"The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."
(Psalm 118:22)
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Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables.
"A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built
a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of
the vineyard. But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
Then, he sent them another servant, and they struck him over the head and
treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and this one they killed. He sent
many others; some they beat and others they killed.
Finally, having one beloved son, he sent him to them.
"They will respect my son," he said.
But the tenants said to one another, "This is the heir. Come, let us kill him,
and the inheritance will be ours." So they seized the son, killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
Have you never read this Scripture:
"The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This is from the Lord and it is marvelous in our eyes."
At this, the leaders sought to arrest Jesus, for they knew that He had spoken
this parable against them. But fearing the crowd, they left Him and went away.
(Mark 12:1-12)
THE SONG OF THE VINEYARD
(Isaiah 5:1-8)
I will sing for my Beloved a song of His vineyard:
My Beloved has a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
He dug it up and cleared the stones
and planted the finest vines.
He built a watchtower in the middle
and dug out a winepress as a well.
He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes,
but the fruit it produced was sour!
And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
I exhort you to judge
between Me and My vineyard.
What more could I have done for My vineyard
than I already did for it?
Why, when I expected sweet grapes,
did it bring forth sour fruit?
Now will I tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard:
I will take away its hedge,
and it will be consumed;
I will tear down its wall,
and it will be trampled.
I will make it a wasteland,
neither pruned nor cultivated,
and thorns and briers will grow up.
I will command the clouds
that rain shall not fall on it."
For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are the plant of His delight.
He looked for justice,
and saw bloodshed;
for righteousness
and heard a cry of distress.
Woe to you who add house to house
and join field to field
until no place is left
and you live alone in the land.
"WOE TO THOSE WHO CALL EVIL GOOD AND GOOD EVIL,
WHO PUT DARKNESS FOR LIGHT AND LIGHT FOR DARKNESS,
WHO PUT BITTER FOR SWEET AND SWEET FOR BITTER. WOE
TO THOSE WHO ARE WISE IN THEIR OWN EYES AND PRUDENT
AND SHREWD IN THEIR OWN SIGHT!
(Isaiah 5:20-21)
" I WILL GATHER ALL THE NATIONS AND BRING THEM DOWN INTO
THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT. THERE I WILL ENTER INTO JUDGMENT
AGAINST THEM CONCERNING MY PEOPLE, MY INHERITANCE ISRAEL,
WHOM THEY HAVE SCATTERED AMONG THE NATIONS AS THEY
DIVIDED UP MY LAND."
(Joel 3:2)
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM AND THE
SALVATION OF ISRAEL. MARANATHA!