The curse of the monster watermelons
Once upon a time, there was a man who travelled to a strange land. There he saw people fleeing in horror from a wheat field. There was a horrible monster in the field! they screamed. A large monster with red mouth and black teeth. The traveller went into the field himself and found the monster – a watermelon, ripened and cracked open showing the inside: red coloured with black seeds! The villagers had never seen a watermelon before. Trying to be kind, he offered to “kill” the monster for them. He hacked the melon off the vine and then cut a slide and began to eat it. The people became even more terrified of the traveller. He will eat us too! they cried, and then drive him off with their pitchforks.
Sometime later, another traveller to the same village found himself confronted
by the same “monster.” But instead of offering to “kill” the monster, he
told the villagers that it must be dangerous and tiptoed away from it.
Gaining the confidence of the villagers, the second traveler was able to teach
the villagers some elementary horticultural facts about the “monster” in their
midst. The villagers lost their fear of the melons and began to cultivate
them for food.
The first traveler, while trying to help the villagers, only intensified their
fear; his knowledge became even more powerful and terrifying to the villagers.
But the second traveler was a man of compassion: he entered into their fears,
suffered with them, and then was able to help them rise above their fears. Henri
J.M. Nouwen.]
In the person of his Son, God enters the human
experience. He lives our lives, embraces our fears and hardships, and
shows us to transform and re-create our lives in his love. Faith is not a
power bestowed on an self-elected elite nor is God a cudgel we swing to impose
our sense of right and wrong on others; faith is the awareness of God’s
presence in our lives, a presence that should humble us with gratitude and
inspire us with hope to continue our journey to the dwelling place of God.
****
From Fr. Jude Botelho:
Reflection
The song of the vineyard is thought to have been composed by
the prophet Isaiah during the early part of his ministry and sung at the
vintage festivals. It is only in the last part of this song that the vineyard
refers to Israel, thus turning a happy harvest song into a condemnation of the
people of Israel. Israel’s choice to be a holy nation carried with it the
responsibility towards all people. Israel was meant to mirror God to all the
nations though in reality Israel was often like a vineyard that produced bitter
and rotten grapes. We too are the vineyard of God, blessed with the gift of
knowing Him. We have been chosen to be a sign to others of God’s bounty.
Sometimes we have neither relished this bounty nor let others have access to
it.
The stone the builders rejected became the corner
stone
South Africa is a country blessed by God in a great
many ways. But the country which should have been a haven for all the peoples
of Southern Africa became instead a heaven for a privileged white minority.
Many people tried in vain to change South Africa’s apartheid system. Finally,
Nelson Mandela appeared on the scene. He too tried to bring about reforms. But
like reformers before him, he was rejected. Worse, he was hounded by the
government, and ended up spending twenty-seven years in prison. However, he not
only survived prison, but came out of it with the respect of his enemies and of
the entire world. Furthermore, he came out without bitterness. In fact, he came
out smiling, and immediately sought reconciliation with the leaders of the
regime that kept him, in prison. But even greater things were to follow. The
man once rejected was to become the President of a new multi-racial South
Africa. The stone which the builders rejected became the cornerstone of a new
and better building. Flor McCarthy
In today’s gospel the story that Jesus tells could be
considered an allegory, a mirror story, which could give insight into
ourselves. Today’s story is about God and the human race and it uses a metaphor
to describe the relationship, -the vineyard and the workers in the vineyard.
Looking at the story as an allegory, we see distinct elements in the story
mirroring Israel and its relationship with God, and consequently we can see
ourselves in our present-day relationship with Him. The vineyard becomes
Israel, God’s people and the vinedressers their religious leaders. Each
successive emissary of the landlord stands for the succession of Old Testament
prophets that God sent to his people who were rejected and killed. The sending
of the son was the sending of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who was crucified by
the people. The murder of the son is seen as the rejection not only of Jesus
but also a rejection of who and what he stood for, the message of salvation,
rejected by the chosen people and their leaders. The threat that the vineyard
will be taken away and given to the nation that brings forth fruit is seen as a
reminder that if we are not accountable for what we have received God could
take away the gift and give it to others who are more responsive. In the case
of Israel, since they rejected God’s offer, the good news is shared with the
gentles and all those who are ready to live according to God’s precepts and
commands. Where do we see ourselves in the story?
Losing our inheritance: It has happened in many
families. Through diligent hard work and perhaps a little luck, one generation
put together a tidy farm, prosperous business or substantial savings. Then,
with little appreciation of what has been handed on, the next generation
neglects the inheritance and loses it completely. In today’s gospel, Jesus is
pointing out to the Jews of his own time that this is exactly what is happening
to them. Through God’s choice, through exile and suffering, through great
leaders and teachers, the Jews had been fashioned into a people who knew the
one true God and who were entrusted with the special role of bringing God’s own
Son into the world of their time. Theirs was a unique inheritance, a priceless
vocation and they squandered it. Could something similar be happening in our
own lives and in our own land? There is no doubting the value of our
inheritance. Tested through persecution and deprivation, faith in the one true
God and in Jesus Christ born of Mary, has been entrusted to us. We are in
danger of squandering our inheritance and leaving nothing but baubles for the
next generation. Accumulating possessions, we have lost sight of the
ingredients of lasting happiness. Fidelity, generously, neighbourliness,
forgiveness, heroism, and an awareness of God’s love and presence were the
hallmarks of what we received. They must be handed on or our inheritance will
be given to another people. Today’s warning of rejection is as applicable to us
today as it was to the people of Jesus’ own time. Tom Clancy in ‘Living the
Word’
Beware! A story is narrated about the
visit of Jesus to a church. The church was packed with the people and the
people were eager to listen to Jesus’ sermon. Jesus ascended the pulpit and He
just smiled and said, “Hello!” everybody offered Him hospitality, but He
refused. He preferred to spend the night in the church. The next morning, He
slipped away before the church doors were opened. When the people entered the
church, they were horrified to see the doors, Windows, the walls and the altar
vandalized. Everywhere, it was scribbled ‘BEWARE’. No part of the church was
spared: The walls, the altar, the doors, and the windows, even the Bible was
not spared. Wherever one could see, it was scribbled, in different colours,
sizes, shapes: “Beware, BeWare, BewaRe, beware…” The first instinct of the
people was to wipe out every trace of the defilement. But, only the thought
that Jesus Himself had written those words stopped them from doing such a
thing. Slowly, over the days, the mysterious word- ‘Beware’, began to sink into
the minds of the people. They began to ‘beware’ of the Scriptures, and they
began to profit from it without falling into bigotry; they began to ‘beware of
the Sacraments, so that they were sanctified without becoming superstitious;
they began to ‘beware’ of prayer, so they became self reliant; they began to
‘beware’ of God’s graces and blessing, so they began to ‘beware’ of God’s
forgiveness, so they became generous forgivers. Later, they inscribed this
shocking word ‘BEWARE’ at the entrance of the church and any one who drives
past the church, even at night, can see it blazing above the church in
multi-coloured neon lights. In today’s Gospel, Jesus narrates the parables of
the vineyard in order to highlight the motif of judgement against the
Israelites, and the idea of transference of the blessing from the Israelites to
the other people who would bear fruits.
