Imitate, Image, Importance

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … My sermon is entitled Imitate, Image, Importance, and my focus is our Epistle (1^st Thessalonians 1:1-10). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

My sermon has three I’s, but nothing to do with new age thinking. The first I is from Thessalonians – Imitate. The second I from Matthew – Image. The third I from experience – Importance.

First, imitate. I once heard a podcast that challenged pastors to echo Paul when he exhorted Christians to “imitate me.” The speaker’s point was simple. If pastors do not encourage their congregants to imitate them, whom should they imitate? Athletes? Actors? Reality TV personalities? Politicians? So, imitate me. How? I will save that for my third I.

To imitate means to try to follow the manner, style or character of someone. Many writers imitated the language and style of Shakespeare. It means to mimic, duplicate or counterfeit, or to resemble or simulate. Roger Staubach’s and Mike Ditka’s achievements in business imitated their earlier successes in football.

What does imitate mean in regards to 1^st Thessalonians? After all, this is the oldest Christian document, written about 50 AD. If we walked into a meeting of Paul’s converts in Thessalonica when this letter was being read to them for the first time, would we recognize that we were among Christians who had the same faith that we have? Would we know that we were not in a Jewish synagogue or a pagan meeting place but in a Christian church? It would take two minutes to decide, for in the first verses there is mention of God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the work of faith, the labor of love and endurance in hope. Basic catechism material.

1^st Thessalonians is Christianity 101. Paul reminded his converts to recall what he taught them. Acts 17 offers us a view of what else occurred in Thessalonica. Paul walked into a city that enjoyed peace. He taught in the synagogue that Jesus is the Christ. He converted Jews and Greeks. Paul claimed that Jesus, not Caesar, was king, and drew the attention of city leaders who did not want Caesar’s troops to visit them.

Thessalonica’s neophytes, those new to the faith, needed to be encouraged because the people who persecuted Paul, Silas, and their gracious host, Jason, were now persecuting them. Hence, the letter’s aim reminded the audience much of what they already knew.

To enhance their knowledge and understanding, Paul used a method we use today. We call it memory work. Others call it epideictic oratory. This is how the teachers of Greece and Rome taught their students. It’s how Augustine learned and taught philosophy and theology. It’s how Martin Luther taught the faith through his Small Catechism. Memory work is a proven method helps people remember, understand and learn.[1]

Paul wanted the Thessalonians to embrace the truth – that the Gospel that came to them in word, power, the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. He taught what the Scriptures revealed about Jesus, and exhorted them to commit it to memory.

Because the city leaders incited goons and thugs to harass and attack Thessalonian Christians, Paul was gentle with his new members. Yet, he reminded them to turn from idols, even if it meant turning away from family, friends, festivals and fun – like organized sporting events – and even if it meant losing business clients.

Let’s face it, God’s call to the Thessalonians demanded they turn from their former ways of life to one ruled by God. To be holy is to be different. … To be holy is to be different. And so, Paul stressed that Christians work, and not be a burden to society. As a model, he set up his tent-making business in the open market so he could work and teach simultaneously.

Finally, Paul stressed that persecuted Christians establish their hope in the Lord Jesus, for Christian hope is a personal living relationship with someone who will come to vindicate you.[2] … A personal living relationship with someone who will come to vindicate you … because to be holy is to be different … and if you believe, as Paul did, that your call is from God, people will persecute you, even if they are members of the Church.

From imitate to image, from Thessalonians to Matthew. The definition of image is a reproduction of a form, person or object. In the Gospel, we find Jesus fending off a ruse concocted by the Pharisees and Herodians regarding payment of taxes. Jesus met their question, prefaced by feigned admiration – “We know you are true and teach the way of God truthfully. You do not care about opinions and are not swayed by appearances” – with disdain – “Hypocrites, show me the coin.”

Regarding this passage, my New Testament professor, Bonaventure Hayes, would cut to the chase. Caesar had more rights and powers than any US President. He could mint coins imprinted with Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck. That’s executive power.

These foolish conspirators totally missed the point. First, no Jew carried anything bearing the image of a god, including Caesar, for the Law prohibited them. This particular coin was imprinted with the image of Caesar and the words: Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus. Yet, the First Commandment stated, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (Ex 20:4). The coin the Pharisees and Herodians produced attributed divinity to Augustus or Tiberius; and when they identified the image of coin as Caesar’s, Jesus said, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

What things are God’s? Let me direct your attention to Genesis 1:27. “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God’s image is imprinted on you … on me … on every one of us. We owe taxes to our government, but our lives to our God. I am sure you have paid Uncle Sam what is rightfully due him. That is not my concern. Have you paid God what is rightfully due Him? As pastor, that is my concern. Hence, my 3rd point, importance.

