THE GOSPEL ACCORDING
TO MATTHEW
CHAPTER
21
1. When they ha come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2. saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, 'The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 1 to 3)
It could oh reader of this chapter from the gospel of Matthew that today God is calling you and me for a particular mission. In this world of sin and darkness at times oh God You choose some of us for a particular mission. When choosing the person You also give the person the necessary skills such as leading and riding donkeys, and also the needed resources as in the donkey and the colt in order to fulfil the goals of the task. On the other hand You also choose the appropriate timing to undertake the task. If God is calling you to fulfil a common or special task which does not need to mean a vocation for the priesthood say "Yes" to God and He will do the rest. In the case of the virgin Mary her 'Yes" was strong enough to persuade the angel Gabriel to rush back to heaven with the good news and then the ball started rolling.
4. This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 5. "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 4 to 5)
Oh Jesus as the Pharaoh of Egypt said "So it shall be written and so shall it be done!, even in Your case, all that is written had to take place, even that found in the book of revelations that is future oriented this also needs to be fulfilled before Your last visit. Even though the message in this book is not crystal clear still what is written has been written because in time it will be fulfilled. Therefore we are not to take one letter of the bible lightly because it is a drop from Your infinite fountain of knowledge.
6. The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7. they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them and he sat on them.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 6 to 7)
Oh what a sight for sore eyes, the Son of God sitting on a donkey on his way to Jerusalem. Oh how humble can You be my Jesus. You could have chosen the best of carriages driven by angels, but no in all humility and simplicity You chose the donkey and a colt. If this had to happen during our times, You would have chosen a mini minor instead of a Lamborghini, Ferrari or maybe a Limousine. Oh Jesus I pray that You help us to imitate You in Your humility.
8. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 8 to 9)
Oh Jesus what a bunch of hypocrites, You have as Your followers. I am sorry to say that with the same tongue that we bless and worship, we also ridicule Your name and Your Church. I beg You to forgive us oh Son of God the most High for we really truly do not know what we mean or say. We are alienated and blinded by the ways of the world, so much that our will and brains have become corrupted by sin and the sinful ways of the world.
10.When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "who is this?" 11. The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verse 10 to 11)
Oh Jesus although the people of Jerusalem had been familiar with Your name, they were still in a state of panic. On seeing You in a state of humility they could not picture You as the Son of David riding on a mule, because in their minds nobility were mounted on horses and chariots as in the case of the Roman Emperor. The proud are muddled by the humble. They live in a world where only the best is accepted and nothing that is second or third best. In our world even potatoes are passed through a grading process and the inferior are thrown away and discarded. In practise we do the same among each other, we praise those who are high and mighty and discriminate against others whom we consider as being inferior to us.
12. Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13. He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer': but you are making it a den of robbers."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 12 to 13)
In a matter of seconds oh Jesus You created chaos in the temple. You could not stand the lack of respect shown to Your temple which was to be a place of worship and not a means to earn money. When we go to Church we are to show respect to You and Your presence and not to use Your house as a meeting place or an opportunity to have a chat with whoever is sitting next to me.
In order to picture how hurt You were during such a situation I invite the reader of this chapter to click on the following link:-
Jesus In the temple
14. The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. 15. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became angry. 16 and said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself?" 17. He left them, went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 14 to 17)
Although the people saw You in such a state of anger, they were not afraid of You because they new the other side of You meaning love, mercy and healing. Even though the chief priests and scribes became angry they could not stop children from giving You worship, for even if we Roman Catholics stop giving You worship, You can enable nature as in walls and creatures to give You praise and worship.
18. In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19. And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again! And the fig tree withered at one.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 18 to 19)
If you oh fig tree could not serve your master what is the use of your existence? If as humans we are not willing to bear good fruit or service to God and others we are wasting precious time and that is a great sin.
20. When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?" 31. Jesus answered them, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will be done. 22. Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith you will receive."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 20 to 22)
Oh Jesus today You have taught me a very important lesson. This is the reason why certain things or prayers have not been answered in my life. This is because when I prayed I did not do so in a spirit of faith, but in one of doubt or lack of complete faith and trust in You. While on this subject of true faith I invite you to click on the following link:-
Faith and not fear
23. When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" 24. Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?"