John Rose in ‘John’s Sunday Homilies’
Can they see who we are?
Two men from Mars decide to do a little sightseeing on
earth. They realize that to avoid causing a panic they must appear as
inconspicuous as possible. They obtain American clothing, learn the language,
and in general make themselves as ordinary as possible. During their first day
on earth nobody notices anything unusual about them. At the end of the day,
they are paying their check, they are astonished to hear the waiter say, “You
guys must be from Mars!” “What?” asked the dumbfounded Martians. “How can you
tell?” “Well,” replied the waiter, “You’re the first customers to pay cash
since I’ve been working here.”
Application: How can others see from the way we live that we
are disciples of Jesus? Gerard Fuller
Murdering the Messiah
On August 16, 2005, Brother Roger, founder of the Ecumenical
Taze community in France, was stabbed to death by Luminita Solcana, a
36-year-old mentally unstable Romanian woman. On August 21st, Amritanandamayi
escaped an attempt on her life when mentally deranged Pavithran whipped out a
knife and ran towards her during a Bhajan-mandli. On October 2nd, Gandhi
Jayanti, many Indians will remember the Mahatma who wrote: “A man of knowledge
has called us wayfarers. And so indeed it is. We are here for only a few days;
thereafter, we do not die, but only go home!” While God’s Messiah, or Mahatmas
and Matas are unafraid of death, we could make meaning of their lives and
deaths in the context of today’s gospel of ‘the murderous tenants’. Reading
about how Jesus was rejected and killed by his people, a sadhu respectfully
remarked, “A prophet whose people do not want to reject and kill is no prophet
at all!” When the Messiah preached love, I crucified him, when the Mahatma
espoused ahimsa, I shot him, and when a Mata brings solace, I stab her.
Solcana, Godse and Pavithran symbolize my ‘shadowy self’ who would rather
murder Roger and Gandhi than follow their footsteps and bear fruit. Francis
Gonsalves
Unconditional Love
In 1978 a man travelled to Cincinnati to attend the funeral
of Max Ellerbusch. Max had been like a father to this man for twenty years.
Nothing unusual, except that as a 15-year-old this man had taken his mother’s
car and struck and killed Max’s 5-year-old son. This was a week before
Christmas in 1958. Soon after the accident, a surprised court heard Max ask
that charges be dropped. Instead, he wanted to give the death-car driver a job
and help toward his education. Max did all that and more, virtually adopting
the 15-year-old boy into his family. Max shared his home, time and
understanding with the troubled youth. We might wonder, “How could Max do that?
I could never befriend a wild teenager who had just killed my 5-year-old con.
Max must have been a little crazy to go out of his way that much to become like
a father for that boy.” But if Max Ellerbusch was a little crazy, so is God.
The parable in today’s gospel describes God as a landowner who prepared a
beautiful vineyard and gave it to his people to tend. However, his people
wanted not just their share of the harvest, but the whole thing. They even
abused and killed the prophets God sent to help them. Finally, in a desperate
attempt to save his vineyard and his people, God sent his own Son, hoping they
would respect and honour him. Nonetheless, they abused and killed him too in an
effort to seize his inheritance. “What a silly story,” we might say. “No
landowner in his right mind would risk sending his own son among rebels who had
already murdered his messengers. How crazy can you get? Who can believe in a
God so dumb?’ But that is precisely the point of the parable. Where we would
cry for vengeance on the tenants, God chose another alternative – the
alternative of unconditional love. Albert Cylwicki
*****
II. From
the Collection of Fr. Tony Kadavil
1) Warnings ignored: Recently the New
York Times Magazine showed a series of photographs of a rock formation
in Yosemite National Park near Bridal Veil Falls. A prominent sign in yellow
plastic was attached to the rocks which clearly said: “Danger. Climbing or
scrambling on rocks and cliffs is extremely dangerous. They are slippery when
dry or wet. Many injuries and even fatalities have occurred.” One picture
showed a woman walking on the rocks in a tight dress and high heels. Another
showed a couple walking on the rocks. The man was carrying his dog apparently
because he thought it was too slippery for the dog. Another showed a man
carrying a month-old baby in his arms while walking on the rocks. (“Slippery
Slope in Yosemite” New York Times Magazine, September 9, 1994,
p. 14.) What causes us to ignore clear warnings? Why do folks rip the plastic
cover off a pack of cigarettes when all of us know the surgeon general’s
warning by heart? Why do people remove the safety shield from power saws? Why
do people ignore their doctor’s warnings about being overweight and under
exercised? Why do entire civilizations ignore warnings about pollution, or the
revolutionary pressures that economic and political injustice creates? Today’s
Gospel tells us how the Jewish religious leadership ignored the even the final
warning given by Jesus after Palm Sunday. (https://youtu.be/kAvhslwxMPU)
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
2) Wild vines in the Lord’s vineyard. In
his book From Scandal to Hope, Fr. Benedict Groeschel (EWTN),
examines the roots of the clergy sex-abuse scandal. He details how disloyalty
spread through seminaries, universities, chanceries and parishes. The most
notorious case was that of Fr. Paul Shanley who helped found the North American Man-Boy
Love Association in 1979. He lectured in seminaries, once with a
bishop in attendance, maintaining that “homosexuality is a gift of God and
should be celebrated,” and that there was no sexual activity that could cause
psychic damage– “not even incest or bestiality.” No wonder Fr. Charles
Curran had little trouble getting seventy-seven theologians to sign a protest
against Humanae Vitae, an encyclical which reaffirmed marital
chastity! A few years later the Catholic Theological Society (CTS),
published Human Sexuality: New Directions in American Catholic Thought,
a study which accepted cohabitation, adultery and homosexuality. Now,
however, all these chickens have come home to roost. We are paying the price –
in lawsuits, public humiliation and loss of credibility. The media gave
us a glimpse of the enormous destruction in the Lord’s vineyard done by
those wicked tenants. They did so with great relish because the scandals
discredit a teaching authority, they, by and large, find annoying. But this
attention by the media has had consequences the media probably did not
intend. It has alerted Catholics to the widespread pillaging of the vineyard,
which ultimately means the damnation of souls. Fr. Groeschel asks, “Does all
this scandal shake your faith in the Church?” He answers, “I hope so, because
ultimately your Faith should not be in the Church. Ultimately your Faith is in
Jesus Christ. It is because of him that we accept and support the
Church. We believe in and belong to the Church because Christ established it on
his apostles.” — We see in today’s Gospel that the owner of the
vineyard is God. He will care for his Church, not by committees or
documents, but by raising up saints who will properly tend the vineyard. (Fr.
Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
3) Rejected stone becoming the cornerstone: A
girl named Kristi Yamaguchi was born to a young couple whose parents
had emigrated to the U.S. from Japan in the early twentieth century.
Unfortunately, one of her feet was twisted. Her parents tried to heal her
by means of physical therapy. To strengthen her legs further they enrolled her
in an ice-skating class. Kristi had to get up at four AM on school days to
do her practice in the ice rink before she went to school. This helped her
to develop into a world-class figure-skater. Believe it or not, in 1992 Kristi
won the gold medal for the United States in women’s figure-skating at the XVI
Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, 1992. Kristi thus became one of the
several examples of “the stone rejected by the builders becoming a
cornerstone,” in this case, of the U.S. Women’s Olympic team. Kristi
is very passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of children.
In 1996, Kristi established the Always Dream Foundation whose
mission is to encourage, support and, embrace the hopes and dreams of children.
— In today’s Gospel, after telling the parable of the wicked tenants, Jesus
prophesies that, rejected by the Jewish nation, he will become the cornerstone
of the Kingdom of God. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
24 Additional anecdotes:
1) The rejected cornerstone: There was a legend,
well-known in New Testament times, that in the building of God’s Temple by
Solomon, most of the stones were of the same size and shape. One stone arrived,
however, that was different from the others. The builders took one look at it
and said, “This will not do,” and sent it rolling down into the valley of
Kedron below. The years passed and the great Temple was nearing completion, and
the builders sent a message to the stonecutters to send the chief cornerstone
that the structure might be complete. The cutters replied that they had sent
the stone years before. Then someone remembered the stone that was so different
from all the rest that it somehow did not seem to belong. They realized that
they had thrown away the cornerstone. They hurried into the valley to retrieve
it. Finally, from under vines and debris, they recovered it and with great
effort rolled it up the hill and put it in place so that the great Temple would
be complete. The stone that had been rejected had become the chief cornerstone.
Jesus, who had been rejected now reigns at the right hand of the Father. (Fr.
Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
2) Black ingratitude and cold indifference: Andrew
Carnegie, a multimillionaire, left one million dollars to one of his relatives,
who in return cursed Carnegie bitterly because he had left $365 million to
public charities and had cut the relatives off with one million
each. Samuel Leibowitz, criminal lawyer and judge, saved 78 men from the
electric chair. Not one of them ever bothered to thank him. Many years
ago, as the story is told, a devout king was disturbed by the ingratitude of
his royal court. He prepared a large banquet for them. When the king and his
royal guests were seated, a beggar shuffled into the hall, sat down at the
king’s table, and gorged himself with food. Without saying a word, the beggar
then left the room. The guests were furious and asked permission to seize the
tramp and tear him limb from limb for his ingratitude. The king replied, “That
beggar has done only once to an earthly king what each of you does three times
each day to God. You sit there at the table and eat until you are satisfied.
Then you walk away without recognizing God or expressing one word of thanks to
Him.” The parable in today’s Gospel is about the gross ingratitude of God’s
chosen people who persecuted and killed all the prophets sent to them by God to
correct them and finally crucified their long-awaited Messiah. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
3) The stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone: South
Africa is a country blessed by God in a great many ways. But the country which
should have been a haven for all the peoples of Southern Africa became instead
a heaven for a privileged white minority. Many people tried in vain to change
South Africa’s apartheid system. Finally, Nelson Mandela appeared on the scene.
He too tried to bring about reforms. But like reformers before him, he was
rejected. Worse, he was hounded by the government, and ended up spending
twenty-seven years in prison. However, he not only survived prison, but came
out of it with the respect of his enemies and of the entire world. Furthermore,
he came out without bitterness. He immediately sought reconciliation with the
leaders of the regime that kept him, in prison. But even greater things were to
follow. The man once rejected was to become the President of a new multi-racial
South Africa. The stone which the builders rejected became the cornerstone of a
new and better building. (Flor McCarthy in New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies;
quoted by Fr. Botelho). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
4) “Send me one line back.” The former British
Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, had proposed marriage to Muriel Wilson, the
daughter of a wealthy shipping tycoon. Soon after Wilson rejected him,
Churchill sent a handwritten letter asking to see her again. “Don’t slam the
door,” Churchill, then 30, begged Wilson, a year younger. “I can wait; perhaps
I shall improve with waiting,” he wrote. “Why shouldn’t you care about me
someday?” Pleading in a postscript, Churchill added, “Send me one line back.”
Later he wrote her again. “Of course, you do not love me a scrap,” he wrote. At
the same time, he insisted on the existence of “a key if I could only find it,
if you would only let me look for it which would unlock both our hearts.” (Cox
News Service)) The man who would one day provide a strong voice for the
aspirations of the British people was once rejected just as many of us may have
been rejected. Few things hurt as much as rejection. In today’s Gospel, Jesus
tells us a story of his painful rejection by the Chosen People. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
5) Rejection – what a terrible, terrible word! Elizabeth
Barrett married the poet Robert Browning against her parents’ wishes. In fact,
they objected so strenuously to her marriage that they disowned her. As
everyone knows, her marriage was a beautiful, happy relationship for both
Elizabeth and Robert. In spite of the hurt of being rejected by her family,
however, Elizabeth Barrett Browning continued to write regularly to them. In
each letter, she told her father and mother how much she continued to love
them. She received no response. Then, after total silence for ten years from
her parents, a large package arrived. Elizabeth Barrett Browning eagerly opened
it. The box contained all of the letters that she had written them since her
marriage to Robert. Not one had been opened. (Dr. William P. Barker, Tarbell’s
Teacher’s Guide (Elgin, Illinois: David C. Cook, 1994).) Parents can
be vindictive at times as can children. And the pain that can result is
devastating. Rejected – is there a more painful word? In today’s Gospel, Jesus
tells us a story of his painful rejection by the Chosen People. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
6) “It’s the only thing!” When Vince Lombardi
was hired as head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1958, the team was in
dismal shape. A single win in season play the year before had socked the club
solidly into the basement of the NFL, and sportscasters everywhere used it as
the butt of loser jokes. But Lombardi picked and pulled and prodded and trained
and discipled the players into become a winning team. They were NFL champions
in three consecutive seasons and took the game honors for the first two Super
Bowls. Lombardi was a drill sergeant and a strategist, finding and developing
the best in each of his players individually and then crafting a team community
that could visualize the prize. “Winning isn’t everything,” he was often quoted
as saying, “It’s the only thing!” His Packers proved him true, time and again.