Importance is defined as the quality or state of being important. It comes to us from the Latin importare meaning to bring in, convey, bring in from abroad. When we import, we carry something from the outside into our lives.

A synonym of importance is consequence. Consequence generally implies importance because of probable or possible effects. Since consequence is a deduction or conclusion. The news of the untimely deaths of musicians, athletes and other celebrities remind us that drug use, smoking and drinking to excess over a long period of time has consequences, that is, an early death. On the other hand, if you eat fresh fruits and vegetables, have faith, socialize and don’t stress, as well as other healthy habits, that will lead to longevity.

Now, form a mental picture and imagine meeting yourself in 20 years. If you don’t already, you will have naturally gray hair and crow’s feet. You lost a step and gained a pound. That is not my concern. I’ve been there for a while. My concern is your relationship with God, the depth of your spirituality, your personal living relationship with Christ who will vindicate you for being persecuted for your faith. In 20 years, will your faith life be any deeper than it is now?

So, let me return to my first I – Imitate me. When I say, “Imitate me,” I am not asking you to enjoy everything I do. I enjoy vegetable gardening, roasting coffee, and playing fetch with Travis and Maggie (our Golden Retrievers), but I am not asking you to plant a garden, buy a coffee roaster or adopt a pet. Our Father in heaven has no need of zucchini or caffeine and already has a Golden Retriever.

I want you to imitate my prayer life. I want you to pray daily. I want you to read Scripture and think about the passage. I want you to recall or record your thoughts and feelings when you reflect on Scripture. I want you to imagine meeting yourself in 20 years, and thanking yourself for praying daily over two decades. In short, your prayer life today is of great importance for it has consequences later.

Will you be a different person in 20 years if you pray daily? Will prayer change you? Will you better reflect the image of God? My experience tells me, yes, especially if you expect to encounter any hardship or heartache in life.

When faced with adversity – religious harassment, ethnic persecution, war, death, divorce, faithless family and friends, unemployment, poverty, sickness, incurable disease and impending death – we have the opportunity to witness for Christ, our Master and Teacher. In order to do so, we need to develop a regular prayer life. We need to set aside as much time for prayer, Bible reading and study as we do for any other activity – eating, exercising, watching TV, surfing the web and so on.

Martin Luther saw prayer as crucial to human life, a life created by the relationship to God. In this relationship God starts a conversation, communicating His words of law and promise. Prayer is a part of the human response to God’s speaking, a response shaped by the words of command and promise. Luther thought that God’s promise to hear prayer defined both the nature of God and the nature of the human relationship to God, as well as the human approach to life. Luther’s comments and instructions on prayer permeated his work. Luther sought to build an evangelical prayer practice that reflected the key insights of his theology. Just as God redeems the unworthy human, so God promises to hear and respond to the one praying, despite his or her unworthiness. Humans respond to God’s actions in law and promise when they pray regularly, forthrightly, honestly, and frequently. Freedom in Christ sets humans free to use prayer practices that help them to do this.

If you need a prayer guide, you can find plenty on the web regarding Luther and prayer. If you are looking for something more contemporary, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Portals of Prayer. If you prefer websites, apps or podcasts, I encourage you to go to the LWML (www.lwml.org) or Missouri Synod websites (www.lcms.org). There you will find plenty of resources. You can also adopt the Five P’s of Prayer that I have previously mentioned (Passage, Place, Posture, Presence and Passage). Whatever practice you use, imitate me as I imitate Paul who imitated Christ by praying daily.

Because God has stamped His divine image on you, spend time in prayer daily for the rest of your life. Develop that deeper relationship with our Triune God, and when you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Ben Witherington III, 1 and 2 Thessalonians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (2006), 21.

[2] Ibid, 59.

WEAR THE RIGHT CLOTHES!

 

Do you like attending weddings? When I was a boy, my parents would take me to all the weddings of their friends and family members. Because my mom and dad had lots of siblings and cousins, we went to a lot of weddings.

As a pastor, I have attended many weddings at country clubs, church halls, in people’s back yards and parks. The most fun I had was attending Polish weddings where there were polkas, stuffed cabbage and pierogies, sauerkraut and kielbasa. You may not enjoy this music and these foods, but I love them.

