Wednesday in Holy Week

Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘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, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’?” Mark 12:1-11

Loving Creator, you call us all your children

you are the source of all that is good

your goodness and love know no bounds

you are our rock, our hiding place, our foundation.

We are surrounded by those who constantly take

those who disregard brothers and sisters

those who forget the great compassion they received

and take more than their share of your abundance.

You told parables to thick of mind and heart

we often need stories to lift us from our fog

your did not lord you authority over anyone

loving them despite the cruelty and betrayal.

Help us to move from commodity to relationship

move our hearts from transaction to compassion

remake us and remold us into your family again

let the world be healed by your love in our hearts. Amen.