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Matthew 21:33-46
“ Listen to another story. A man who owned some land planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress in it. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he moved to another place.When harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the renters. He told the slaves to collect his share of the fruit.“ But the renters grabbed his slaves. They beat one of them. They killed another. They threw stones at the third to kill him.Then the man sent other slaves to the renters. He sent more than he did the first time. The renters treated them the same way.Last of all, he sent his son to them.‘ They will respect my son,’ he said.“ But the renters saw the son coming. They said to one another,‘ This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday. Come, let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard. Then they killed him.“ When the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those renters?”“ He will destroy those evil people,” they replied.“ Then he will rent the vineyard out to other renters. They will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”Jesus said to them,“ Haven’t you ever read what the Scriptures say,“‘ The stone the builders didn’t accept has become the most important stone of all. The Lord has done it. It is wonderful in our eyes’?( Psalm 118:22, 23)“ So here is what I tell you. The kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to people who will produce its fruit.Anyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.”The chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ stories. They knew he was talking about them.So they looked for a way to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowd. The people believed that Jesus was a prophet.
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Mark 12:1-12
Jesus began to speak to the people using stories. He said,“ A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he went to another place.At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters. He told the servant to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.But they grabbed the servant and beat him up. Then they sent him away with nothing.So the man sent another servant to the renters. They hit this one on the head and treated him badly.The man sent still another servant. The renters killed him. The man sent many others. The renters beat up some of them. They killed the others.“ The man had one person left to send. It was his son, and he loved him. He sent him last of all. He said,‘ They will respect my son.’“ But the renters said to each other,‘ This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday. Come, let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’So they took him and killed him. They threw him out of the vineyard.“ What will the owner of the vineyard do then? He will come and kill those renters. He will give the vineyard to others.Haven’t you read what this part of Scripture says,“‘ The stone the builders didn’t accept has become the most important stone of all.The Lord has done it. It is wonderful in our eyes’?”( Psalm 118:22, 23)Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest Jesus. They knew he had told the story against them. But they were afraid of the crowd. So they left him and went away.
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Isaiah 5:1-7
I will sing a song for the Lord. He is the one I love. It’s a song about his vineyard Israel. The one I love had a vineyard. It was on a hillside that had rich soil.He dug up the soil and removed its stones. He planted the very best vines in it. He built a lookout tower there. He also cut out a winepress for it. Then he kept looking for a crop of good grapes. But the vineyard produced only bad fruit.So the Lord said,“ People of Jerusalem and Judah, you be the judge between me and my vineyard.What more could I have done for my vineyard? I did everything I could. I kept looking for a crop of good grapes. So why did it produce only bad ones?Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard. I will take away its fence. And the vineyard will be destroyed. I will break down its wall. And people will walk all over my vineyard.I will turn my vineyard into a dry and empty desert. It will not be pruned or taken care of. Thorns and bushes will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”The vineyard of the Lord who rules over all is the nation of Israel. The people of Judah are the vines he took delight in. He kept looking for them to do what is fair. But all he saw was blood being spilled. He kept looking for them to do what is right. But all he heard were cries of suffering.
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John 15:1-8
“ I am the true vine. My Father is the gardener.He cuts off every branch joined to me that does not bear fruit. He trims every branch that does bear fruit. Then it will bear even more fruit.You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.Remain joined to me, just as I also remain joined to you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain joined to the vine. In the same way, you can’t bear fruit unless you remain joined to me.“ I am the vine. You are the branches. If you remain joined to me, and I to you, you will bear a lot of fruit. You can’t do anything without me.If you don’t remain joined to me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and dries up. Branches like those are picked up. They are thrown into the fire and burned.If you remain joined to me and my words remain in you, ask for anything you wish. And it will be done for you.When you bear a lot of fruit, it brings glory to my Father. It shows that you are my disciples.
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Psalms 80:8-14
You brought Israel out of Egypt. Israel was like a vine. After you drove the nations out of Canaan, you planted the vine in their land.You prepared the ground for it. It took root and spread out over the whole land.The mountains were covered with its shade. The shade of its branches covered the mighty cedar trees.Your vine sent its branches out all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. They reached as far as the Euphrates River.Why have you broken down the walls around your vine? Now all who pass by it can pick its grapes.Wild pigs from the forest destroy it. Insects from the fields feed on it.God who rules over all, return to us! Look down from heaven and see us! Watch over your vine.
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Jeremiah 2:21
You were like a good vine when I planted you. You were a healthy plant. Then how did you turn against me? How did you become a bad, wild vine?
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Song of Solomon 8 11-Song of Solomon 8 12
Solomon, you had a vineyard in Baal Hamon. You rented your vineyard to others. They had to pay 25 pounds of silver for its fruit.But I can give my own vineyard to anyone I want to. So I give my 25 pounds of silver to you, Solomon. Give 5 pounds to those who take care of its fruit.”
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Luke 19:12
Jesus said,“ A man from an important family went to a country far away. He went there to be made king and then return home.
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Matthew 25:14
“ Again, here is what the kingdom of heaven will be like. A man was going on a journey. He sent for his slaves and put them in charge of his money.
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1 Corinthians 3 6-1 Corinthians 3 9
I planted the seed. Apollos watered it. But God has been making it grow.So the one who plants is not important. The one who waters is not important. It is God who makes things grow. He is the important one.The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose. The Lord will give each of them a reward for their work.We work together to serve God. You are like God’s field. You are like his building.
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Deuteronomy 1:15-18
So I chose the leading men of your tribes who were wise and respected. I appointed them to have authority over you. I made them commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. I appointed them to be officials over the tribes.Here is what I commanded your judges at that time. I said,“ Listen to your people’s cases when they argue with one another. Judge them fairly. It doesn’t matter whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and an outsider living among you.When you judge them, treat everyone the same. Listen to those who are important and those who are not. Don’t be afraid of anyone. God is the highest judge. Bring me any case that is too hard for you. I’ll listen to it.”At that time I told you everything you should do.
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Deuteronomy 17:8-15
People will bring their cases to your courts. But some cases will be too hard for you to judge. They might be about murders, attacks or other crimes. Then take those hard cases to the place the Lord your God will choose.Go to a priest, who is a Levite. And go to the judge who is in office at that time. Ask them for their decision. They will give it to you.They’ll hand down their decisions at the place the Lord will choose. You must do what they decide. Be careful to do everything they tell you to do.Act according to whatever they teach you. Accept the decisions they give you. Don’t turn away from what they tell you. Don’t turn to the right or the left.Someone might show that they don’t respect the judge. Or they will show that they don’t respect the priest. The priest will serve the Lord your God at the place God will choose. If anyone doesn’t show respect for these people, that person must be put to death. Remove that evil person from Israel.All the Israelites will hear about it. And they will be afraid to disrespect a judge or priest again.You will enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. You will take it as your own. You will make your homes in it. When you do, you will say,“ Let’s appoint a king over us, just like all the nations around us.”When that happens, make sure you appoint over yourselves a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your own people. Don’t appoint over yourselves someone from another country. Don’t choose anyone who isn’t from one of the tribes of Israel.
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Deuteronomy 16:18
Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes. Do it in every town the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.
