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Gospel Reading for March 06, 2026 – Matthew 21: 33-43, 45-46
SPIRITUAL WASTES
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” They answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
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Jesus very often used parables as a way of preaching and teaching. They are a form of instruction that requires careful listening if we are to truly learn from them. His parables were not meant only for the Jews of his time, but also for us Christians—today and in the generations to come.
In the Gospel, Jesus asked, “What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” They answered, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” Although Jesus did not explicitly say that he was referring to the chief priests and the Pharisees, they understood that he was speaking about them—and it angered them. Instead of accepting the message and learning from it, they chose to reject it and, in effect, to “shoot the messenger” of God.
There is a Filipino saying: “Bato-bato sa langit, ang matamaan ay huwag magalit.” Indeed, as people often say, “the truth hurts.” Yet what we sometimes forget is the other side of that truth: “the truth will set us free.”
During this season of Lent, let us allow the Word of God—sharper than any double-edged sword—to pierce our hearts, so that we may cleanse our souls of what may be called SPIRITUAL WASTES: the internal, emotional, and mental toxins such as bitterness, fear, unforgiveness, and worldly distractions that pollute the soul and hinder our spiritual growth.
Lord Jesus, help us to accept the truth so we may be able to move on to our healing!