Yet, there was always one person who sat in her chair with a scowl on her face because she was not enjoying the party. We all know that aunt (or uncle). While everyone else was having fun, she was the one with crossed arms, expressing to everyone her dissatisfaction with … whatever.

This is like the man who attended the wedding (Mt 22:1-14). He came dressed in the wrong garment. But not wearing the right clothes is not the issue here. He came with the wrong attitude.

It would be like attending church and sulking. People who sit with their arms crossed and scowled faces tell everyone this: “I don’t want to be here!” It doesn’t matter if you are seven or seventy-seven. If you are in our Father’s House listening to God’s Word and attending the Lord’s Supper with that attitude, how do other people, and, more importantly, how does God see that?

If I have that attitude, and then when I need God, beg Him for help and healing, for forgiveness and assistance, for mercy or a miracle, how would you respond to that person if you were

God? So, we have to change our attitude, and approach God as God – because He loves us so much that we want to change.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless all children, and give their fathers and mothers the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Are You Dressed Properly for the Wedding?

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … My sermon in entitled Challenge, Change and Choose, and my focus is our Gospel (Matthew 22:1-14). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Everyone has wedding memories. Some are preserved in movies, scores of movies. Some good, others not. Father of the Bride, Runaway Bride and Bridesmaids. The Wedding Singer, The Wedding Planner and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Weddings are in The Godfather, The Deer Hunter and The Sound of Music.

No one has produced a movie with a wedding scene like the one in today’s parable. That is because the parable is not about a wedding. It is about the Kingdom of Heaven. Let us view the parable through three lenses: Challenge, Change and Choose.

First, Challenge. When I read Scripture, I want to know why. Why did Paul write this? Why did the prophet say that? The answer is often revealed in the greater context. Today’s passage is no different. Jesus did not speak this parable in a setting vacuum-sealed from sin. Jesus spoke his words in Jerusalem’s Temple before the crowds and his disciples to the chief priests and elders who questioned his authority to expel moneychangers and to heal the blind and lame just days before his passion.

Rightfully, the chief priests and elders challenged Jesus’ authority because they oversaw teaching and worship. They wanted to know where Jesus got His authority because they certainly did not authorize Him. In rabbinical style, Jesus responded with His own question: Did the baptism of John come from heaven or man?

Because Israel’s leaders and people did not respond to the Baptist’s call to repent, they admit ignorance and condemn themselves. They could not answer because of ignorance; Jesus chose not to answer because his teaching authority was superior to these incompetents. Jesus then pronounced judgment on Israel’s leaders and people; and He did so with parables.

Jesus spoke six parables. Today’s Parable of the Wedding Feast is the third in that series. Like the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, father and son appear vis-à-vis a hostile group, but now the father is a king, an obvious symbol for God. The Feast is the eschatological banquet – the banquet at the end of time – that God prepares for His Son.

The parable opens on a joyful note, but closes on a somber tone. The king sends two groups of slaves (prophets) with a request to attend the wedding feast. The first refusal is met with divine patience and a renewed attempt to win over the headstrong guests who insanely refuse a gift. The second time, while most of the invited guests (Jewish people) go away to their private concerns, some (the leaders) kill the slaves. The divine wrath is kindled, and the King destroys the village (Jerusalem) and its murderous leaders.

Since those originally invited showed by their deeds that they were not ready and worthy, the invitation is now spread to the roads going out of the King’s city (to the Gentiles). New slaves (early Christian missionaries) bring in everyone, good and bad alike, and the hall is filled. This would be the church as a worldwide mixture of good and evil people.

The whole narrative neatly outlines salvation history. What the murderers lost is handed over to others, who had no previous claim on it. And although there is no mention of the death of the Son, Matthew’s Church knows the Father honored him from the beginning.

Now, returning to chief priests’ challenge of Jesus, we see clearly how Matthew impressed on early Jewish Christians that Jesus transmitted His authority to the Church. This is why Matthew added a conclusion that shifted the emphasis from Christ to salvation and the Church. Now, the Church remains the subject to judgment as Jerusalem was.

The King entered the wedding hall to inspect the guests. The boor without the clean wedding garment was the baptized Christian who accepted the missionary call to believe but did not prepare himself for the banquet by repenting from his sinful life and living the fruits of the Gospel.

Speechless because he had no excuse for his sordid state, he was as unworthy as the originally invited guests, and suffered the same fate. Excluded from the banquet, they threw him into the darkness of lament and pain. (No soup for you!) The three parables are summed up in the words – The called are many, the chosen are few.

