Living in the Spirit
October 4, 2020
Scripture Reading: Matthew 21:33-46
Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’ –Matthew 21:33-41
Who has the corner on God? When did any group or groups win the right to define God’s kingdom? Why do some pursue, in God’s name, their enrichment to the detriment of others? While we struggle with this reality today, it is not new. In the Hebrew Bible, the prophets were the slaves in this story and the coming Messiah, the son. The religious leaders, when Jesus told this story, were the tenants with whom God had placed his sacred trust to bring forth the fruits of God’s love among all of God’s children. The religious leaders wanted it all for themselves.
We are all cast in this parable’s roles—some tenants, some slaves, some perhaps even identifying as owner or son. Jesus calls us to step off the stage and be the people God created us to be in the best way we can be. There is no pecking order in the Kingdom of God. There is no reward in accumulating wealth or power. Jesus says specifically, From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded. (Luke 12:48b) and For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45)
Prayer: God, forgive us when we let greed and lust for power supersede our commitment to furthering your vision of our world. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.