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Matthew 21:33-46
“ Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop.But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.“ Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking,‘ Surely they will respect my son.’“ But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another,‘ Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.“ When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked,“ what do you think he will do to those farmers?”The religious leaders replied,“ He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”Then Jesus asked them,“ Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?‘ The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit.Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them— they were the wicked farmers.They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.
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Mark 12:1-12
Then Jesus began teaching them with stories:“ A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop.But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty handed.The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head.The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed,until there was only one left— his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent him, thinking,‘ Surely they will respect my son.’“ But the tenant farmers said to one another,‘ Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard.“ What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?” Jesus asked.“ I’ll tell you— he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?‘ The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’”The religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus because they realized he was telling the story against them— they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.
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Isaiah 5:1-7
Now I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill.He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter.Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard.What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?Now let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed. I will break down its walls and let the animals trample it.I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed, a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it.The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence.
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John 15:1-8
“ I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.“ Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
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Psalms 80:8-14
You brought us from Egypt like a grapevine; you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land.You cleared the ground for us, and we took root and filled the land.Our shade covered the mountains; our branches covered the mighty cedars.We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea; our shoots spread east to the Euphrates River.But now, why have you broken down our walls so that all who pass by may steal our fruit?The wild boar from the forest devours it, and the wild animals feed on it.Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven’s Armies. Look down from heaven and see our plight. Take care of this grapevine
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Jeremiah 2:21
But I was the one who planted you, choosing a vine of the purest stock— the very best. How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine?
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Song of Solomon 8 11-Song of Solomon 8 12
Solomon has a vineyard at Baal hamon, which he leases out to tenant farmers. Each of them pays a thousand pieces of silver for harvesting its fruit.But my vineyard is mine to give, and Solomon need not pay a thousand pieces of silver. But I will give two hundred pieces to those who care for its vines.
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Luke 19:12
He said,“ A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return.
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Matthew 25:14
“ Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.
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1 Corinthians 3 6-1 Corinthians 3 9
I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
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Deuteronomy 1:15-18
So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten.“ At that time I instructed the judges,‘ You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisionsand impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’“ At that time I gave you instructions about everything you were to do.
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Deuteronomy 17:8-15
“ Suppose a case arises in a local court that is too hard for you to decide— for instance, whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter, or a difficult lawsuit, or a case involving different kinds of assault. Take such legal cases to the place the Lord your God will choose,and present them to the Levitical priests or the judge on duty at that time. They will hear the case and declare the verdict.You must carry out the verdict they announce and the sentence they prescribe at the place the Lord chooses. You must do exactly what they say.After they have interpreted the law and declared their verdict, the sentence they impose must be fully executed; do not modify it in any way.Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the Lord your God must die. In this way you will purge the evil from Israel.Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid to act so arrogantly.“ You are about to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think,‘ We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.
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Deuteronomy 16:18
“ Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.
