Introduction

Friends, gather your hearts and breathe in this grace-soaked moment. Jesus tells a story that sounds like the evening wind moving through vines—soft at first, then strong enough to stir us awake. It’s a story about ownership and oversight, about the Owner’s kindness and the tenants’ choices. It’s about a vineyard—carefully planted, patiently protected, and generously entrusted. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve messed up beyond repair or wondered if your life can really bear anything good, listen close. This is for you. This is for all of us who hold keys we didn’t forge, live in days we didn’t design, and breathe air we didn’t invent. We’re tenants in a good vineyard.

Here’s a word to steady our hearts as we begin: “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” — Tim Keller

That sentence feels like a soft landing for a weary soul. It also frames this parable. There’s real sin, real resistance, real responsibility. And there is a real Son who steps into the vineyard, bearing the Father’s heart, holding out grace. The story is sobering—yes. But Jesus never tells a story to shame you; He tells it to shape you. He speaks so we can see: the Owner’s kindness, the Son’s courage, the call for fruit in season. Isn’t it something that the God of heaven invites us to cultivate what He has created? Isn’t it astonishing that He trusts us with time, talents, neighbors, and nations?

When we open this passage, you’ll hear the ring of responsibility—stewardship that isn’t stiff, but sacred. You’ll hear the heartbeat of heaven—the Son walking into the field with tender authority. And you’ll hear the echo of accountability—because what we do with what God has given matters. But don’t miss the mercy. The Master doesn’t quit. He sends and sends and finally He sends His Son. In a story filled with stones and schemes, there’s still the steady, seeking love of a Father who longs for fruit and fellowship.

So as we read, picture your life like a vineyard: soil God prepared, seasons God permitted, seeds God planted. Can we ask ourselves honest questions? What fruit is forming on the branches of our days? Is the Owner’s name honored here? Are we fighting for control that was never ours? Are we listening when the Son speaks? We will find that Jesus’ words aren’t distant—they are daily. In our homes, at our desks, in our classrooms and kitchens, He comes near. His presence is patient. His authority is gentle and firm. And His invitation is clear: Return to the Owner. Receive the Son. Render the fruit.

Hear the Word of the Lord.

Matthew 21:33-46 (KJV) 33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

Before we walk further into this word, let’s pray.

Opening Prayer: Father, Maker and Master of the vineyard, thank You for planting us in Your grace and granting us the gift of this day. You have given us life, time, and trust—teach us to tend what You have entrusted. Where our hands have been idle, stir us. Where our hearts have been hard, soften us. Where our ears have been dull, open them to Your living voice. Lord Jesus, beloved Son, we honor You. You stepped into our field with mercy and authority. Forgive us for the times we have brushed aside Your call, ignored Your messengers, or withheld the fruit of obedience. By Your cross and resurrection, cleanse us, claim us, and change us. Be the cornerstone of our thinking, our choosing, our worship. Holy Spirit, come as comfort and conviction. Plant Your word deep in us. Grow patience, purity, and praise. Give us the courage to repent and the grace to rejoice. Make our lives rich with the fruit that brings the Father delight—love, joy, peace, and every good work in its season. May our church be a vineyard that sings—work in us and work through us for the sake of our city and the glory of Your name. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Son who was sent for us. Amen.

Stewardship in the Vineyard

Think of the scene Jesus paints. A field ready for grapes. A fence that keeps danger out. A press for the harvest. A tower for watch and work. None of that came from the workers’ hands. It was all in place before they showed up. That is where our lives start. God sets the field. God sets the fence. God hands us a place that already has His care on it. Our part begins with trust and thanks, then it moves to work that honors the One who arranged it all.

The story also shows a transfer of trust. The landowner steps back and gives the workers real tasks. That is not absence. That is confidence. He expects action that fits His plan. He expects fruit that matches His field. In the same way, God gives each of us a share to tend. Time. Skills. People. Money. Words. Even pain and past lessons. All of it sits in our hands for a while. What we do with it is worship in real life.

Verse 33 paints the stage with care. The planter does more than scatter vines. He lays down protection and tools. That means our care of God’s gifts is never guesswork. Boundaries matter. The fence says, “Keep out what harms the field and keep in what helps it grow.” So guard your heart and your habits. Choose inputs that feed faith. Withdraw from patterns that drain it. The press says, “Plan for increase.” So shape your days with wise rhythms. Set aside space for prayer and Scripture so your heart can be pressed into praise. Shape your budget so generosity has a line, not a leftover. Shape your calendar so service has a slot, not a squeeze. The tower says, “Stay awake.” So watch your life. Pay attention to drift. Bring trusted people close enough to see what you might miss. The God who set up the field gave signs of how to care for it. Our work is to keep those signs in use. That is faithful care.

Verses 34 to 36 bring a hard truth into the light. There is a time for fruit. There are messengers who ask for it. In the story they come again and again. They stand for the voices God sends to us. The prophets across the ages. The Word in your hands. A sermon that lands close. A friend who loves you enough to ask a hard question. A nudge in prayer you cannot shake. How do we answer those asks? Some shrug them off. Some push back. Some make excuses. The field does not change by excuse. Fruit grows where people listen and act. So set simple patterns that make your heart easy to reach. Write down what God shows you and do one clear step the same day. Say sorry fast when the Spirit points out a wound you caused. Make peace with a person you have avoided. Clear out a habit that chokes your soul. Add a practice that feeds it. Give and serve without being seen. These are grapes the Owner loves to gather. This is how the ask meets an answer.

Verses 37 to 39 take us to the center. The landowner sends his son. That is personal. The question is now plain. What will we do with Jesus? Care of the field is not mainly about tasks. It is about Him. Yield to Him and the field finds order. Resist Him and the field breaks down. To receive Him is to say, “You set the terms.” It touches everything. Work becomes a place to bless, not a stage to prove. Home becomes a school of grace, not a fort of control. Pain becomes a place where we meet His comfort and learn His way. The cross shows how far He goes to claim the field. The empty tomb shows His right to lead it. When He speaks, we adjust. When He corrects, we agree. When He calls, we rise. In the story, the workers try to keep the field by pushing the son out. That is a dead end. Life comes when we make room for Him at the center and let His words set the pace of our days.

Verses 42 to 44 add a clear picture. The stone the builders set aside becomes the key piece. Everything straight and strong lines up with Him. Fall on Him and your pride breaks. Stay hard and the weight of His rule will still have the last word. This is kind and clear at the same time. God wants a people who line up with His Son and bring fruit at the right time. He will place His field work with those who do. This is not about status or name. It is about simple, steady faith that shows in real harvest. A church that prays in secret and serves the poor in love. A student who tells the truth when a lie would be easy. A parent who blesses when tired. A leader who lays aside self and lifts up others. These are grapes in season. When Jesus is the key piece, the whole field takes shape. The world may call it small. Heaven calls it ripe.

The Son We Rejected

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