Where’s the Team? This is the problem Jesus pointedly identifies in today’s
parable. God is the greatest coach, but the team is unwilling to follow Him.
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
7) “Do you mean suicide?” There was a story in
the newspapers sometime back about an 11-year-old boy in Los Angeles who hanged
himself with a bathrobe belt because his girlfriend broke up with him in an
E-Mail message. The boy left no suicide note but told the 12-year-old girl in an
E-Mail that she “wasn’t going to hear from him anymore.” She sent back a
message asking, “Do you mean suicide?” but he did not respond. The boy’s father
found his son hanging from a shower frame. The children had met at a summer
camp about a month before. (The Associated Press). Eleven years old. You and I
would dismiss it as puppy love, but still there is pain. Actually, rejection is
particularly hard on us when we are young. This is when we are still forming
opinions about our own self-worth. Are we acceptable, lovable, worthy of our
place in the sun? In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us a parable of rejection by
the Chosen people of God. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
8) “Yes, Honey. That’s the way life goes
sometimes.” There was a heart-breaking story in the Girl Scouts
magazine, American Girl, several years ago. Listen to these words
from a young woman: “When I was ten, my parents got a divorce. Naturally, my
father told me about it, because he was my favorite. ‘Honey, I know it’s been
kind of bad for you these past few days, and I don’t want to make it worse. But
there’s something I have to tell you. Honey, your mother and I got a divorce .
. . I know you don’t want this, but it has to be done. Your mother and I just
don’t get along like we used to. I’m already packed, and my plane is leaving in
half an hour.’ ‘But, Daddy, why do you have to leave?’ ‘Well, honey, your
mother and I can’t live together anymore.’ ‘I know that, but I mean why do you
have to leave town?’ ‘Oh. Well, I’ve got someone waiting for me in New Jersey.’
‘But, Daddy, will I ever see you again?’ ‘Sure, you will, honey. We’ll work
something out.’ ‘But what? I mean, you’ll be living in New Jersey, and I’ll be
living here in Washington.’ ‘Maybe your mother will agree to you spending two
weeks in the summer and two weeks in the winter with me.’ ‘Why not more often?’
‘I don’t think she’ll agree to two weeks in the summer and two in the winter,
much less more.’ ‘Well, it can’t hurt to try.’ ‘I know, honey, but we’ll have
to work it out later. My plane leaves in twenty minutes and I’ve got to get to
the airport. Now I’m going to get my luggage, and I want you to go to your
room, so you don’t have to watch me. And no long goodbyes either.’ ‘Okay,
Daddy. Goodbye. Don’t forget to write.’ ‘I won’t. Goodbye. Now go to your
room.’ ‘Okay. ‘Daddy, I don’t want you to go!’ ‘I know, honey. But I have to.’
‘Why?’ ‘You wouldn’t understand, honey.’ ‘Yes, I would.’ ‘No, you wouldn’t.’
‘Oh well, Goodbye.’ ‘Goodbye. Now go to your room. Hurry up.’ ‘Okay. Well I
guess that’s the way life goes sometimes.’ ‘Yes, honey. That’s the way life
goes sometimes.'” Would it surprise you to know that after that young woman’s
father walked out the door, she never heard from him again? [James C.
Dobson, Straight Talk to Men and Their Wives (Waco: Word
Books, 1980), pp. 44-45. Cited in Patrick M. Morley, The Rest of Your
Life (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc, 1992).] It is a
terrible thing to feel rejected. Jesus tells such a painful story how their
long-awaited Messiah was rejected by God’s Chosen people. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
9) “…that God loved me totally, unconditionally, and
that he had a purpose for my life.” One of the most respected and
best-liked persons in Hollywood is Kathie Lee Gifford. There was an article
about her in USA Today in 1999. Like everyone, Kathie Lee has
had her share of heartaches–particularly in her marriage, as the tabloids have
pointed out to us repeatedly over the last few years. Kathie Lee was recognized
recently as Mother of the Year at a charity luncheon. The Gifford’s children,
Cody, 9, and Cassidy, 5, got a day off from private school to support Mom. They
took to the podium, introduced by ABC’s Claudia Cohen. “I get an award for
this?” asked Kathie Lee, standing with the kids after her introduction by New
York first lady, Libby Pataki. “I am so blessed!” Then Kathie Lee thanked her
parents, who were present. And here is what Kathie Lee Gifford said about her
parents. It explains why Kathie Lee’s life has been such a success: They
“taught me,” she said, “that God loved me totally, unconditionally, and that He
had a purpose for my life.” (USA Today, March 2, 1999). No wonder Kathie
Lee was successful, not only in her career, but as a mother. She knew she was
loved. They “taught me,” she said, “that God loved me totally, unconditionally,
and that he had a purpose for my life.” One who knows the unconditional love of
God in one’s heart will allow the world to make them feel one rejected for
long. When we have the love of God in our hearts, we carry a sense of security
that the world cannot take away. Today’s Gospel tells us how God continues to
love us in spite of our history of rejecting him. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
10) “You’re sitting in my chair.” A story was
making the rounds during the American presidential campaign a few years ago. An
asteroid hits the speaker’s platform at a Seattle conference center, and Al
Gore, George W. Bush and Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and one of the
richest men on earth, all arrive in Heaven at the same time. They are greeted
by the Almighty, Who is sitting on His golden throne. First, the Lord speaks to
Gore, asking what he believes in. “I believe in the Internet and a clean
environment,” Gore replies. “Very good,” the Almighty says. “Come sit near me.
“Then he asks George W. Bush the same question. “I believe in cutting taxes and
taking good care of the military,” Bush replies. “Excellent,” says the
Almighty. “Come sit near me. “Then God asks Bill Gates what he believes. “I
believe,” Gates replies, “you’re sitting in my chair.” There are times when all
of us try to put ourselves in God’s seat. There are times when all of us act as
if the world is our fiefdom and we are supreme over all we survey. We forget
that everything we have is on loan to us from God. We are temporary tenants. We
don’t own anything, even though we sometimes act as if we own it all.
