Day 24
Start with Posture of Silence and Solitude (2 minutes)
Read Scripture: Luke 20:9-19 The Parable of the Tenants
He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
“But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
Devotional:
In the parable of the wicked tenants, Jesus then gives an answer to the same question indirectly. The leaders understood what Jesus was communicating to them but this didn’t help them in their belief of Jesus as Messiah. It only gave them more reason to find out how to have him arrested more quickly.
The characters in this story can be easily identified: God is the owner of the vineyard and the vineyard is the country of Israel. The tenants are the religious leaders. The servants are the prophets and priests God had sent to the country. Jesus is the son and the others are those who do not yet believe. With this information, re-read verses 9-18 and see if the point of the story is more clear.
Questions to ponder:
- These conversations with the religious leaders are dark moments. We can see what is coming. Those who want Jesus killed are going to make his death possible. What emotion does this strike within you?
- Given this passage, what is the best way for you to pray today?
End with Posture of Silence and Solitude (2 minutes)
