Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I'll be preaching tomorrow at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. We will be having an indoor, in-person service (all socially distanced, with masks) as well as our drive-in service. The gospel reading is Matthew 21:33-46 .  Jesus says, “Listen to another parable…” continuing his response to the Jewish leadership regarding his authority. We’re in another vineyard today yet with a different setting. The cast of characters is larger and we find ourselves in a parable that has historically, often been used to fuel anti-Jewish sentiment.   Now Jesus is also calling out the leadership for being unfaithful to God. In the absence of the landowner, the tenants were to care for the vineyard. “ The first and second years are typically growing years for the root system and canopy. The third year is usually when they yield enough fruit to harvest. It takes about five years to get a full crop from the new vines” ( https://gaineyvineyard.com/blog/replanting-grapevines ).  

Here are some thoughts on Sunday's gospel reading that were sent to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church . Do you have any thoughts? Gospel: Matthew 21:33-46 [Jesus said to the people:] 33 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will