Here is the text of the reflection I prepared for the gathering of God's people this weekend: some food for thought and an invitation to give thanks.
I spent two days this past week with the deacons and DOWs from the Nipissing region. We were at the Marguerite Centre in Pembroke and I was preaching their retreat. It isn’t every day that I receive such an invitation: to preach a retreat, so by the fact that they thought to ask me, I have been quite honoured, but I must say that I was somewhat nervous too. Deacons are part of the ordained clergy of the Church, just as priests are, so in a sense, this week was an opportunity for me to preach to my peers … and that isn’t easy to do.
The gospel passage for today, taken from Matthew’s account, places us with Jesus in the midst of a conversation with the chief priests and the elders. In this case too, he was surrounded by his peers. I wonder if he was at least somewhat concerned about what they might think about the words he might speak. In his wisdom, he chose not to use his own words, but the words of the prophet Isaiah: words that every one of his listeners would have known very well, images of vineyards which had been well cultivated, vineyards which should normally have borne abundant fruit, but which bore sour grapes instead. The chief priests would have been used to using such images to preach to others about the need to live up to God’s expectations, and if for some reason people were unable to live up to their expectations, the chief priests and the elders would have been only too glad to remind them that God would remove the hedge from his vineyard … break down its wall, and allow it to be trampled. In other words, God would inflict some kind of punishment on his people if they didn’t behave.
I can almost imagine the surprise that must have been on their faces when Jesus told his version of the story: At first, they may have thought that Jesus was equating himself with them, referring to people who didn’t live up to the obligations of their faith when he spoke of tenants who seized the slaves, beat one, killed another and stoned another. It would have gotten even more interesting as he continued: they would have been nodding their heads in agreement by the time he got to the part where he spoke about the landowner sending his son, and they would have been absolutely enthralled with the story by the time the tenants cried out to each other: This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance. Such insolence on the part of the tenants would surely be punished if the priests and the elders themselves were the landowners. Imagine their surprise when Jesus portrayed them not as the landowners, but as the tenants: the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.
What about us? Are there situations in our lives where we are quick to judge, and then discover that it is not our place to judge? Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve jumped to conclusions only to find out that there’s a case of mistaken identity?
When we look around us, do we consider the fact that everything we see is part of God’s creation: the trees that are in such glorious colour these days, the natural resources that we have access to in such abundance? This is the vineyard of the Lord, prepared with such attention to detail so that we might enjoy its fruit.
Saint Paul writes to the Philippians: Do not worry about anything, but in everything … be thankful. Throughout the week to come, there will be many opportunities for us to be tempted to jump to conclusions, but let’s not fall prey to that trap. Instead, let’s try our best to see God in the people we meet and lets pray for the grace to recognize the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, and if we should manage to recognize this peace in our lives, even if just for a moment, let’s stop whatever it is that we’re doing and utter a short simple prayer of thanks.
Don’t jump to conclusions
I spent two days this past week with the deacons and DOWs from the Nipissing region. We were at the Marguerite Centre in Pembroke and I was preaching their retreat. It isn’t every day that I receive such an invitation: to preach a retreat, so by the fact that they thought to ask me, I have been quite honoured, but I must say that I was somewhat nervous too. Deacons are part of the ordained clergy of the Church, just as priests are, so in a sense, this week was an opportunity for me to preach to my peers … and that isn’t easy to do.
The gospel passage for today, taken from Matthew’s account, places us with Jesus in the midst of a conversation with the chief priests and the elders. In this case too, he was surrounded by his peers. I wonder if he was at least somewhat concerned about what they might think about the words he might speak. In his wisdom, he chose not to use his own words, but the words of the prophet Isaiah: words that every one of his listeners would have known very well, images of vineyards which had been well cultivated, vineyards which should normally have borne abundant fruit, but which bore sour grapes instead. The chief priests would have been used to using such images to preach to others about the need to live up to God’s expectations, and if for some reason people were unable to live up to their expectations, the chief priests and the elders would have been only too glad to remind them that God would remove the hedge from his vineyard … break down its wall, and allow it to be trampled. In other words, God would inflict some kind of punishment on his people if they didn’t behave.
I can almost imagine the surprise that must have been on their faces when Jesus told his version of the story: At first, they may have thought that Jesus was equating himself with them, referring to people who didn’t live up to the obligations of their faith when he spoke of tenants who seized the slaves, beat one, killed another and stoned another. It would have gotten even more interesting as he continued: they would have been nodding their heads in agreement by the time he got to the part where he spoke about the landowner sending his son, and they would have been absolutely enthralled with the story by the time the tenants cried out to each other: This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance. Such insolence on the part of the tenants would surely be punished if the priests and the elders themselves were the landowners. Imagine their surprise when Jesus portrayed them not as the landowners, but as the tenants: the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.
What about us? Are there situations in our lives where we are quick to judge, and then discover that it is not our place to judge? Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve jumped to conclusions only to find out that there’s a case of mistaken identity?
When we look around us, do we consider the fact that everything we see is part of God’s creation: the trees that are in such glorious colour these days, the natural resources that we have access to in such abundance? This is the vineyard of the Lord, prepared with such attention to detail so that we might enjoy its fruit.
Saint Paul writes to the Philippians: Do not worry about anything, but in everything … be thankful. Throughout the week to come, there will be many opportunities for us to be tempted to jump to conclusions, but let’s not fall prey to that trap. Instead, let’s try our best to see God in the people we meet and lets pray for the grace to recognize the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, and if we should manage to recognize this peace in our lives, even if just for a moment, let’s stop whatever it is that we’re doing and utter a short simple prayer of thanks.
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