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From Jared’s Journal...
                                 
A Wicked Man and a Rejected Stone

Matthew 21:33-44
 

       Think with me back to days far removed- your childhood. Did you ever have an older brother or sister, or even a younger sibling that tried to tell you what to do? I know that it annoyed me when my little brother tried to tell me what to do. The first thing I would say was, “Says Who?” I wanted to know what authority he had to tell me what to do. As humans we are always searching for authority. Did Jesus have authority? “Well Preacher, yes!” Do you really believe that? Believe it or not some people did not believe Jesus had authority. In Matthew 21:23 the chief priests and elders asked Jesus, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?" You see they didn’t believe Jesus was who he was. Jesus answered them by telling a parable to question the authority of John the Baptist. The Bible tells in Matthew 21:32 “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.” Jesus then told them another parable about a man who went out and bought land and built a vineyard. He then left for a long journey and rented it to some husbandmen, or people to keep the vineyard and harvest the fruit. When it came time for the harvest, the owner sent some servants to collect some of the fruit. The husbandmen, instead of giving them the fruit, beat one, stoned one, and killed one. The owner though showed patience and sent yet another group of servants. The husbandmen did the same thing to them. Finally the owner said, 'They will respect my son,' and sent his only son. But out of greed and malice, they took him, cast him out, and killed the man’s son. Jesus then asked them the question, “When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?" The Pharisees responded by saying that he would destroy the wicked men and replace them with men that would give him the fruit which was his. Jesus used this to introduce his whole message. In verses 42 and 43 of Matthew 21, Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'? "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” Jesus told a parable representing himself. In the parable, the owner represented God. The husbandmen were the Jewish leaders in Israel. The servants represent the prophets God sent to warn and convince Israel of the ways of the Lord. Finally, the son represented Jesus. He was cast out and killed, mocked and humiliated. He was “the stone which the builders had rejected.” He was sent to save the world, but was rejected by his own people. However often times we find ourselves guilty of doing the same thing, rejecting Jesus. Hebrews 6: 4-6 tells us that, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” If we know the sacred fellowship with Christ and turn from it we crucify Jesus again and put him to open shame. So often we all let our words and actions reject Jesus and crucify him again. Ask yourselves this: have I rejected Jesus? Have I crucified him again? Have I put him to shame?

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