A Bible & Bourbon Series
The Son
Christ is King
A reading from the gospel of Saint Matthew,
Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.”
“Hear a parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his Son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my Son.’ But when the tenants saw the Son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their season.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on any one, it will crush him.”
Now therefore, o kings, be wise; be warned o rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling rejoice. kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him. — Psalm 2