March 13, 2016 Fifth Sunday in Lent

Luke 20:9-19  (The Message)


9-12 Jesus told another story to the people: “A man planted a vineyard. He handed it over to farmhands and went off on a trip. He was gone a long time. In time he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect the profits, but they beat him up and sent him off empty-handed. He decided to try again and sent another servant. That one they beat black-and-blue, and sent him off empty-handed. He tried a third time. They worked that servant over from head to foot and dumped him in the street.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘I know what I’ll do: I’ll send my beloved son. They’re bound to respect my son.’
14-15 “But when the farmhands saw him coming, they quickly put their heads together. ‘This is our chance—this is the heir! Let’s kill him and have it all to ourselves.’ They killed him and threw him over the fence.
15-16 “What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? Right. He’ll come and clean house. Then he’ll assign the care of the vineyard to others.”
Those who were listening said, “Oh, no! He’d never do that!”
17-18 But Jesus didn’t back down. “Why, then, do you think this was written:
That stone the masons threw out—
It’s now the cornerstone!?
“Anyone falling over that stone will break every bone in his body; if the stone falls on anyone, it will be a total smashup.”
19 The religion scholars and high priests wanted to lynch him on the spot, but they were intimidated by public opinion. They knew the story was about them.

The story was about them…and us!
It is a wake up call to all who would follow Jesus.

We can’t have it our way!
We can’t take and take and take, thinking we can have it all.
For when we do, we end up with nothing!

We are mortals with feet of clay, yet molded in the image of God.

We are to live as servants, not masters and seek to imitate Christ,
who “though he was in the form of God…emptied himself, taking the form of a slave…
and became obedient to the point of death…”  Phil. 2:6
That is, we are to give life not take it and discover how good it is and how full life becomes.





“That which is
given away
is not wasted."
City of Joy







Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord, keep me mindful that I am not the ‘captain of my ship’;
that there is more to life then taking all I can get.  For to give
is a joy far greater.”