Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
The Father sends his Son to us constantly. But we do not respect him. We're more worried about the vineyards we have on loan from him. We're too focused on blessings which we do not have but that we desire. We are envious of things which others have which we do not. We are envious of blessings which to which we feel entitled.
This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.
We don't actually kill anyone. But the way we focus our attention on our own wants and needs and completely shut out and ignore God and neighbor does this implicitly. Choosing to put ourselves first is not a victimless crime. It is a way is saying 'I wish you didn't exist' with our intentions.
The LORD sends his Son to us even in spite of knowing that we almost never show him the proper respect and awe that is his due. He does this because he is confident that he can win us over to his love, to more and more convince us to trust and to follow him. We may sell Joseph to Ishmaelites but God will eventually use even so great a sin as that to save his people from famine.
Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
Even though we ourselves kill the Son and must be put to a wretched death that isn't the end of the story. We need to recognize this tendency in our spirits to desire independence from God. In recognizing it, we must repent of it. If we trust in the LORD's mercy, death to sin in baptism leads us to life again, changing us from a people who hoard the fruit to a people who give God the produce at the proper time.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
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