Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder

 

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  

 

"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  

 

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

'The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the LORD's doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet. 

 

- Matthew 21:33–46 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came into the temple (the day after the cleansing of the temple), the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  so they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

 

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him."   My study Bible explains that, in this parable, the man represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people.  The vinedressers are the leaders of the Jews who are entrusted to care for the people.  Each of the landowner's servants sent by the owner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God.  But the son is a reference to Christ Himself.  When the son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed, this is understood on two levels, my study Bible explains.  First, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem (Golgotha, the place of crucifixion, was outside city walls at that time).  Second, that He was crucified by foreign soldiers, not those of His own "vineyard."  

 

"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."   Yet again, as noted in yesterday's reading and commentary, the religious leaders convict themselves.  

 

 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  My study Bible informs us that this stone is Christ.  According to commentary by St. John Chrysostom, this is a saying which illustrates the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while they are still in this life.  But those upon whom the stone falls are the unrepentant, who suffer utter destruction in the final judgment.  Similar references to the "cornerstone" which is a foundation and also a potential stumbling block is found at Isaiah 28:16; and quoted by Sts. Peter and Paul (see Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:6; Romans 9:33).

 

Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  Once again, the religious leaders' hypocrisy should be noted.  They sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the multitudes, who took Him for a prophet.

 

 One thing that is striking about Jesus is that, although He clearly demonstrates His foreknowledge of His death in this parable, He nevertheless continues to speak out in condemnation of those who will seek to put Him to death.  In other words, He both warns them and criticizes them at the same time -- telling the truth they don't want to hear and confronting the ones who will bring Him to the Roman authorities with false charges of treason.  These religious leaders are corrupted.  Their places are what are important to them, as Jesus will go on to say in chapter 23.  But today's parable speaks clearly about judgment, and how that judgment happens.  The One whom they will seek to put to death -- who will be crucified through their manipulations -- is also the One who is the stone.  This stone, ultimately, is the stone of judgment.  As testified to by Isaiah the prophet and subsequently Sts. Peter and Paul in their letters, the stone of judgment is ultimately one that is both a "stumbling stone and rock of offense and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 9:33).  Jesus Himself quotes from Psalm 118:22-23 in today's reading to tell these religious leaders just that -- that the One whom they will seek to put to death ultimately will rule in this position of authority and judge, and that He will become the new foundation, the chief cornerstone.  It is His authority which will prevail, and "the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Nonetheless, these men will still seek to put Him to death.  But it is their very failure to repent which will determine their own outcome.  So we have Christ's bold words today for ourselves as well.  How can we understand what He is teaching here?  How do we understand them for ourselves?  We live in a world in which material outcomes are seemingly all that there is.  Surely Jesus' death on the Cross was convincing for many that His claims to be the Christ were untrue.  But where does faith come into it?  And how do we understand this death of the Son?  One of the first ways to understand the parable He teaches in today's reading is to grasp that merely laying claim to something is not necessarily a truly effective power.  We can't grasp the mysteries of the kingdom of God simply by claiming them for ourselves; they don't work that way.  Faith doesn't work that way.  And the spiritual power of the kingdom of God doesn't work that way.  It is not something we can control and manipulate, and our faith is not magic.  The image of Christ as this chief cornerstone functions to give us a concept of a foundation, something which is ignored or abused at one's own peril.  It cannot be moved or persuaded through means other than the truth, for it is God's presence and therefore the ultimate reality.  This foundation stone is like a throne, it conveys authority, and it teaches us about the purpose of Christ's Incarnation:  to establish God's kingdom in this world and invite all those in who wish to follow Him.  In this sense, we can observe evil around us, that which opposes God.  In this sense, the world is a kind of battleground in which we are tempted (as imaged by Christ's time in the wilderness; see Matthew 4:1-11).  Thus we are invited to do as He did, and to engage in the "good fight" of faith (1 Timothy 1:18; 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7), putting on the "whole armor of God" (Ephesians 6:10-18).  Jesus goes full into that battle, and as sovereign Son He leads that we may follow Him, and share in His courage and His love for us all, bearing the fruits of His true vine.

 

 

 

Why do You speak to them in parables?

