Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, March 24, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Did the landowner really not see this coming? That’s always kinda bugged me about this parable. It’s like that trope in movies where someone betrays the good guys to the bad guys because the bad guys promise to go away as soon as they have the good guys. Which, of course, they don’t. They take the good guys and kill the guy who betrayed them. Duh.
But, of course, God did know the inevitable outcome of sending Jesus to try to get through to God’s people where the prophets had failed. God had tried everything to get God’s beloved people to actually do what God wanted them to: do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Nothing worked.
Yes, sending Jesus resulted in Jesus’ death. But Jesus’ death resulted in a complete transformation of all of reality. It blew the kingdom wide open to embrace all of creation, and call every living thing to the work of justice, mercy and humility. Jesus paid the ultimate price, and yet considered it a small price to pay, because we’re worth it.
God of boundless love, inspire us by your actions to hold nothing more precious than what you have called us to. Amen.
