Matthew 21:33-46
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. As you breathe in, say the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
In our last meditation Jesus used a parable to confront a group of priests and elders with their religious hypocrisy. In today’s passage Jesus continues in the rabbinic tradition of storytelling as he takes the confrontation to a whole other level. Read Matthew 21:33-46 imagining the thought process of the religious leaders.
The parable of the vineyard and the evil tenant farmers is more than just a condemnation of the hypocrisy and blindness of those in positions of religious influence. It is a short allegory that illustrates the long story of God’s people missing the mark.
The vineyard is an image throughout the Older Testament that represents the people chosen to be God’s representatives on the earth. God established the vineyard, but those chosen to tend it rebelled against the heart of God and then persecuted anyone who spoke for God and called God’s people to repentance. In a final act of rebellion the vineyard workers kill God’s own Son.
In their hardness of heart and willful blindness, the priests and Pharisees cannot even see the correlation in the story.
It’s easy to look at others and see clearly how they are misguided or blind, but it’s much more difficult to look within and discover our own blind spots. Take a few minutes to contemplate the questions below:
Do you have a desire to know where you might be blind to God’s heart and God’s ways?
What emotion do you experience when you think about this?
Use your thoughts to start an honest conversation with Jesus.
Read Matthew 21:33-46 again noting anything new that stands out.
Throughout Matthew’s Gospel we’ve see Jesus gathering a new community of people to be his representatives on earth. This new community will not operate in the ways of the world but will live out the ways of the upside-down Kingdom of God where love is the highest law, leaders are servants, and the poor and lowly are blessed.
Our journey through life with Jesus is a journey of transformation in which the Spirit of Jesus is continually peeling back the layers of blindness from our souls and making us more and more like Jesus. It is not the easy way through life, but ultimately it leads us to our true selves.
Get still for a while and just be in the presence of Jesus.
Is there an invitation Jesus is making to you today?
Will you accept?
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