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 23 to 25)
Oh Jesus we have arrived at a point in our lives when we remove our diapers as Roman Catholics and Christians and even people of other religions and question our basic roots not to doubt them, but to test if we really are aware of what and whom we believe, or if we have twisted the truth of Your Word and the teachings that You gave to Your Church in order to fit and justify or needs and decisions. At times we may act rationally and even give colours such as white and black to lies in order to justify them, however our twisted logic still does not justify a lie or a corrupted version of Your teachings. We are choosing parts of Your teachings in which to believe and are discarding the most challenging issues as did the chief priests and elders of Your time.
26. But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verse 26)
Oh Jesus at time I reflect over my reasons for being a Roman Catholic and then You remind me by means of Your word by giving me such a verse, that puts me back on track. I am a Roman Catholic because although I am a sinner You care and have personal interest in me. You love me like never before. Nobody loves me like You do and as much as You do. Some are in the Roman Catholic Church because they are afraid that people will consider them as being outcasts and removed them from their circles. There are some of us who choose to invest in brandish items such as cars or cell phones in order to be accepted by others. However oh Jesus You were not afraid of the crowd. You stood up for what and whom You believed in even this was to lead to Your crucifixion.
I pray oh Jesus that You make me worthy of accepting the cross of persecution for Your name even if this requires requires physical harm or even death for Your name.
27. So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verse 27)
In order to avoid answering Your question the chief priests and the elders chose to take the stand of ignorance. At times we choose to opt out of facing the reality and consequences of sins that we had done on the premise that we had no knowledge of such a thing or situation. However according to human standards we might get away with it, but I believe that there will come the time when we will all appear before You and then there will be no buts and excuses. My prayer oh God is that You give me and others the opportunity of not leaving this world empty handed without having ever been of help to others in assisting in one's daily needs. I pray that we never waste the time that You have lent us as humans on this earth.
28. "What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29. He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 28 to 29)
Oh Jesus at times I also do like one of the two sons. You tell me many things by means of the messages that You give me each day, however at first I stop and think and then when considering that Your will and not mine is to be done I humbly obey. Although You are showing me that I am not fit to go back to the world of social work for which I have a strong craving and wish to go to, I still keep on hoping that one day You change Your mind and I still visited a site to ask if they were in need of vacancies.
30. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go sir; but he did not go. 31. Which of the two did the will of of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 30 to 32)
The two sons in the parable oh Jesus seem to portray two kinds of people. The first category are the rebellious type who do not accept Your will willingly however after reflecting they realize that You are the only true way to follow in life. A typical example is St. Augustine of Hippo and St Paul who both spent a long time saying no before they in the end said their big yes.
The second category are those of us who are born and bred as Roman Catholics. From the first day of our lives we may be made sick with Your teachings! We may be bombarded by culture and spirituality to believe in You, however if we are not touched by You our Yes may only be lip service and no fruit will ever come from us.
Oh Jesus I humbly confess that I was one of those constipated people, until the day that You touched my heart and relieved me of my symptoms and only then did I become a convinced Roman Catholic. All the things, doctrines and Catechism classes that you had fed me started making sense, because now I had with your help made the great leap of being informed about You to having experienced You in my life on a personal and intimate level. Even though I am still a sinner and those of my inner circles can testify to that our relationship in time has greatly improved, however I am still works in progress and not yet a finished product. Therefore I pray for forgiveness of all whom I interact with for I still have my shortcomings, however You oh God are helping me every day of my life and one day we will reach the goal of holiness as You commanded us to be. Amen.
33. "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 38. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, "This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.' 39. So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 33 to 39)
On reflecting oh Jesus it all happened as mentioned in this parable and the history is still repeating itself. When You chose Adam and Eve the human race and especially Your chosen people that through descent we make a part of, You planted the vineyard. During the course of time as according to Your will, the chosen people were led by Your servants Abraham Moses and their descendants. However throughout the course of time, as humans we rebelled and became corrupted by our sins thus leading to a state of personal, and national exile. In order to bring us out of our Egypt, You sent significant people who were to be as prophets to us. These could be teachers, friends and even members of our families or even extended families. However we did not always respond to Your plea, by means of such people to change our ways. On the contrary, we may have ridiculed or broke up our relations with such people, as in the case of the prophets and Your chosen people. Some of the prophets were beaten, and others even killed. Finally You decided to send us Your only son, who was to take the burden of the sins of the world. However even though years have passed, we are still rejecting You in favour of the corrupt ways of the world, without considering that one day we will have to face the music and be accountable for all of our sins and Your rejection from our lives.
