Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark 12, 1-12
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders in parables.
“A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?”
They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.
A man planted a vineyard
1) To plant. God has planted a seed within you and asks you to cultivate it so that it may bear fruit. Your life is meant to be fruitful. Don’t let pride become a parasite that takes hold of you and blocks your growth. You’re also called to plant good things in this life. What have you planted so far?
2) The killers. These are people who want to possess everything. Let me make one thing clear: your life is on loan; you’re not the owner. God has entrusted it to you so that you may cultivate it and bear fruit. Don’t fall into the illusion that you’re master of everything, because sooner or later you will be held accountable for what you’ve done. In a certain sense, there are people who become “killers” because their pride doesn’t allow anyone to enter their lives. As a result, they end up hurting anyone who tries to come close—even God Himself. Don’t become a destroyer of your own life, and don’t use your life to harm others.
3) The cornerstone. God is your cornerstone, and you must learn to accept that. He’s your only true foundation. I may let you down, and those closest to you may do so too, but God never will. That’s why I invite you to live your life from God, with God, and for God. Don’t be afraid; you have a firm foundation and a clear goal: Heaven.
Don’t forget that something good is on the way.
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