Everything ultimately belongs to God. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
11) Jesus Calls Us to Good Stewardship. William White
once told of visiting his 98-year-old mother-in-law in a nursing home. He
remembers her quietly saying, “Think of the lilies and how they grow.” Long ago
this frail, blind woman made the discovery that all of life is a blessing from
God. She spent much of her time repeating Scripture verses that she had learned
throughout her life. The Scriptures gave her both strength and comfort during
many lonely hours. She was an active woman right up until she entered the
nursing home, walking a mile a day, though her eyesight was gradually
worsening. She loved people and was always helping them. Even in the nursing
home she used a walker to spread her joyful faith. “Facing each day is not easy
for her,” White reflected, “but she keeps her spirits up.” How? She felt that
even at ninety-eight she had a mission. There in the nursing home she was able
to touch the lives of other residents as well as some employees. In fact, some
former employees who changed jobs still returned to the nursing home to spend
time with this remarkable woman. William White was inspired when his
mother-in-law told him how thankful she was to have memorized so many
Scriptures before she lost her eyesight. Those Scriptures filled her heart with
the Lord. (3) This dear 98-year-old lady did not have much left in this world,
but she had the only thing we ever really own, her Faith in God. Everything
else that we have is on loan. Someday it will be passed on to someone else.
Don’t you see? No matter how rich we are, if we are not rich toward God, we
don’t have anything! The vineyard belongs to Him. Happiness is found in
recognizing our place as His tenants His stewards. But there is one thing more
to be said. Jesus Calls Us to Good Stewardship. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
12) “I dare you to do it again.” Once at a
Church meeting a wealthy member of the church rose to tell the rest of those
present about his Christian Faith. “I’m a millionaire,” he said, “and I
attribute my wealth to the blessings of God in my life.” He went on to recall
the turning point in his relationship with God. As a young man, he had just
earned his first dollar, and he went to a Church meeting that night. The
speaker at that meeting was a missionary who told about his work in the mission
field. Before the offering plate was passed around, the preacher told everyone
that everything that was collected that night would be given to this missionary
to help fund his work on behalf of the Church. The wealthy man wanted to give
to support mission work, but he knew he couldn’t make change from the offering
plate. He knew he either had to give all he had or nothing at all. At that
moment, he decided to give all that he had to God. Looking back, he said he
knew that God had blessed that decision and had made him wealthy. When he
finished, there was silence in the room. As he returned to the pew and sat
down, an elderly lady seated behind him leaned forward and said, “I dare you to
do it again!” — When we start out, it’s easy to remember that the gifts and
opportunities that come our way are from God. But something happens along the
way. We forget the Owner. We come to think of the vineyard and everything it
produces as something we own. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
13) “I knew I wasn’t a Christian.” Sociologist/Baptist
preacher Tony Campolo says he was once like that. He uses the word
Bible-thumper to describe himself as a youth — legalistic, self-righteous,
always trying to convert others to his personal brand of religion — until one
day he was shocked to discover that he didn’t know God at all. Super-religious,
but he didn’t know God! Can that happen? It happens all the time. In fact, if
you meet somebody who is both super-religious and smugly self-righteous, he/she
is probably using religion to hide from God. Here’s how Tony Campolo discovered
it was true of him. Tony was in high school. There was a kid named Roger in his
school. Roger was gay, and everybody made fun of him. They ridiculed him. They
made his life hell. You know how cruel kids in school can be. They mocked
Roger. When he would go into the shower after gym, they would wait until he
came out and then they would whip their towels at him and sting him. One day,
when Tony was absent, a group of five guys pushed Roger into the corner of the
shower and urinated all over him. That night Roger went to the attic in the
middle of the night and hanged himself. And Tony Campolo, still suffering over
this incident, writes, “I knew I wasn’t a Christian because if I had been a
Christian, I would have stood up for my friend Roger. Even if they ridiculed me
for doing it, I would have been his friend. I knew [then] that I didn’t know
Jesus.” (http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/campolo_4104.htm.)
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
14) Unconditional Love: In 1978 a man
travelled to Cincinnati to attend the funeral of Max Ellerbusch. Max had been
like a father to this man for twenty years. Nothing unusual, except that as a
15-year-old this man had taken his mother’s car and struck and killed Max’s
5-year-old son. This was a week before Christmas in 1958. Soon after the
accident, a surprised court heard Max ask that charges be dropped. Instead he
wanted to give the death-car driver a job and help toward his education. Max
did all that and more, virtually adopting the 15-year-old boy into his family.
Max shared his home, time and understanding with the troubled youth. We might
wonder, “How could Max do that? I could never befriend a wild teenager who had
just killed my 5-year-old son. Max must have been a little crazy to go out of
his way that much to become like a father for that boy.” But if Max Ellerbusch
was a little crazy, so is God. The parable in today’s Gospel describes God as a
Landowner Who prepared a beautiful vineyard and gave it to His people to tend.
However, His people wanted not just their share of the harvest, but the whole
thing. They even abused and killed the prophets God sent to help them. Finally,
in a desperate attempt to save His vineyard and His people, God sent His own
Son, hoping they would respect and honour Him. Nonetheless, they abused and
killed Him too in an effort to seize His inheritance. “ — What a silly story,”
we might say. “No landowner in his right mind would risk sending his own son
among rebels who had already murdered his messengers. How crazy can you get? Who
can believe in a God so dumb?” But that is precisely the point of the parable.
Where we would cry for vengeance on the tenants, God chose an alternative – the
alternative of unconditional love. (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds;
quoted by Fr. Botelho). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
15) What We Owe Others: An American
soldier, wounded on a battlefield in the Far East, owes his life to a Japanese
scientist, Kitasato, who isolated the bacillus for tetanus. A Russian soldier
saved by a blood transfusion is indebted to Landsteiner, an Austrian. A German
is shielded from typhoid fever with the help of a Russian, Metchinikoff. A
Dutch marine in the East Indies is protected from malaria because of the
experiments of an Italian, Grassi; while a British aviator in North Africa
escapes death from surgical infection because of a Frenchman, Pasteur, and a
German, Koch who elaborated new techniques. In peace as in war, we are
beneficiaries of knowledge contributed by every nation of the world. Our
children are guarded from diphtheria by what a Japanese and a German did; they
are protected from small pox by the work of an Englishman; they are saved from
rabies because of a Frenchman; they are cured from pellagra through the
research of an Austrian. From birth to death we are surrounded by invisible
hosts–the spirit of people who never thought in terms of flags or boundary
lines, and who never served a lesser loyalty than the welfare of mankind. God
has done and is doing so much for us through his people. Are we grateful or
take it all for granted? (Raymond R. Fosdick in ‘1000 Inspiring Stories’ quoted
by Fr. Botelho). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
16) Film: The Killing Fields: In 1973, Dith
Pran, a well-educated interpreter, helps U.S. journalist Sidney Schanberg to
get into Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge is advancing on the
capital and Pran’s family is evacuated while Pran stays with Schanberg. While
the people rejoice and welcome the Khmer Rouge, Schanberg and other journalists
are interned. They watch as the Khmer Rouge carries out executions. Pran argues
for the journalist’s release. They take refuge in the French Embassy and are
then expelled from the country. Schanberg tries to get Pran out as well but the
Khmer Rouge send him to a re-education labour camp. Back in New York, Schanberg
wins awards, but his associates criticize him for not finding a way to get his
friend out of Cambodia. Schanberg commences efforts through the agency of the
U.S. government and the Red Cross. Finally, Pran escapes and endures a long
trek through the killings fields and is reunited with Schanberg in Thailand. –
In terms of justice, this part of Matthew’s Gospel can be applied to
contemporary Killing Fields such as those in Kosovo or of East Timor
in the late 1990s. Prosperous lands were invaded and their owners and heirs
were tortured and killed by those who wanted the inheritance for themselves.
