The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost | A Sermon on Matthew 21:33-46 by Pastor Timothy Eichler, STS

Matthew 21:33-46 English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went away. 34 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them in the same way. 37 Then he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 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.”

42 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’?

43 “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces its fruits. 44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

This week we find ourselves with Jesus in the Temple in the midst of an on-going conversation with the chief priests, elders, and those within hearing distance. The setting for the conversation is Holy Week for us. It is the last week of Jesus’ life whether anyone within Jerusalem knows it or not. Jesus of Nazareth who has been out preaching, teaching, healing the sick, and casting out demons throughout Galilee is now in Jerusalem. Since arriving in Jerusalem he has cleansed or cleared the temple one day then returns to continue his teaching the next day. From day one of Holy Week with His triumphal entry and these events are causing disruption within the Jewish community that is flowing over into the Roman community and all those living in Jerusalem.

Imagine the stir that is taking place. In the midst of daily life comes disruption. Jesus has upset everyday life in the temple, in Jerusalem, in the Roman community overseeing the Roman occupation. It seems everywhere one turns the status quo has been upended. As a result there are tThose who are claiming doom and gloom, while others are claiming a great triumph and the coming of a new kingdom … a new government. Sounds like our election process in the United States.

The disruption of Jesus into the daily lives of the people is disturbing. Disturbing because it forces people to recognize where they are placing their hope and their faith. In the midst of catastrophe, destruction, demolition, or havoc whatever word you would like to use to describe complete loss; where is hope found?

On October 7th 2023 the Saturday News headlines read:

“Hamas Unprecedented Terror Attack on Israel”

            “Conflict erupts after Hamas terrorist bombard Israel with attacks, invasion, leaving at least 70 dead”

                        Netanyahu declares war

Israel and Hamas are not the only ongoing catastrophe. Other catastrophes include conflicts between employers and unions, individuals and their health, or the impact of inflation upon one’s ability to live, to name a few. It appears that no matter where we look or listen or turn people are experiencing some form of catastrophe or destruction in their lives.

When we experience catastrophes, whether they are personal or are communal, we look for answers. We look for explanations. We look for hope. Yet, it is very difficult to find hope in destruction.

In the midst complete loss; where is hope found?

The chief priests, elders, and others in the Temple think catastrophe or destruction has arrived with Jesus. Their very way of life and the life of Israel is at stake. What is one to do? Where is one to find hope?

Do we respond like the Temple or government leadership?

Stumbling, hitting up against of God’s messengers, can lead to repentance, but we do not always repent, do we? No, sometimes we double down and lean more heavily into our sin habits, like the tenants did with each new round of messengers from the landowner. We double down on our ways instead of God’s ways. How do you respond to catastrophe?

Like the landowner, God has given us all that we need to live our calling as God’s people, and God sends messengers like prophets, Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The produce that our landowning God seeks from us is the fruit of our obedience, the fruit of God’s very Spirit. And Jesus is the cornerstone on which the new life, identity, and community will be established.

Jesus cryptically yet boldly tells the temple leaders that their time is up; the system they are running is coming down and a new way of being the people of God is being established. (In verses 45 and 46 Matthew gives us narrative insight into the fact that the leaders figured out what Jesus was telling them but they could not figure out what to do about in that moment because the crowds were on Jesus’ side.)

Jesus dismantles the old order and welcomes the misfits and marginalized because they bear the fruit of faith more than the insiders and powerbrokers do. I invite you to reflect upon Jesus Christ as the cornerstone of your life. I offer three questions for reflection:

– What parts of Scripture are we trying to work around, explain away or make palatable?

– Have we built our lives, individually and communities of faith, upon the cornerstone that is Jesus Christ or on a system or mindset that lets us feel like we are the authorities?

– What does it mean for you that He is your cornerstone?

To God be the glory now and forever. Amen

 —eng

Pastor Timothy Richard Eichler, STS

pastoreichler@gmail.com

Resurrection Lutheran Church

Coronado, CA, USA