Steadfast to the Call
Matthew 21:33–43
Jesus said, “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 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 get his inheritance.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when 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 lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”
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 amazing in our eyes’?
“Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.”
In the Gospel today, Jesus invites us into a story of a landowner and his vineyard. Now, imagine this landowner: he doesn’t just scatter seeds and hope for the best. He is intentional. He plants the vines, he builds a wall for protection, he digs a winepress, and he raises a tower. He equips this space with everything it needs to flourish. He provides a foundation of care and security before entrusting it to the local tenants to tend.
But as the harvest draws near—that moment when the fruit of their labor should be offered back in gratitude—something shifts. The tenants forget they are stewards; they begin to act like owners. When the landowner’s servants arrive to collect the share that is rightfully his, they are met not with the fruits of the harvest, but with violence. They are beaten, stoned, and killed. Even when the owner, in his persistent hope, sends more servants—more than before—the response remains one of rejection and cruelty.
Finally, the landowner says, ‘I will send my own son. Surely they will respect him.’ But the tenants see the son not as a messenger of grace, but as a threat to their own control. They think, ‘If we kill the heir, the inheritance will be ours.’ And so, they cast him out and take his life.
As Jesus tells this parable, he is looking directly at the cross. He knows the religious leaders are already plotting, already seeking a way to silence the message of God’s inbreaking reign. This story is a poignant foreshadowing of the rejection he would face. Yet, what is so powerful is that despite knowing the cost, Jesus remains steadfast. He stays true to his call, continuing to preach, to teach, and to love until the very end.
In our own lives, we are called to be tenants in God’s vineyard. Today, may we find the strength in Jesus to be true to our own calling—whatever that may look like in this season of your life. Whether you are in a moment of celebration or walking through a wilderness of uncertainty, know that you do not walk alone. Jesus is with us, guiding us and strengthening us to produce the fruits of the kingdom: justice, mercy, and peace. May we walk with him today, and every day.
Faithfully,
Rose+
prayer
Grant, O Lord, that as your Son Jesus Christ prayed for his enemies on the cross, so we may have grace to forgive those who wrongfully or scornfully use us, that we ourselves may be able to receive your forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (LLF, p42 -2006)
Daily Lenten meditations each have a companion morning prayer video offered by the same clergy. View the YouTube playlist to find this meditation’s companion video, or to watch others.