I pray oh Jesus that on Your second visit You will find the world in a better state not in a state of alienation and avaricious mentality as we are now experiencing while many others are dying of poverty and suffering the consequences of wars that they had no part of.
40. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41. They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 40 to 41)
Oh God I feel that verses 40 to 41 is a warning to all Roman Catholics that we should take very seriously. Throughout the course of history the chosen people who did not accept You as the Son of God and God lost their claim as the chosen people. Therefore the New Body of Christ or chosen people are the Roman Catholics of the New Testament. However if we do not obey Your will, this title can easily be transferred by You to the Protestants and their offshoots who proclaim Your name more strongly and have a stronger faith than us Roman Catholics. These groups or offshoots of the Roman Catholic Church are not afraid to proclaim Your name. They have street preachers, ministries which are very active as in the case of Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer among others, who are bearing many fruit and have many followers!
42. Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures; "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing to our eyes'?
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verse 42)
Oh Jesus at times we choose what to cite from Your Gospel that fits according to our argument in order to sustain it and negate the rest which makes us aware of our sins and weakness. However the truth will always be the truth and nobody can ever deny it. Amen.
43. Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verse 43)
Oh God this would be the most tragic of all events if the kingdom of God was to be ever taken away from us, not that we deserve it, for as sinners we only deserve the eternal fires of hell, however even though we do not deserve it we cannot live without You Amen.
44. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls." 45. When the chief and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 44 to 45)
Oh Jesus indeed You are the rock of my salvation. Moreover those who seek You find refuge, love and care, however, those who are against You will experience much tribulation for they are waging war against their own source of life which may result negatively on them. I pray that we all find a loving supportive Father in You and not a means of opposition or oppression.
Oh God my Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-
I pray oh God, that we always find our love, care and refuge in You and in Your Holy Word as found in the Bible and not according to the sinful ways of the world. I pray that when the last trumpet of our lives blows that marks the end of our lives we will be on Your side and not on the side that leads to our destruction. I would like to share with you this song which I invite you to sing to:-
Song When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound
Amen I wish a Happy and Blessed Christmas to all the people of the world especially those who seek to live according to the will of God Amen.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 4 to 5)
Oh Jesus as the Pharaoh of Egypt said "So it shall be written and so shall it be done!, even in Your case, all that is written had to take place, even that found in the book of revelations that is future oriented this also needs to be fulfilled before Your last visit. Even though the message in this book is not crystal clear still what is written has been written because in time it will be fulfilled. Therefore we are not to take one letter of the bible lightly because it is a drop from Your infinite fountain of knowledge.
6. The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7. they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them and he sat on them.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 6 to 7)
Oh what a sight for sore eyes, the Son of God sitting on a donkey on his way to Jerusalem. Oh how humble can You be my Jesus. You could have chosen the best of carriages driven by angels, but no in all humility and simplicity You chose the donkey and a colt. If this had to happen during our times, You would have chosen a mini minor instead of a Lamborghini, Ferrari or maybe a Limousine. Oh Jesus I pray that You help us to imitate You in Your humility.
8. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 8 to 9)
Oh Jesus what a bunch of hypocrites, You have as Your followers. I am sorry to say that with the same tongue that we bless and worship, we also ridicule Your name and Your Church. I beg You to forgive us oh Son of God the most High for we really truly do not know what we mean or say. We are alienated and blinded by the ways of the world, so much that our will and brains have become corrupted by sin and the sinful ways of the world.
10.When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "who is this?" 11. The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verse 10 to 11)
Oh Jesus although the people of Jerusalem had been familiar with Your name, they were still in a state of panic. On seeing You in a state of humility they could not picture You as the Son of David riding on a mule, because in their minds nobility were mounted on horses and chariots as in the case of the Roman Emperor. The proud are muddled by the humble. They live in a world where only the best is accepted and nothing that is second or third best. In our world even potatoes are passed through a grading process and the inferior are thrown away and discarded. In practise we do the same among each other, we praise those who are high and mighty and discriminate against others whom we consider as being inferior to us.
12. Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13. He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer': but you are making it a den of robbers."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 12 to 13)
In a matter of seconds oh Jesus You created chaos in the temple. You could not stand the lack of respect shown to Your temple which was to be a place of worship and not a means to earn money. When we go to Church we are to show respect to You and Your presence and not to use Your house as a meeting place or an opportunity to have a chat with whoever is sitting next to me.
In order to picture how hurt You were during such a situation I invite the reader of this chapter to click on the following link:-
Jesus In the temple
14. The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. 15. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became angry. 16 and said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself?" 17. He left them, went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 14 to 17)
Although the people saw You in such a state of anger, they were not afraid of You because they new the other side of You meaning love, mercy and healing. Even though the chief priests and scribes became angry they could not stop children from giving You worship, for even if we Roman Catholics stop giving You worship, You can enable nature as in walls and creatures to give You praise and worship.
18. In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19. And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again! And the fig tree withered at one.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 18 to 19)
If you oh fig tree could not serve your master what is the use of your existence? If as humans we are not willing to bear good fruit or service to God and others we are wasting precious time and that is a great sin.
20. When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?" 31. Jesus answered them, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will be done. 22. Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith you will receive."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 20 to 22)
Oh Jesus today You have taught me a very important lesson. This is the reason why certain things or prayers have not been answered in my life. This is because when I prayed I did not do so in a spirit of faith, but in one of doubt or lack of complete faith and trust in You. While on this subject of true faith I invite you to click on the following link:-
Faith and not fear
23. When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" 24. Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?"
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 23 to 25)
Oh Jesus we have arrived at a point in our lives when we remove our diapers as Roman Catholics and Christians and even people of other religions and question our basic roots not to doubt them, but to test if we really are aware of what and whom we believe, or if we have twisted the truth of Your Word and the teachings that You gave to Your Church in order to fit and justify or needs and decisions. At times we may act rationally and even give colours such as white and black to lies in order to justify them, however our twisted logic still does not justify a lie or a corrupted version of Your teachings. We are choosing parts of Your teachings in which to believe and are discarding the most challenging issues as did the chief priests and elders of Your time.
26. But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verse 26)
Oh Jesus at time I reflect over my reasons for being a Roman Catholic and then You remind me by means of Your word by giving me such a verse, that puts me back on track. I am a Roman Catholic because although I am a sinner You care and have personal interest in me. You love me like never before. Nobody loves me like You do and as much as You do. Some are in the Roman Catholic Church because they are afraid that people will consider them as being outcasts and removed them from their circles. There are some of us who choose to invest in brandish items such as cars or cell phones in order to be accepted by others. However oh Jesus You were not afraid of the crowd. You stood up for what and whom You believed in even this was to lead to Your crucifixion.
I pray oh Jesus that You make me worthy of accepting the cross of persecution for Your name even if this requires requires physical harm or even death for Your name.
27. So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verse 27)
In order to avoid answering Your question the chief priests and the elders chose to take the stand of ignorance. At times we choose to opt out of facing the reality and consequences of sins that we had done on the premise that we had no knowledge of such a thing or situation. However according to human standards we might get away with it, but I believe that there will come the time when we will all appear before You and then there will be no buts and excuses. My prayer oh God is that You give me and others the opportunity of not leaving this world empty handed without having ever been of help to others in assisting in one's daily needs. I pray that we never waste the time that You have lent us as humans on this earth.
28. "What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29. He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 28 to 29)
Oh Jesus at times I also do like one of the two sons. You tell me many things by means of the messages that You give me each day, however at first I stop and think and then when considering that Your will and not mine is to be done I humbly obey. Although You are showing me that I am not fit to go back to the world of social work for which I have a strong craving and wish to go to, I still keep on hoping that one day You change Your mind and I still visited a site to ask if they were in need of vacancies.
30. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go sir; but he did not go. 31. Which of the two did the will of of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 30 to 32)
The two sons in the parable oh Jesus seem to portray two kinds of people. The first category are the rebellious type who do not accept Your will willingly however after reflecting they realize that You are the only true way to follow in life. A typical example is St. Augustine of Hippo and St Paul who both spent a long time saying no before they in the end said their big yes.
