Daily Devotional
By Pastor Jerry Teboe
A Closer Walk with Christ in 2026
A Walk with the Master Series
Rejected
Mark 12:1-12
And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. Mar 12:2 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. Mar 12:3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Mar 12:4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. Mar 12:5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. Mar 12:6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ Mar 12:7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ Mar 12:8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. Mar 12:9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Mar 12:10 Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; Mar 12:11 this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” Mar 12:12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.
The chapter begins with a parable about the ruler of the land that had rejected the Lord Jesus. In this parable, Israel is seen as a vineyard prepared to produce good fruit. The owner of the vineyard was God the Father who prepared the vineyard and turned it over to tenants; they were to tend it and then give the proceeds to the owner. A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. Mar 12:2 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.
When it was time for the vineyard to produce fruit, the owner sent His servant to collect the bounty. That servant was turned away, and then others were sent who were beaten, mistreated, and some were even killed. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Mar 12:4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. Mar 12:5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. Finally, the owner sent His Son thinking they would accept Him and respond correctly. When He came, the tenants decided to reject the owner’s Son and killed Him thinking they could claim the vineyard as their own. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ Mar 12:7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ Mar 12:8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.
This is the teaching of the parable. God sent His Son Jesus to the rulers to bring Israel back to Himself. They rejected the Lord Jesus and had Him killed, thinking they would continue to rule the land as their own. Jesus was the stone which the builders rejected, but in reality, He is the cornerstone of all that God had prepared and done. “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
Jesus is our Rock, our cornerstone, the One in whom we can trust. The tenants were overthrown, and the Lord is glorified because He is the One on the throne who will rule forever. Praise be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!
Bible Reading for the Year
May 7th, 1 Kings 19-20; John 2:1-25
Prayer Needs
Pray for Dr. Joe Jordan. Wednesday morning, he had a stroke and needs all of our prayers.
Please continue praying for Jennifer Teboe Buchamer. She will have a Keytruda infusion on Thursday, May 7th. She is also having stomach issues caused by the medication. Please continue to pray for complete healing.
Please pray for Shirley and Kenny Deans. Shirley saw the ear, throat, and nose doctor Monday about her throat cancer. She will have a PET scan on May 17th, then see her cancer doctor on the 27th. Kenny will NOT need a heart catherization. He saw a doctor on May 4th for a sore on his right leg that will not heal.
Please pray for Robbie Harvey, who has MAC lung disease. He fell and broke several ribs. He is now home from the hospital but in a lot of pain. He has started a new medication for his lung disease.
Please pray for Peggy Warren. She is in a lot of pain from a partially crushed disc in her lower back. Doctors have put her on some new medication that seems to be helping.
Please continue to pray for Marvin Silverthorne for his eyesight to improve.
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Pray for our Missionaries!
Sue Singleton and the mission in Cambodia
Dr. Joe Jordan and the CBM (Cross and Bible Ministries)
Travis and Caroline Fennessy – IBM missionaries to Southeast Asia