13th Sunday of Matthew

Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong! ¹⁴Let all that you do be done in love.

¹⁵Now I beg you, brothers—you know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have set themselves to serve the saints— ¹⁶that you also be in subjection to such, and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. ¹⁷I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus; for that which was lacking on your part, they supplied. ¹⁸For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge those who are like that.

¹⁹The assemblies of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, together with the assembly that is in their house. ²⁰All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹This greeting is by me, Paul, with my own hand. ²²If any man doesn’t love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be cursed. Come, Lord! ²³The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. ²⁴My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

“Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country. ³⁴When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit. ³⁵The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. ³⁶Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way. ³⁷But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’ ³⁹So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him. ⁴⁰When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”

⁴¹They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruit in its season.”

⁴²Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’?