The second category are those of us who are born and bred as Roman Catholics. From the first day of our lives we may be made sick with Your teachings! We may be bombarded by culture and spirituality to believe in You, however if we are not touched by You our Yes may only be lip service and no fruit will ever come from us.
Oh Jesus I humbly confess that I was one of those constipated people, until the day that You touched my heart and relieved me of my symptoms and only then did I become a convinced Roman Catholic. All the things, doctrines and Catechism classes that you had fed me started making sense, because now I had with your help made the great leap of being informed about You to having experienced You in my life on a personal and intimate level. Even though I am still a sinner and those of my inner circles can testify to that our relationship in time has greatly improved, however I am still works in progress and not yet a finished product. Therefore I pray for forgiveness of all whom I interact with for I still have my shortcomings, however You oh God are helping me every day of my life and one day we will reach the goal of holiness as You commanded us to be. Amen.
33. "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 38. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, "This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.' 39. So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 33 to 39)
On reflecting oh Jesus it all happened as mentioned in this parable and the history is still repeating itself. When You chose Adam and Eve the human race and especially Your chosen people that through descent we make a part of, You planted the vineyard. During the course of time as according to Your will, the chosen people were led by Your servants Abraham Moses and their descendants. However throughout the course of time, as humans we rebelled and became corrupted by our sins thus leading to a state of personal, and national exile. In order to bring us out of our Egypt, You sent significant people who were to be as prophets to us. These could be teachers, friends and even members of our families or even extended families. However we did not always respond to Your plea, by means of such people to change our ways. On the contrary, we may have ridiculed or broke up our relations with such people, as in the case of the prophets and Your chosen people. Some of the prophets were beaten, and others even killed. Finally You decided to send us Your only son, who was to take the burden of the sins of the world. However even though years have passed, we are still rejecting You in favour of the corrupt ways of the world, without considering that one day we will have to face the music and be accountable for all of our sins and Your rejection from our lives.
I pray oh Jesus that on Your second visit You will find the world in a better state not in a state of alienation and avaricious mentality as we are now experiencing while many others are dying of poverty and suffering the consequences of wars that they had no part of.
40. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41. They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 40 to 41)
Oh God I feel that verses 40 to 41 is a warning to all Roman Catholics that we should take very seriously. Throughout the course of history the chosen people who did not accept You as the Son of God and God lost their claim as the chosen people. Therefore the New Body of Christ or chosen people are the Roman Catholics of the New Testament. However if we do not obey Your will, this title can easily be transferred by You to the Protestants and their offshoots who proclaim Your name more strongly and have a stronger faith than us Roman Catholics. These groups or offshoots of the Roman Catholic Church are not afraid to proclaim Your name. They have street preachers, ministries which are very active as in the case of Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer among others, who are bearing many fruit and have many followers!
42. Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures; "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing to our eyes'?
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verse 42)
Oh Jesus at times we choose what to cite from Your Gospel that fits according to our argument in order to sustain it and negate the rest which makes us aware of our sins and weakness. However the truth will always be the truth and nobody can ever deny it. Amen.
43. Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verse 43)
Oh God this would be the most tragic of all events if the kingdom of God was to be ever taken away from us, not that we deserve it, for as sinners we only deserve the eternal fires of hell, however even though we do not deserve it we cannot live without You Amen.
44. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls." 45. When the chief and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21 verses 44 to 45)
Oh Jesus indeed You are the rock of my salvation. Moreover those who seek You find refuge, love and care, however, those who are against You will experience much tribulation for they are waging war against their own source of life which may result negatively on them. I pray that we all find a loving supportive Father in You and not a means of opposition or oppression.
Oh God my Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-
I pray oh God, that we always find our love, care and refuge in You and in Your Holy Word as found in the Bible and not according to the sinful ways of the world. I pray that when the last trumpet of our lives blows that marks the end of our lives we will be on Your side and not on the side that leads to our destruction. I would like to share with you this song which I invite you to sing to:-
Song When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound
Amen I wish a Happy and Blessed Christmas to all the people of the world especially those who seek to live according to the will of God Amen.
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