4/16//2025
The Chosen cast has been sharing short devotionals daily during Holy Week, and today's was hosted by Amber Williams who plays Tamar, a follower of Jesus. The text she used in Matthew 21:33-45 is about the man who owned a vineyard:
“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.
This scene happened after Jesus had withered the fig tree on His way to the temple. Arriving at the temple Jesus began to preach, so the Pharisees and religious challenged His authority to be teaching the word. Knowing their intention was to trap Him by discrediting Him before the people, Jesus asked them a question concerning the baptism of John the Baptist - from whom he was sent. The Pharisees fearing their response may upset the people and cause them to lose their credibility and position, refused to answer Jesus. Jesus then refused to answer their question of His authority. Then He began teaching the people again using parables, His usual manner of teaching, beginning with the parable of the two sons, then the parable of the vineyard. Both angered the Pharisees, as they realized that Jesus was speaking of them.
Amber shared that when Jesus taught, His words either challenged or brought comfort, and in this parable of the vineyard, she said both challenge and comfort were found just as the rejection of Jesus and His crucifixion brought challenge, but his resurrection brought hope. And the hope Jesus offered was new life and the hope of the new Kingdom of God about which Jesus taught His three years of ministry. The people, including the disciples at first, thought the kingdom Jesus taught would overcome the Roman rule, but Jesus was not speaking of an earthly kingdom but of the Kingdom of Heaven yet to come. And as Tamar points out by a comment made in this scene of The Chosen when a man who follows Jesus, a friend, shouts out, "It's a brand new world," in fact, in truth, Jesus was bringing newness, just not as they thought.
Today we face the same challenge, but with the same hope, and even more, because we understand as modern day followers of Jesus Christ, having been raised from death in baptism unto life in His resurrection the true meaning of His words regarding an eternal Kingdom, not of man. We are given the mandate of Jesus to go and make disciples of all men. Go out and share how Jesus has transformed our lives. Many question then why we still have pain and suffering on this earth. But Jesus said we would, because we still live in a world of sin and death, so there will be challenges to overcome. But we have the comfort of knowing that this present earth will pass away when our Savior, our Messiah returns, rending the heavens, bringing eternal life to all who believe and receive God's gift of grace, mercy, and love. Go and share the Good News!
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