RPG Adults
PARABLE OF THE HUSBANDMEN – DON’T REJECT CHRIST
FRIDAY, MAY 1
Matthew 21:33-46
Memory verse: Matthew 21:44
“…He will miserably destroy those wicked men,
and will let out his vineyard unto
other husbandmen…”
PARABLE OF THE HUSBANDMEN – DON’T REJECT CHRIST
Jesus Christ must not be ignored. The chief priests and the Pharisees present understood the Parable of the Husbandmen as confessed (cf. Matt 21:45). They understood Christ’s parables, plural! It must include the parable of the Two Sons. Both of these parables do not begin with the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven”. They are parables of warning and rebuke to Christ’s enemies. Christ’s desire to save sinners included these spiritual leaders who saw Him as their enemy. Despite this hatred for Christ and their desire to “lay hands” on Him (cf. Matt 21:46), Jesus still wanted to save them from their sins.
The householder is God the Father. The husbandmen were the chief priests and Pharisees. The servants were the prophets God sent throughout Israel’s history to rebuke Israel of her sins. The son of the householder is Jesus Christ. The persecution and killing of the servants by the husbandmen refer to the long history of Israel putting God’s prophets to death and persecuting them. In this parable, Christ was warning them that they would kill Him, God’s Son. Yet, despite knowing this, Christ did not stop them. The enemies of Christ also did not stop themselves and repent! The hardness of man’s heart is revealed in this parable through the response of the enemies of God.
Christ warned them after the parable that Christ is the head of the cornerstone despite the rejection of the enemies of God. Their rejection of Christ will not change what God would make Christ to become. Christ is the One whom God has made the absolute standard for anyone to enter His Kingdom of Heaven. If anyone hurts Christ, they hurt themselves. If they leave Christ alone, Christ will not leave them alone. He will judge them and find them guilty if they die in their sins before God. Christ will grind them to powder, i.e. He will cast them into hell when they stand before Him on Judgment Day. If anyone thinks he can escape God’s judgment by hurting Christianity or by ignoring Christ, he deceives himself. Christ cannot be ignored!
THOUGHT: Is it okay not to attack Christianity but reject Christ?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, may I never ignore Christ but believe in Him all the days of my life, in Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.