“Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they did the same things to them.  But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’  But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let’s kill him and take possession of his inheritance!’” (Matthew 21:36-38)

Why does the thief think they can get away with it?  Ultimately, no one does, but each generation has thieves that steal and murderers that murder.  I want it, so I’ll find a way to take it.  Sinful humanity wants what belongs to God.  Everything belongs to the Lord, for He created it.  He has shared the portion He’s entrusted to you.  But we know Jesus was talking about His death on the cross when He spoke these words.

The world wanted to be rid of Jesus because He was disturbing the balance.  He wasn’t.  He was just telling the truth and bringing the world back into balance.  The Lord is truth.  Everything runs according to the rules He has set in place.  We need help to live the way life is meant to be lived.  We need to be guided in His goodness and mercy to humbly walk the way He would have us to proceed.

Lord Jesus, by Your shed blood You have redeemed me.  You have paid a debt I could never pay.  It is all Yours, Lord, yet You have walked among us as if we were peers.  Teach me how to do these things that You teach.  Teach my heart to long for Your return.  Guide me to be a worker in Your vineyard and not to plot for how to own it.  Lead me in the way You know I need to go.  Amen.

“And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his fruit.  And the vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another” (Matthew 21:34-35).

Does God have expectations of us?  We certainly have expectations of one another.  Are we not created in God’s image?  The world will seek to kill your faith.  It is not enough to just go to church regularly and remain indifferent.  What kind of life will you live?  Will you live in the hope Jesus gives, or will you mix in some other hopes promoted by this sinful world?

Lord, You know how befuddled I get with all the voices that speak in this age.  Lift me up and out so that I hear clearly Your voice of truth speaking to me.  Heal my deafness so that I hear Your call.  Those in this world would kill me when I speak truth, just as they killed You.  Help me, Lord, so that I hold fast to the truth as You send me into the pit of vipers that are in this world.  Help me to fear not and remain true to Your word.

Lord Jesus, You know all things.  You have experienced the wickedness of this world first-hand.  You knew that then, and You know that now.  Help me to live beyond what this world says and follow Your word of truth.  You know what I need.  No matter where I am or what I am doing, lead me to be faithful to all that You have called me to do.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to hold fast to the word You have given me.  Amen.

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and he leased it to vine-growers and went on a journey” (Matthew 21:33).

The Lord has created all that you see.  He entrusted this world to humanity.  What has happened?  Humanity is greedy and selfish.  Some take and others are taken from.  We have beauty all around us, but there is much that has been despoiled.  We seek progress but we are still where we began.  Progress is not conquering the world, for it has already been conquered by sin.  We are called to follow a different path.

Lord, I am caught up in the trap of sin in this world.  I am in this vineyard You have made, and I have heard Your message of truth, but I often fall back into the ways of this world.  Free me from the snares of sin.  Teach me the freedom You grant by grace.  Show me how to live life as it is meant to be lived.  Help me learn what it means to walk by faith.  Shut my ears to the discord of this world to receive Your pure word of truth.

Lord Jesus, the disease is in me.  You have died for me that by grace I would be freed, but I still live as one trapped.  Help me to see with clarity the truth of what You have revealed.  Guide me to live into the life to which You have called me.  Let me not be hindered by sin but live freely in the faith You have given me.  Keep me in Your word, Lord, so that I may humbly go wherever You lead me.  Amen.   

“For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even have second thoughts afterward so as to believe him” (Matthew 21:32).

Those who believe will not perish.  There are people who have gone to church their whole lives, but they do not truly believe.  It never has been only about behavior, but many make it about works.  Yes, to obey is better than sacrifice, but you first need to believe in the One whom you say is Lord, and both work and obey.  To not do this makes what you do in the name of faith nonsense.  Sadly, it seems as though there are many hypocrites in our world.

Lord, You have opened for us the way of righteousness.  It is not some fancy ritual or elusive path.  It is You who leads us in the way and truth of everlasting life.  The world looks at the outside, but You look on the inside.  The world pushes for us to conform to its ideas, but You call us to conform to You.  Those who are more honest about these things know they are searching because they are dissatisfied with how life is being lived.

Lord Jesus, You know that I fight against the demons who plague each of us.  You know that I am not comfortable in this world.  You know.  Lead me on the upward path to live a life that believes all that You have spoken is real and true.  Guide me to live into the hope and promise that You give.  Through all that comes my way Lord, help me to look to You and actually do what You instruct.  Help me overcome my unbelief to live in true faith.  Amen.

“And the man came to his second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; and yet he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:30-31).

There are those who live by pretense.  They say they will and never do, but they put on a show as if they were faithful to their obligations.  There have always been these kinds of people.  People who regularly go to church, but do not live with Jesus as the source of their daily living.  Do not be one of these.  Faithfulness is about being faithful to what you believe.  If you believe that Jesus is Lord – and He is – than live with Jesus as your Lord.

Grant, O Lord, that I would be rid of all of the pretense in my life.  Lead me out of the pit of this world’s deceptions to live into the life You grant by grace.  Guide me to the place where my yes is yes and my no is no.  With You who knows all things, I may lie to myself, but You know all truth.  Help me to walk in truth.  Keep me from deceiving myself or trying to deceive others.

Lord Jesus, You have come to save me not only from death and the devil, but from the sins that are within me.  Teach me how to live the ‘yes’ of faith.  Guide me in the upward call You have given me.  Help me to follow through with all You give me to do.  Through all things, may I be found living the life You have given me.  Inspire me to willingly follow where You lead.  Amen.

