The Third Sunday of Easter (GA)

Luke 20:9-18

⁹ And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. ¹⁰ When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹ And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹² And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. ¹³ Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ ¹⁴ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ ¹⁵ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” ¹⁷ But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

       “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone’?

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

The people cry out surely not, in response to the most logical conclusion. The tenants should be killed, and have the vineyard taken from their hands. But the people want it all, they do not desire to give God what he is owed.

When people are long in arriving it is very easy for us to say someone is not showing up. When it is time to start Church we dread the people that are not coming, even those who show up late. When the party has started and some are getting ready to leave, we do not expect late arrivals. It is easy to think people have forgot to come, or are busy with other things.

God most certainly is a busy man. He has many prayers to answer. He has many enemies to destroy. But do not think that he is not coming. Jesus promised if he goes to prepare a place for you, he will come back. The first fruit has been harvested in Christ Jesus. The rest of the fruit will be gathered. Those who stand in the way of gathering his fruit will be destroyed. The devil is defeated. The world is overcome. Death has been conquered. Your sinful flesh has even been washed clean. Jesus Christ is the Son come to gather you his fruit, and nothing will stop him.