My second point, change. Early Christians referred to themselves as “the called.” They made no distinction between call and election. God’s call would naturally result in glorification. After all, Romans 8 reads, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Those whom he predestined he called, and those whom he called he justified, and those whom he justified he glorified.” First Peter reads, “As he who called you is holy, you also must be holy in all your conduct.”

Standing at the end of the 1st century, Matthew wisely distinguished between call and election. Verses 11-13 emphasize this is not simply a question of distinguishing between Jews and Gentiles, as verses 1-10 indicate. The church, a mixture of good and evil, was under judgment, and the judgment shows who was chosen for the feast and who belonged with the rejected outside. Matthew emphasized that responding to God’s call meant change. Matthew recorded Jesus’ first words as He preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Repent! Change! God called us to live holy lives, extraordinarily holy lives. This was Matthew’s message to his members and to us. The good news: God called me. The bad news: I deserve to be bound hand and foot, thrown into the dark where I hear only weeping and gnashing of teeth. Why? Because I have not changed. I have not changed.

A Buddhist monk goes up to a hot dog vendor and says, “Make me one with everything.” The vendor hands him a hot dog with everything on it. The monk hands the vendor a twenty-dollar bill. The vendor sticks it in his pocket. The monk stands there waiting for change. After a minute, the vendor says, “Change comes from within.”

Folks, if you are waiting for change, the choice is yours because God gave you everything. God gave you a life with everything you need and eternal life to boot. …If your life does not suit you, ask the Holy Spirit to change your heart from within.

My third point, choose. To choose means I select someone or something as the best or most appropriate of two or more alternatives. Its roots stretch back to the Latin word gustāre meaning to taste.

At our last District Pastors’ Conference, Pastor Wicher was congratulating those who had served the Synod by five-year increments. Ooohs and aaahs filled the auditorium when pastors serving for 40 and 50 years plus were introduced and asked to come to the front to receive a certificate. As one serving in the Synod for ten years, I was completely caught off guard when he called my name as one serving the Church for 35 years. The Synod recognizes the time I was ordained as a Catholic priest as service to the greater Christian Church. And when brother pastors inquired about my history, they always ask, “What led you to the Lutheran Church?” My answer: My wife.

Yes, my wife was instrumental in my embrace of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. More importantly, it was the teachings of the Synod that lead me here, primarily, its understanding and interpretation of Scripture, the Lord’s Supper and Christ’s true presence in, with and under the bread and wine. Equally important are the Synod’s teachings on marriage and when life begins and ends. Not all Christian denominations espouse what Scripture teaches regarding Word, Sacrament, marriage and life. I chose to embrace the Christian Faith in the Missouri Synod because I believe it to be proper, true and most appropriate.

Folks, each denomination has someone who wrote a book with a title that begins with “Why I am a ….” Tom Nettles, John Krumm, Garry Wills and Daniel Preus all wrote why they are Baptists, Episcopalians, Catholics and Lutherans.

My choice to become a pastor in the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church was based not simply on taste. I could not resist but to choose the embrace of God – the embrace of love, mercy and forgiveness – and His invitation to enter His Kingdom. Hence, I prepare for the eschatological banquet, the heavenly banquet, the wedding banquet appropriately. I arrive sinful and beg God’s mercy before I approach the Table of the Lord – the table of His Word, the table of His Supper.

My friends, here is the best news you might hear all week. God invites you to embrace His Law and Gospel. I challenge you to change and choose to attend an unforgettable feast. To help you prepare, I close with this anonymous meditation.

 

When you get what you want in your struggle for self

And the world makes you king for a day,

Just go to the mirror and look at yourself,

And see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your father or mother or wife,

Whose judgment upon you must pass;

The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life

Is the one staring back from the glass.

He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest.

For he's with you clear up to the end,

And you've passed the most dangerous, difficult test

If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years.

And get pats on the back as you pass,

But your final reward will be the heartaches and tears

If you've cheated the man in the glass. …

 

Friends, if you are attending the wedding feast of the Lord, meditate on that prayer; and as you approach His banquet table, may the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

VALUABLE GIFT

 

One evening, an elderly man told his grandson, "I want you to have something." Reaching into his desk, he pulled out a gleaming gold pocket watch, engraved with his initials. "I'm not always going to be around, so take this to remember me."

The boy took it, said, "Thanks, Grandpa!" and ran home. Sadly, he didn't understand how valuable this gift was, and sold it a few days later to buy his favorite video game.

