The Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost - Matthew 21:33-46 - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr
October 4, 2026 – Matthew 21:33-46 In The Lord of the Rings , the kingdom of Gondor has no king. For thousands of years it has been ruled by stewards. The steward has enormous authority. He lives in the palace. He makes decisions for the kingdom. He is in charge of the military, and he has the final word on laws and legal matters. While the steward had great authority, one of the main differences between a steward and a king was that the steward did not own the throne. He had temporary guardianship of the kingdom. He was the caretaker of the empty throne. So, while the steward had great authority, there was one thing he could never forget: the kingdom wasn't his. He had been entrusted with it. We see a similar scenario in Jesus’ parable today. A vineyard owner has entrusted his vineyard to tenants. The vineyard owner is nowhere near. The tenants are responsible for caring for the land. But somewhere along the way, the tenants begin acting like they own the land. Somewhere a...