The Pol Pot regime, portrayed in the Killing Fields, took over Cambodia and
destroyed all its servants and heirs in a massive genocide. Ultimately, the
rightful citizens and owners of the land obtained the opportunity of self-rule
and were able to build up again. — The savage behaviour that turned Cambodia
into killing fields is like today’s Gospel parable about evil tenants who
refuse to give the owner his due. Those they murder, the servants and the
owner’s son, are like the innocent victims of the despotic regime of the Khmer
Rouge. The unjust persecutors were ousted and condemned. Like Jesus and the
kingdom, ultimately, the survivors became the cornerstones of a new society.
(Peter Malone in ‘Lights Camera…. Faith’; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
17) “…and now you know the rest of the story!” Paul
Harvey, the noted radio personality is probably best known for his segments
entitled, “The Rest of the Story.” This long-running staple of talk radio
usually begins with some well-known person or event and then continues to
reveal additional, lesser known but very poignant information. At the
conclusion of his feature, Harvey’s pleasant voice intones the familiar phrase:
“…and now you know the rest of the story!” When the Matthean Jesus in today’s
Gospel began the familiar story about a vineyard owner, who planted vines,
hedged them in, dug a vat and erected a tower, his listeners, no doubt,
recognized the centuries old familiar ballad of Isaiah (first reading). But
then, in a style not unlike Paul Harvey’s, the parable went on to tell the rest
of the story. (Patricia Datchuck Sánchez). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
18) The movie, Life of Pi (Trailer: https://youtu.be/mZEZ35Fhvuc?list=PLwxuHMFXnXZ1Sc0XHCLVTbA8mzCnwl9AL)
: Life of Pi is a 2012 American survival drama film based on Yann Martel’s 2001
novel of the same name. Some of you might have seen this movie. The storyline
revolves around an Indian man named “Pi” Patel, telling a novelist about his
life story, and how at 16 he survives a shipwreck in which his family dies, and
is adrift in the Pacific
Ocean on a lifeboat with a Bengal
tiger. The others who came on his boat, an injured zebra and an orangutan,
were killed by the hyena, which was later killed by the Tiger. When Pi ends the
story, he offers another version of his survival story that simply replaces the
animals with human characters. An injured person-zebra, his mother-orangutan, a
cannibalistic cook-hyena, and himself-the tiger. Despite early reluctance, the
listeners in the story chose to go with the Animal version rather than the
brutal human version, which seems to be the real one, but we would never know.
However, allegorizing is sometimes needed in life, in our story telling,
especially to explain life’s reality. One such story that has two layers is the
one that we read today, the parable of the wicked tenants. It is heavily
allegorized by the Evangelists themselves and the history of interpretation.
(Rev. Paul Lawrence). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
19) “…Dismiss all anxiety from your minds.” (Philippians,
4:6. Today’s second reading). “He was one of Columbia University’s history
superstars,” a writer said recently of the late Professor Carlton J. H. Hayes
(1882-1964). As an historian, Carlton Hayes was a lifetime seeker of truth.
This quest not only brought him into the Catholic Church; it also brought him
into genial but firm controversy with those of divergent opinions, even his
fellow-Catholics. His special field of study was the current growth and dangers
of excessive nationalism throughout the world. Fully acquainted with the threat
of modern totalitarianism, he warned of the evils it could produce if not
countered. Yet he never allowed himself to worry unduly about tomorrow. “If we
are occupied with thoughts immortal or divine … or, for the matter of that, in
doing anything that we feel is worth doing, we have neither time nor
inclination to brood over our personal future.” Professor Hayes gave his
students at Columbia the same sort of calm advice in the last lecture he
delivered before his retirement in 1950. “The world,” he said, “is pretty badly
off. But I don’t want you to lose any sleep over it.” Pope Pius XI had said
much the same thing two decades before: “The future is in God’s hands, and
therefore in good hands.” “…Dismiss all anxiety from your minds.” (Philippians,
4:6. Today’s second reading). -Father Robert F. McNamara. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
20) “THE STONE THAT THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE
CORNERSTONE!”
George Campbell Morgan, a renowned English preacher
and a Bible scholar, was one of 150 young men who sought entrance to the Wesleyan
ministry in 1888. He easily passed the doctrinal examinations, but then had to
face the trial sermon. In a cavernous auditorium that could seat more than
1,000 sat three ministers and 75 others who came to listen. When Morgan stepped
into the pulpit, the vast room and the searching, critical eyes caught him up
short. Two weeks later Morgan’s name appeared among the l05 REJECTED for the
ministry that year. He wired to his father the one word, ‘Rejected,’ and
sat down to write in his diary: ‘Very dark everything seems. Still,
He knoweth best.‘ Quickly came the reply from his dad: ‘Rejected
on earth. Accepted in heaven.’ In later years, Morgan said: “God
said to me, in the weeks of loneliness and darkness that followed, ‘I want
you to cease making plans for yourself and let Me plan your life.’” Rejection
is rarely permanent, as Morgan went on to prove. Even in this life,
circumstances change, and ultimately, there is no rejection of those accepted
by Christ. (Fr. Lakra). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
21) If Max was a little bit crazy, so is God. In
1978, a man traveled to Cincinnati in USA to attend the funeral of Max
Ellenbusch. Max had been like a father to this man for 20 years. Nothing
unusual except that, as 15-year-old, this man had taken his mother’s car and
struck and killed Max’s five-year old son. This was a week before Christmas in
1978. Soon after the accident, a surprised court heard Max asked that charges
be dropped. Instead, he wanted to give the death-car driver a job and help
toward his education. Max did all that and more virtually adopting the 15-year
old boy into his family. Max shared his home, time and understanding with the
troubled youth. We might wonder, “How could Max do that? I could never befriend
with a teenager who had just killed my five-year old son. Max must have been a
little crazy to go out of his way that much to become like a father for that
way.” If Max was a little bit crazy, so is God, as described by Jesus in
today’s parable. (Fr. Bennett). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
22) Paid in full: The following story gives
insight into the drama of the Lord of the vineyard and his unrequited
benevolence (cf. M. Adams, “No Charge” in A 3rd Serving of
Chicken Soup for the Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, et. al., Deerfield: Health Communications,
Inc., 1996, p. 100-101). Our little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one
evening while she was fixing supper, and he handed her a piece of paper that he
had been writing on. After his mother dried her hands on an apron, she read it,
and this is what it said:
For cutting the grass=$5.00
For cleaning up my room this week=$1.00
For going to the store for you=0.50
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping=0.25
Taking out the garbage =$1.00
For getting a good report card=$5.00
For cleaning up and raking the yard =$2.00
Total owed
=$14.75
Well, I’ll tell you, his mother looked at him standing there
expectantly, and boy, could I see the memories flashing through her mind. So
she picked up the pen, turned over the paper he’d written on, and this is what
she wrote:
“For the nine months, I carried you as you grew inside me,
No charge. For all the nights that I’ve sat up with you, doctored, and prayed
for you, No Charge. For all the trying times and all the tears that you’ve
caused through the years, there’s No Charge. For all the nights that were
filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead, No Charge. For the
toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose, there’s No Charge, Son. And
when you add it all up, the full cost of real love is No Charge.”
