Fourth Saturday in Lent 2011

“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” ~ Matthew 21:33-42 (ESV)

Heavenly Father, You sent prophet and prophet and they were ignored. Then You sent Jesus Christ, Your only Son, and He was tortured and killed. Yet Jesus is the cornerstone of Your Kingdom. I can easily condemn the people who were present at Jesus’ Crucifixion, but I continue to crucify Him every time I sin. Forgive me, Father, and keep me in Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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