there for you.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses: 41b; Other Vine-Dressers.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The vine-dressers kill the master's son) Part 5. 

Our parable continues to talk about the story of the character of men and the opportunity they have to do good.  The chief priest and the elders are given this opportunity by Christ as he tells them this story about the vine-dressers and the householder.  They started out as good men but over time were changed into evil men.  Greed possessed them.  They became hardened.  They beat others, stole what was not theirs and even killed to hold onto their claim.

Christ demonstrated to the elders how they had the same opportunity as the vine-dressers before the master would come and destroy them.  The householder sent two separate messengers asking for what was his proper fruit from his vineyard.  And they denied him his rights.  They the master sent his only son and they killed him.  What did they think that the master would do when he came?  He would utterly destroy them:  "And will let out the vineyard to other vine-dressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons." 

We are the fruit of the vineyard and Christ is the vine from which we come.  In him we are one.  In him we have life.  In him we are forgiven and become new sprouts from the one vine.  He has appointed caretakers.  They are the ones who will tend the vines and the vineyard to keep the weeds out and to keep the bugs that would destroy the vine.  Do we have good caretakers?  Do we have those who would till the soil and cultivate the land to aid in the growth and development of a good fruit?  Or do we have those who are only concerned with their own well being and are slack caretakers?

We are the fruit of the vine and Christ is the vine from which we come.  It is the job of the caretakers that the Father appoints to tend the vine to produce good fruit.  Either the vine produces good fruit or bad fruit.  One can tell by those are caretakers.  The vine is good quality because it comes from the Father.  Are they producing good fruit or bad fruit?  Growth is not the key by which the fruit is measured.  Bad fruit must grow also.  What part are you?

The caretakers will pay a double price when the master comes.  It is their job to care for the fruit that comes from the vine.  It is their job to till the soil.  It is their job to protect the vine from harm so that it may produce good fruit.  We are from one vine and the Father has approved of it origin.  He has hand picked the one vine that it may produce good fruit.  Look around you and see if you have good caretakers.  If not, then where do you belong?  Find your place in the vineyard with good caretakers that you may grow and produce good fruit.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.