A Morning Cup of Tea:

Good morning! Today's reading is from Matthew 21:18-46.

Jesus was hungry and saw a fig tree. The tree had leaves, but no fruit. Jesus cursed the tree by saying it would never bear fruit. It soon withered away. His disciples marveled at how quickly the tree withered away. Jesus told them that they too could do things if they believed and did not doubt. Ask what you want in  prayer and believe, and it will be yours, he told them. While sometimes the answer will be no, I wonder sometimes if we get a no answer because we have doubts. Not prayers for a sports car or a big fancy house, but prayers for healing, for our needs.
  Jesus went into the temple to teach. The chief priests and elders did not like this because Jesus always got so much attention and people were listening to him. They asked him, By whose authority do you do this?
  Jesus answered the question with a question of his own: The baptism of John, did it come from heaven or from man?
  They knew that if they answered from heaven, Jesus would ask why they didnt believe him. If they answered from man, the crowds would turn on them because they knew John to be a prophet. So they told Jesus they couldn't answer. Jesus told them he couldn't answer their question either.
   Then Jesus told them the parable of the vineyard owner. He set it all up, then rented it out to people to care for it. When harvest time came near, he sent his servants to the man in charge to get the product. The servants were beaten and killed. The vineyard owner sent more servants, and they too were killed. The man sent his son, saying they will reverence my son. But the greedy people running the vineyard killed him too, to try and take over the vineyard. 
  He asked, what do you think the vineyard owner would do to these men? They answered he would destroy the wicked men and let out the vineyard to those who would do his will.
  Jesus told the chief priests and elders that the kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to a nation that would bring forth fruits.
  The chief priests and Pharisees did not like the way Jesus was speaking of them.They wanted to kill him then, but did not because they were afraid of the people.

Good morning! Today's reading is from Matthew 21:18-46.

Jesus was hungry and saw a fig tree. The tree had leaves, but no fruit. Jesus cursed the tree by saying it would never bear fruit. It soon withered away. His disciples marveled at how quickly the tree withered away. Jesus told them that they too could do things if they believed and did not doubt. Ask what you want in  prayer and believe, and it will be yours, he told them. While sometimes the answer will be no, I wonder sometimes if we get a no answer because we have doubts. Not prayers for a sports car or a big fancy house, but prayers for healing, for our needs.
  Jesus went into the temple to teach. The chief priests and elders did not like this because Jesus always got so much attention and people were listening to him. They asked him, By whose authority do you do this?
  Jesus answered the question with a question of his own: The baptism of John, did it come from heaven or from man?
  They knew that if they answered from heaven, Jesus would ask why they didnt believe him. If they answered from man, the crowds would turn on them because they knew John to be a prophet. So they told Jesus they couldn't answer. Jesus told them he couldn't answer their question either.
   Then Jesus told them the parable of the vineyard owner. He set it all up, then rented it out to people to care for it. When harvest time came near, he sent his servants to the man in charge to get the product. The servants were beaten and killed. The vineyard owner sent more servants, and they too were killed. The man sent his son, saying they will reverence my son. But the greedy people running the vineyard killed him too, to try and take over the vineyard. 
  He asked, what do you think the vineyard owner would do to these men? They answered he would destroy the wicked men and let out the vineyard to those who would do his will.
  Jesus told the chief priests and elders that the kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to a nation that would bring forth fruits.
  The chief priests and Pharisees did not like the way Jesus was speaking of them.They wanted to kill him then, but did not because they were afraid of the people.