Voice:
Today is Thursday, 9th of July. Take a moment to be still in His presence.
Psalm 113
1 Praise the Lord !
Praise, O servants of the Lord ,
praise the name of the Lord !
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!
4 The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord !
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Luke 20:9-19
9And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?
18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
19The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Surely Not!
It is the final week before Jesus’ crucifixion. The Jewish leaders have been questioning His authority. The Parable of the Wicked Tenants was anything but subtle. Jesus concluded with these sobering words: “He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” Their immediate response was, “Surely not!”
It is human nature to assume that God will always approve of us. After all, the scribes and chief priests took their vocation seriously. They saw themselves as guardians of the Jewish faith, preserving it under the constant pressures of Roman occupation and the pervasive influence of Greco-Roman culture and philosophy. From their perspective, this rabbi from Nazareth was undermining their authority and threatening the fragile social order. The plot to eliminate Him was already underway.
Jesus’ parable exposed them. Just as Israel had rejected God’s prophets throughout her history, they were now rejecting God’s own beloved Son. The message struck home, and their instinctive response was, “Surely not!”
How often we respond the same way. We become so immersed in our own assumptions, convictions and way of life that we cannot imagine we might be mistaken. We dismiss the possibility that God’s truth may expose us, challenge us or even place us on the wrong side of history.
We see this played out daily in our world. Nations persist in conflict because each side is convinced of its own righteousness. Relationships fracture because neither party is willing to admit fault. Every day’s headlines remind us of the pain that follows when men and women persist in choices that are contrary to God’s ways.
Yes, God loves every person He has created. But His love does not nullify His truth, nor does His mercy remove our accountability. If we continue to reject His Son and forget that we are merely stewards of the life He has entrusted to us, we will one day have to answer to the Owner of the vineyard.
Brothers and sisters, let us not respond with, “Surely not!” Instead, let us humble ourselves before our Heavenly Father. May we receive His correction with grateful hearts, submit ourselves afresh to His Son, and be found faithful over the vineyard He has entrusted to our care, bearing fruit that honours Him.
We end with this Prayer of St. Thomas A Kempis, 1380-1470
Lord, You know what is best; let this be done or that be done as You please. Give what You will, as much as You will, when You will. Do with me as You know best, as will most please You, and will be for Your greater honor. Place me where You will and deal with me freely in all things. I am in Your hand; turn me about whichever way You will. Behold, I am Your servant, ready to obey in all things. Not for myself do I desire to live, but for You – would that I could do this worthily and perfectly! Amen.
Be blessed by this song, Pursue by Generations Worship
More than lifting up our voices
More than just another song
More than just a declaration that we love You
More than lifting up these hands
Let every breath, all that we have
Be for You our King
We want to live a life of worship to You
We want to live a life in spirit and truth
Lord, Your presence is all we will pursue
More than lifting up our voices
More than just another song
More than just a declaration that we love You
More than lifting up these hands
Let every breath, all that we have
Be for You our King
Let every breath, all that we have
Be for You our King
Daily Devotion 
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