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’  But he replied, ‘I do not want to.’ Yet afterward he regretted it and went” (Matthew 21:28).

Each of us has opportunity to live under the authority of the Lord.  We either will or we will not.  Some do so sooner and others later.  Some, no matter what they say, will not at all.  The point is that it is better to obey.  Will the knowledge of the Lord be the truth by which you live? Later is better than not at all.  Do not live by regrets, but let regrets move you from where You are to where you need to be.

Lord, I am often confused, and I am not sure in which direction to turn.  Help me to live into the life You have offered me. Lead me to the place where I look to follow You where You lead.  Where I have not felt like it, help me to not be governed by my feelings, but led by the truth of Your word.  Grant that I would begin to understand Your justice and practice what You teach me.

Thank You Lord Jesus for graciously dealing with all of us.  You meet each of us where we are but do not leave us there.  Guide me in the light of truth You have revealed to not be guided by my feelings, but by You who is the author and finisher of my faith.  Lead me in Your goodness to live out this life of faith which You have given me, doing what You give me to do.  Help me on each step of the way and save me from indifference.  Amen.

“And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things” (Matthew 21:27).

Do not put the Lord to the test.  He is under no obligation to answer your questions.  Our Lord is gracious and kind but does not owe us anything.  There are many things we do not know and many things we do not need to know.  Be guided by the goodness of the Lord and humbly walk in the way He will lead you.  All authority is from the Lord.  Walk under His authority.

Lord, this age does not respect authority.  Many assume authority but forget that we live because the You have given us life.  You are the source of all life. You are above all.  Starting from that simple understanding, we can know that everyone else has a lesser authority because You grant it.  For a time, in this age, there are those who abuse it; but that does not mean that ultimately it is still not Yours.

Lord Jesus, I see what You said as clever, but You were just telling the truth.  Many are unable to comprehend the truth.  Guide me, Lord, so that I understand that all things are in Your hands.  Lead me in this understanding always so that I humbly walk under Your authority.  Help me to look to You, the author and source of life, for all things.  Help me not to ask questions so much as live out the answers You have already given.  Amen.

“The baptism of John was from what source: from heaven or from men?” And they began considering the implications among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’  But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet” (Matthew 21:25).

The way of the world seems to always fall into the ultimate trap of believing either partial truth or perpetrated lies.  But for the wicked, there is a prejudice against the truth.  This is reinforced by peer pressure.  Fear drives in this age, but we are to fear God above all other things.  Do not fall for the trap of one-or-the-other but seek truth.  Truth is Jesus who has come to lead us into all truth.

Lord, it is no different in our time.  The talking heads waffle between two positions.  Fear of the crowds drive many in our day.  It has affected me.  Lead me to be the person You are making me to be.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy so that I may humbly hold fast to the truths which You have spoken.  Lord, You have given me hope and a future.  Help me learn how to live by hope toward the future which is in You.

Lord Jesus, You have descended from heaven so that where You are I may also be.  You have immersed me in Your love and called for me to always follow You.  You have told me that I would suffer in this world because of it.  Help me to follow You all the days of my life and to walk in humble obedience through every situation I encounter.  Guide me, Lord, in the way You know I need to go.  Amen.

“But Jesus responded and said to them, “I will also ask you one question, which, if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things” (Matthew 21:24).

Jesus was never tricked by snares of the wicked.  If we look to the Lord and listen to His counsel, we can avoid being tricked by those who are always setting traps.  We do not need to figure everything out, but we do need to stand firm against untruth.  This age is filled with the deceived and deceivers.  Jesus humbly speaks truth.  He loves us and will not stop until those called believe are in His love.

Lord, I do not like contention, but the world is contentious.  Help me to learn how to be humble but stand firm against the wicked who seek to deceive.  Let me stand up against constant questions and hold fast to the truth You have revealed.  Guide me, Lord, in the way to think and act so that when confronted, I know how to respond.  Teach me how to answer questions as You did.

Lord Jesus, You have questioned me.  Help me to answer Your questions with my life.  Take me out of the way this world thinks so that I may learn to think as You created me to think.  Guide me so that I humbly walk the path You have set before me.  Through all things, teach me how to be aware and alert.  Lord, You have given me the words of eternal life.  Help me to live them now and always.  Amen.

“When He entered the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” (Matthew 21:23)

We do not seem to be concerned with this question anymore.  “By what authority?”  Our culture reinforces that we are an authority unto ourselves.  I think this way and so it must be.  But Jesus was doing things with power and authority, and they were asking, “by what authority is this done?”  The truth is, by the only power there really is, the authority of God.  We pretend we have power, but God Almighty has all power and authority.

Lord, teach me what authority means.  Help me to respect authority.  All authority comes from You.  You are the source of all power.  Lead me away from this world’s self-centeredness and into the light of truth which is You.  Help me to stop questioning truth and to learn how to question all of the lies of this age.  Lead me ever more deeply into the truth of who You are and the authority in which You say and do things.

Lord Jesus, You were constantly questioned and confronted.  Help me to be unmoving in the questions and confrontations against my faith that happen in this world.  Help me to stand firm in faith knowing that all things are truly in Your hands.  Guide me, Lord, to live under Your authority.  Teach me to respect all authority knowing that it comes from You.  Teach me how to live under Your authority.  Amen.