We could never think of treating a precious gift like this—but what about our faith? That's the point behind today's Gospel reading (Mt 21:33-46). The Pharisees were entrusted with the priceless gift of God's law, but many of them didn't value this gift. Instead of leading Israel to righteousness, they used the Law to promote themselves and their positions of power. So, when Jesus came, they had no room in their hearts for his message.

Jesus gave us something very special—his own life, planted deep in our hearts. He wants us to embrace that life so that we can bear fruit for his kingdom. But like the owner of the vineyard, he won't force himself on us. He leaves it up to us to choose if we will nurture our faith or trade it for something else.

Most of us don't decide one day that we're not going to follow Jesus anymore. It's usually in the simple decisions of our lives that we grow closer to him or move further away. Today, look for chances to be a disciple. Take time to pray in the morning, help someone when you'd rather be doing something else, or simply smile when you're upset. These are God's ways of giving you another chance to grow closer to him—and to bear fruit that reveals his glory.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children. Give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Plants, Parable, People

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … My sermon is entitled Three Fruits: Plants, Parable and People, and my focus is our Gospel (Mt 21: 33-46). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

In a previous sermon, I told you how my mother taught us to eat, preserve and share the fruit of our garden, and by doing so, taught me something about pastoral ministry. By way of introduction, I recall this for my first point, which is, so to speak, plant-based.

When Cindy and I lived in Oklahoma and Illinois, our attempts at gardening were thwarted by high heat, lack of sun or limited space. Since we moved to Pennsylvania and have 21 acres of land, our attempt this year yielded a fruitful crop. We had plenty of cucumbers for eating, sharing and canning. In addition to eating and sharing tomatoes, we now have plenty of sauce for pasta and pizza. We canned 43 pints of green beans, and our first attempt to grow squash proved productive. In short, we consumed, canned and shared everything we grew.

Like the point of the Parable of the Wicked Tenants in the Vineyard, my introduction should get us thinking about not only the lack of fruit provided by the tenants to the master, and to a greater degree, the lack of fruit shown by Israel to God, but also how we are returning to God His fruits or all He gave us. And so, we move from plants to parable.

Following last week’s confrontation between Jesus and the chief priests of the Temple, we read three judgment parables. Today’s is the second of three. The parable of the Wicked Tenants in the Vineyard continued the image of the vineyard in the first parable (21:28). In this one, Jesus’ tone of judgment is more threatening, especially because the ones judged are no longer simply the leaders but the whole people of Israel.

Central to Matthew’s understanding of the parable is his insertion of the verse which reads, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits … (21:43). In Matthew, the vineyard becomes the kingdom, present even in the Old Testament in Israel. While the leaders are indicted in a special way, the whole people of Israel suffer the loss of the kingdom.

The kingdom is handed over to another people, the new people of God, the Church. Of course, this Church contains Jews, but it is not Jewish by definition; it is not Israel. The Church is a “third people” – neither Jew nor Gentile, yet made up of both. The continuity of this Church and Israel is not one of simple growth. There is no succession plan or smooth transition of power. There is a tragic break. The kingdom is wrenched from one and given to another. If there is any connection between Israel and the Church in salvation-history, it is that both had contact with Jesus, the bearer of the kingdom.

Matthew’s understanding and view of Church is clear from verse 43, and the parable must be read in its light. In the parable, Matthew streamlined the narrative and brought out clearly the parallels with stages of salvation-history. The owner of the vineyard is explicitly called “master of the house” from the very beginning of the parable (21:33), making the reference to God more obvious from the start. Being God, he does not ask for some of the fruit (as in Mark 12:2), but rather for “his fruit” – which means the complete doing of God’s will.

Matthew grouped the slaves of the householder into two sets, representing the prophets before and after the exile. He stressed that even after the exile, Israel did not repent. The prophets after the exile met the same suffering as the prophets who came before the exile. Israel’s whole history is one great rejection of the prophets, and so it is not surprising that Jesus fares no better. However, Matthew carefully distinguishes from the prophets of the Old Testament the son who is sent later or last. Notice too how the son’s fate reflected the historical circumstances of Jesus’ crucifixion. He is first thrown out of the vineyard, that is, Jerusalem, and then killed.

With a fine dramatic and ironic touch, Matthew has Jesus ask his enemies what the Lord of the vineyard will do when he comes in judgment. Once again, the leaders are forced to condemn themselves. They are the evil tenants who will be destroyed while the vineyard, the kingdom, is given to another people who will render God his fruit by doing his will.