Well, friends, when our son finished reading what his mother
had written, there were great big old tears in his eyes, and he looked straight
up at his mother and said, “Mom, I sure do love you.” And then he took the pen
and in great big letters he wrote: “PAID IN FULL.” (Lectio Divina).
23) How unfortunate it is to waste the graces and
opportunities showered upon us by God! The following story of the
tragic end of Clark gives us an inkling of how unfortunate it is to waste the
graces and opportunities showered upon us by God (cf. Mike McGarvin, Papa
Mike, Fresno, 2003, p. 102-105). Life at Poverello House is always
interesting. You never knew who might be coming through the door. I think it’s
safe to say that the majority of homeless people we’ve met had been born into
poverty; often the addicts and alcoholics were products of homes in which their
parents abused booze and drugs. Sometimes, though, we’d run across someone who
had fallen from great heights. Clark showed up somewhere around 1987 or 1988.
Although dishevelled like a typical homeless person, he possessed a sort of
faded elegance. He piqued my curiosity; I didn’t need to strike up a
conversation, however, because he buttonholed me and started talking. Once he
started, he rarely stopped. Clark claimed that he came from an upper-class
Arizona family, that he had hobnobbed with Barry Goldwater and other prominent
people, and that he had been C.E.O. of a local hospital. Yeah, sure, I thought.
I was shocked to find out it was all true. It got stranger. My wife brought out
her birth certificate one day, and there was Clark’s signature. It turned out
that he was one of the most successful leaders in the hospital’s history. On
top of that, he had been appointed to a special health care commission by
then-Governor Ronald Reagan. He had been a hero in the Pacific Theater of World
War II, a well-loved commander of a PT boat. He had at one time been a dashing,
handsome member of Fresno’s elite, written about in society’s columns.
What had happened? As time went on, I got to know his
ex-wife and one of his sons. At its simplest level, Clark had a booze problem.
When he hit the streets, he was drinking prodigious amounts of alcohol. On an
average day, he’d have a fifth or more of hard liquor, as well as several
bottles of beer and wine. His drinking had been going on for years, and I don’t
know when it started getting out of control. What I do know is that his descent
was gradual. After leaving as C.E.O. of the hospital, he had several lesser
jobs in the health care industry, each one a step down from the last.
He had many friends, often ex-employees, and they cushioned his fall for years.
Finally, however, his life was so unmanageable that he hit the skids. (…).
Clark continued to live on the streets and drink. Amazingly,
he kept going, even though he was now in his eighties and could barely walk
because of edema in his ankles. He got around all over town with his shopping
cart full of rotting food and junk. His looks and behavior got more bizarre as
time went on. (…).
He gradually came less and less to Poverello. I got a call
from his ex-wife one day; he was in the V.A. Hospital, and didn’t look good. I
went up to visit him. It had been a while since I’d seen him, and he couldn’t
talk because of all the tubes hooked up to him. It was the first conversation I
had with him in which I was able to get a word in edgewise. I talked
uninterrupted for a long time; I knew he’d be checking out soon, and I wanted
to leave him with some words of comfort. I told him I’d pray for him. He could
hear me, and he formed his eyes into a squint, but I’m not sure what he was
trying to convey. The next day I got a call – Clark had died. He was a unique,
talented man who had once had it all. He left behind broken family members who
are still, to this day, trying to make sense of his life.(Lectio
Divina). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
24) “Irish Blessing.” The following
story, “Irish Blessing”, circulated through the Internet, gives us an idea of
the things we must do and of the fruitfulness that our actions and attitude
must produce in order that the peace of God may reign in the world. His name
was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a
living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He
dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There mired to his waist in black muck,
was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming
saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next
day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An
elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of
the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. “I want to repay you”, said the nobleman.
“You saved my son’s life. ”No, I can’t accept payment for what I did”, the
Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer’s own
son came to the door of the family hovel. “Is that your son?” the nobleman
asked. “Yes”, the farmer replied proudly. “I’ll make you a deal. Let me provide
him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything
like the father, he’ll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.” And
that he did. Farmer Fleming’s son attended the best schools and, in time,
graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to
become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the
discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the same nobleman’s son who was
saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time?
Penicillin. The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son’s name? Sir
Winston Churchill. (Lectio Divina). (Fr. Tony’s comment: It is a false
rumor: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/what-goes-around/ ).
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
*************
III. Sermons.com
Since most taxi drivers do not speak English, someone suggested that it might
be a good idea to carry with him something bearing the name of the hotel at
which he would be staying written in Japanese. That was exactly what he did. As
soon as he arrived in Japan he picked up a box of matches bearing the name and
address of his hotel. Then he went sight-seeing.
Afterwards he got into a taxi and did as the friend suggested, he took the box
of matches out of his pocket to show the driver where he wanted to go. There
were a few awkward moments before the driver understood. Finally his face lit
up. Quickly they sped away. Half an hour later, the taxi came to a screeching
halt. The driver turned and beamed at his passenger, pointing out the window.
There was only one problem. They had stopped, not in front of a hotel, but a
match factory!
Have you ever had an experience like that? Someone will say something and for whatever reason you do not understand. It's as if they were speaking a foreign language. You want to go back to the hotel and instead find yourself in front of a match factory.
