Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: March 21, 2025

Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Scripture Text: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:

"Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again, he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"

They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times."

Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The gospel reading for today brings us Jesus’ parable of the tenants which symbolizes the LORD’s call to us to honor our relationship with Him. The tenant’s ill treatment of the “servants sent” represent the treatment of the prophets. The tenant’s killing of the son represents Jesus’ death. But Jesus goes on to explain to us that He is “the cornerstone.” And He calls us to be living church, built upon Him and His love for the Father and for us, producing fruit from our lives of love.

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

What fruits am I producing from the gifts given to me? How am I contributing to the building up of the Body of Christ on earth?

Praying:

LORD, Jesus Christ, Son of God, our brother and our savior, send the Spirit to stir within us and to bring forth the fruits of our love for You. Grant that we may daily turn our minds and hearts to loving well as You call us to love and as You modeled for us in your own life and most especially in your death and resurrection for us and our salvation. Help us to live the life You call us to live so that we might have the life in abundance You died to win for us. Amen.