Thy Strong Word — Matthew 21:33-46. Unbelievable mercy for unbelievable sinners: The patient & merciful master.

Rev. Dr. Christopher Ascher, pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, SD joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Matthew 21:33-46.

Jesus patiently teaches another parable concerning the wickedness of the tenants (religious leaders of those days). This parable is both scary and strange. What master would send multiple people to terrible tenants, let alone his own son? As we put on our Christ goggles, we see a patient and merciful master (God the Father) who would be willing to give His own Son even to wicked tenants. Yet, this proclamation has a strong warning: Repent and believe for there will be a time of separation. This cornerstone of Christ is our foundation but for those who deny His Son will be crushed by the weight taken out of His vineyard. “O Holy Spirit, bring us to repentance to live in Your fruitful vineyard. Give repentance to others in our lives so that the gifts of forgiveness and salvation may be theirs. Amen”

Thy Strong Word reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Thy Strong Word is hosted by Rev. Brady Finnern, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, MN, and graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation.

Matthew 21:33-46

The Parable of the Tenants

³³“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. ³⁴When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants^[a] to the tenants to get his fruit. ³⁵And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. ³⁶Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. ³⁷Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ ³⁹And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. ⁴⁰When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” ⁴¹They 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.”

⁴²Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;^[b]
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

⁴³Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. ⁴⁴And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”^[c]

⁴⁵When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. ⁴⁶And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

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Footnotes

Matthew 21:34 Or bondservants; also verses 35, 36
Matthew 21:42 Greek the head of the corner
Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts omit verse 44

Rev. Brady Finnern

Rev. Brady Finnern, host of Thy Strong Word. is an expert in all things Minnesota, including hiking the great mountains of the 5th flattest state in the Union and making his own maple syrup. Although chow mein, fried ice cream, and Peanut Persian donuts with maple frosting are at the top of his foodie list, his prized possessions include his gas station refillable fountain soda cup (which, he says, the savings will pay for college for his 4 kids). Pastor Finnern's Divine Call is as President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and in addition he also enjoys traveling, coaching track, and movie nights with his wife and kids that may or may not include Shawshank Redemption or any of the Thriller movies. When he's not singing his favorite hymns or listening to his favorite metal music, you might find him working out or taking naps. (Probably naps.)