There were times when Jesus tried to communicate profound truths to those
around him and they acted as if he were from Mars...
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In every cliff-hanger action movie, at some point in the chase scene an enormous chasm suddenly appears before the hero as he flees the bad guys. The only way across is an incredibly narrow, rickety, mostly-rotten bridge. The way forward looks terrible. But the way back is certain death. So, of course, our hero bravely steps or drives forward and steels himself to cross the abyss on the frail and shaky bridge.
"Cliffhangers" being appropriately named, the results are pretty predictable. Although the hero always manages to make it, the bridge itself collapses or is cut down by the bad guys, and the way across is lost for all time.
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God's Patience Robert Ingersoll, that great agnostic of a day gone by, once said to a contemporary, "I will give God five minutes to strike me dead for the things I have said." After five minutes and nothing had happened, Ingersoll's friend remarked, "Did you think you could exhaust God's patience in just five minutes?"
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Time bomb Parables Eugene Peterson once suggested that parables are narrative time-bombs. These simple-looking stories lodged inside people's hearts and imaginations, slowly tick-tick-ticking away until finally, BOOM, they exploded into a new awareness when the real meaning behind Jesus' homely stories about farmers and seeds and sheep and bread-making finally sunk in. Well, if all of the parables were like narrative time-bombs, then I think it's fair to say the Parable of the Tenants was like a proximity-fuse grenade! In this case, it did not take very long before this parable blew up in the faces of those listening to Jesus. In the end we are told that the Pharisees and other religious leaders in Jerusalem that day knew at once that "Jesus was speaking against them." It made them furious and they were ready, right then and there, to arrest him and be done with this meddlesome Nazarene once and for all. Clearly Jesus got their attention!
Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations
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Is Service Over?
With keen insight, Jesus portrays us sinners as God's tenants of his vineyard. We see what a great privilege it is to be a tenant of God, and have all this given to us. The vineyard was a great one. They had everything they needed - hedge, winepress, the tower - which would have made it comparatively easy for those tenants and could have made possible their doing a very good job. It's good to know that God not only gives us certain tasks to accomplish in our life-time, but he also provides for us the means to get them done. In what a generous vineyard our lives are set!
When Christians Quarrel, Jerry L. Schmalenberger, CSS
Publishing Co., Inc.
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Refusing to Share: Remember We Are God's Guests One time there was a little village in the mountains of Italy where the people grew grapes. The mountain sides were covered with vineyards and each family in the community contributed to the making of wine. It was some of the finest wine in the world. Each village had a number of different recipes. Each family would bring their wine to the center of town and pour it into one large keg. As a result, the wine was a mixture of many recipes which made it very unique.
One particular year the weather did not cooperate and the vineyards did not produce an abundance of grapes. One of the wine makers decided that since things would be tight that year he would sell his wine elsewhere. He then filled his barrel with water and poured it into the town keg, thinking that one barrel of water in the gigantic keg would go unnoticed and not impact the outcome of the wine.
The wine in the keg aged for seven years. At the end of seven years the villagers all gathered around that particular keg to sell their wine to merchants who had come from all over the world. The entire community depended on the sale of their wine to provide for them until the next season. The villagers gathered around the giant keg and it was tapped. A pitcher was placed at the tap and out came nothing but pure water. It seemed that everyone in the village that year had the same idea and none had put in wine. Since everyone held back there was no wine to sell.
The villagers refused to share their wine with their neighbors and consequently no one ended up with anything. The parable of the vineyard is not unlike the villagers in Italy. The servants were to reap the fruits of the vineyard for the landowner but were denied that opportunity by the tenants. The tenants refused to share their grapes with others. They even went so far as to mistreat the servants and even kill the landowner's son.
Jesus uses the parable of the vineyard to describe the kingdom of God. It reminds us that we are here temporarily on earth and that we are God's guests. God wants us to be grateful for all that we have and to share what we have been given.
Keith Wagner, Guests at the Table
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The Rejected Stone Jesus quoted the words of the Psalmist: "The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner..." (Ps. 118:22) Later Simon Peter would quote these words to the rulers and the elders in testimony concerning the good news of Christ. (Acts 4:11) Later he would cite those words again in his epistles. (I Pet. 2:7)
There was a legend that was well known in New Testament times that in the building of the temple of Solomon most of the stones were of the same size and shape. One stone arrived, however, that was different from the others. The builders took one look at it and said, "This will not do," and sent it rolling down into the valley of Kedron below. The years passed and the great temple was nearing completion, and the builders sent a message to the stonecutters to send the chief cornerstone that the structure might be complete. The cutters replied that they had sent the stone years before. Then someone remembered the stone that was different than all the rest that somehow did not seem to belong. They realized that they had thrown away the cornerstone. They hurried into the valley to retrieve it. Finally under vines and debris they recovered it and with great effort rolled it up the hill and put it in place so that the great temple would be complete. The stone that had been rejected had become the chief cornerstone. Jesus, who had been rejected now reigns at the right hand of the Father. From rejection to rejoicing. King Duncan, From Rejection to Rejoicing, www.Sermons.com
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Broken Agreements I got my driver's license before most in my class. Joe, across the street, was younger than I had - but wealthier. He had a car, but didn't have a license. I had a license, but didn't have a car. So, we agreed that I would drive Joe to school every morning - in his car. It was mutually gratifying. But soon, I got my own car, and Joe got his own license, and the agreement simply evaporated.
Or you may identify with the servants or with the son - you know, the
go-betweens or intermediaries who always seem to get the main lumps trying to
patch things up between two other people.
You may even identify with the tenants - feeling oppressed, taken advantage of;
a sense that "We do all the work, why should he get all the
benefits?"
Or you may identify with the others - the ones who come in after the storm and find themselves on trial because of the previous troublemakers. You know, you can't keep a dog in your apartment because the tenant before you let his dog rip up the carpet.
Timothy C. Diebel, Hijacked Grace
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Shall I Sound the Eviction Notice?
There is a fable about the Angel Gabriel who has just come
from surveying the earth and its inhabitants when he reports to God.
"Lord, it's my duty to inform you that you're the possessor of a choice
piece of real estate known as planet earth. But the tenants you've leased it
out to are destroying it. In another few years, it won't be fit to live in.
They have polluted your rivers. The air is fouled with the stench of their
over-consumerism. They frequently kill one another, and all the prophets you've
sent to them calling for an accounting have met with violence. By any rule of
sound management, Lord, you've got but one option." Then raising his
trumpet to his lips, Gabriel asked, "Shall I sound the eviction notice
now, sir?"
And God said, "No, Gabriel! No, not just yet. I know you are right, but I
keep thinking if I just give them a little more time they'll quit acting like
they own the place!"