Jesus replies that this is indeed the end-time reversal prophecy of Psalm 118 (22-23). The builders, the Jewish leaders, have rejected Jesus because he did not fit into their narrative for building the people of God. They act out their rejection in the passion and crucifixion. But, by the resurrection, God reversed that decision and made Jesus the keystone of a new structure, the new people of God, the Church. This is a marvelous turnabout and a new beginning, a miracle possible to God alone.

The leaders realized that Jesus was speaking about them, but they dare not act now because the crowds who see him as a prophet offer protection. Furthermore, Jesus’ prophetic role also included martyrdom. Now, having dealt with the fruit of the parable, we move to people, my third point.

The parable applies to every man and woman. We are each given a vineyard: our own life. We are each given all the means necessary (hedge, tower, wine press) to live our lives in accordance with God’s plan for us. We are each given multiple chances to put our lives right with God, honoring him and loving him by living as he designed us to live. And each of us, in some way, has been introduced to the owner’s son, Jesus Christ. It seems from the Gospel texts that few chief priests and elders actually repented and accepted Christ’s message. It’s easy for us to deplore such hardheartedness, but before doing so, we should see what kind of fruit our own vineyards are producing, and how much our lives are giving glory to God instead of trying to steal glory for ourselves.

The owner of the vineyard would have had every right to punish the tenants after they did away with the first batch of servants, but he didn’t. He sent more, and more, and finally his own son. Only when we have made a definitive decision against him and hold fast to that decision in the face of abundant gestures of his love will he let us have what we have wrongly chosen. In short, we deserve nothing less than death and eternal punishment, as we confess each Sunday.

Yet, God is good all the time. He is loving and merciful, forgiving and charitable. But God is just, and for some that does mean death and eternal punishment. However, Jesus Christ, our Lord, Master and true friend, does not condemn those who refuse his friendship; they condemn themselves.

So, as I close, know this: if others think you have condemned yourself or if you think others have condemned themselves, Jesus will never give up on you or anyone. If only you knew how much He loves the Church and every person in it, and how patient the Father is, how magnificently and unabashedly he loves each one of his children – no matter where they stand religiously or politically – you would know that Jesus will never give up on anyone, including you. We, then, must never give up on ourselves. No matter how many times you offend, fail or reject Christ through sin – and that will occur daily until we draw our final breath – know that He is always ready and willing to renew our friendship for He is always taking the first step, moving you and inspiring you to come back to Him.

Knowing that, what fruits then do we return to God? How about everything? How would you respond if God asked you to give up everything and that He would provide for you? Would you respond like Abraham or Job? Would you grasp harshly everything like the money-changers or chief priests?

If God asked for my job or title, income or investments, vehicles, house or family heirlooms, could I surrender those? What about my reputation and relationships, strength or health, sight or hearing? What if God wanted back your friends, family, parents, children, spouse or your own life tonight, would I accept that?

And while you are pondering that, know that God is not being greedy. He gave you everything, even those things you worked for are gifts from God. In loving-kindness, God gives us all things, and in the same loving-kindness, God asks you to return them.

During an intimate conversation with my brother about the state of the world these days, I mentioned that I recite a prayer that not only rekindles within me calmness and peace, but also reminds me that God indeed has given everything I am and have, and that I am to return all to Him. Or, to paraphrase the words of a late Presidential of Freedom recipient, life is on loan from God. The prayer is commonly known as the Suscipe, Latin for receive. This prayer is based on Psalm 119 and was popularized by Ignatius of Loyola. It goes like this:

 

Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You have given all to me. To You, O Lord, I return it. All is Yours, dispose of it wholly according to Your will. Give me only Your love and grace, for this is sufficient for me.

 

My friends, I don’t ask that you incorporate that particular prayer into your quiver, but pray whatever resounds with it. Maybe a thorough reading of Psalm 119 is in order for you.

And for those who are far from Christ and those who don’t recognize the hardness of their own hearts, pray that God conquers them with love and grace. Pay for the conversion of lax Christians and unbelievers. Pray for those you think might have a chance of suffering eternal flames. Pray that they do not perish, but are granted eternal life through Christ and Baptism into His Church. In Christ, all things are possible. So, pray that God softens their hearts and reaches out to them through you.

This past week, many people remembered and recognized a peaceful and holy Francis of Assisi, who had to deal with great acrimony among his brothers and sisters – all dedicated to the Lord. Pray to our Heavenly Father that you too become a channel of God’s peace. And when you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.