 

 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"  He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 

 

"Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,

And seeing you will see and not perceive;

For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed, 

 Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.'

"But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

 

- Matthew 13:1–16 

 

We have presently been reading in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.  Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know the by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  

 

 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.    Today's lectionary reading jumps from chapter 7, in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount, to chapter 13, in which Jesus is now surrounded by great multitudes who come to hear Him.  Over the course of the next few days, the lectionary readings prepare us for Ascension Day, which is Thursday in the West and the Armenian Apostolic Church, and a week later for the Eastern Orthodox.  On Friday, the day following the celebration of Christ's Ascension, we will resume the lectionary sequence in chapter 7 once again.  Here we are to note by this stage of Christ's ministry, His fame has reached a point that He must preach from a boat while great multitudes are gathered on the shore.  These are not just disciples, as in the Sermon on the Mount, but likely also the curious and those who come because of His reputation for healing as well.  

 

 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  My study Bible comments that, in the Old Testament, metaphors of sowing and harvesting are common (Psalm 126:5, Jeremiah 31:27-30; Hosea 2:21-23; Joel 3:12-14).  These were a part of daily life, experienced by all people.  Here, Christ reveals Himself as the promised Messiah, the sower in the earth, who had been foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.  

 

 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"  He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  My study Bible teaches that the mysteries of the kingdom are not simply obscure concepts or religious truths only for the elite, and  at the same time, neither is the understanding of Christ's parables merely an intellectual process.  Even the disciples find the message hard to understand.  While Jesus taught the same message to all, it notes, it is the simple and innocent who are open to its message.  

 

 "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:  'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull.  Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'  But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."  Here Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10.  According to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible notes, this prophecy of Isaiah doesn't mean that God causes spiritual blindness in people who would otherwise have been faithful.  This is a figure of speech which is common to Scripture, and reveals God as giving people up to their own devices (as in Romans 1:24-26).  What is meant by He has blinded, my study Bible explains, is that God has permitted their self-chosen blindness (compare Exodus 8:15, 32 with Exodus 10:20, 27).  They didn't become blind because God spoke through Isaiah, but rather Isaiah spoke because he foresaw their blindness.  

 

At this point in His ministry, Jesus begins speaking in parables.  His reasoning is clear:  He wants to reach those who truly desire to hear and to see the things of which He speaks, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, and not merely astonishing "earthly" miracles and healings or things which might fall into the category of magic (in people's perception) or unusual power.   He's here to bring His gospel into the world, not simply to practice astonishing feats to gather the curious or those who will follow Him in fear or other motivations which distract from real discipleship and faith.  So the parables form a kind of opening to those who are drawn to Him from the heart.  That is, from hearts that have not grown dull.  When Jesus quotes Isaiah, and speaks about ears that are hard of hearing, and eyes they have closed, He's speaking of spiritual eyes and ears, the attention of the soul and the heart -- that is the real depth of a person. To understand with their hearts and turn, is to repent.  That is, to turn toward Christ, "so that I should heal them."  If we understand these words in the context in which Christ has spoken them, we understand that this is the way He chooses to frame salvation, and the whole of the institution of the Church, as a kind of hospital in which we receive real healing, with Christ as Physician.  In Matthew 9:11-13, Jesus directly refers to Himself as divine Physician.  He says to the complaining Pharisees, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."  This call Jesus speaks of is the call to turn toward Him, to practice repentance in the sense that all repentance is a turning toward Christ, to God.  In this understanding, the whole of the Incarnation and its purpose is for healing, to help us to turn toward God, to become more like God, in whose image and likeness we are created, our true nature.  St. Athanasius of Alexandria writes, "God became man so that man might become god" (On the Incarnation, 54:3).  This was written just prior to the Council of Nicea which formed our earliest Christian Creed, and in which St. Athanasius played such a decisive part.  Because of Christ's Incarnation, we may become more like God, growing in our true nature even toward an eternal union with God, and in this sense, everlasting life (John 3:16).  And with St. Athanasius and his guiding light, we come toward Christ's Ascension, which will be celebrated on Thursday in Western Church (and the Armenian Apostolic Church) and the Eastern Churches the following Thursday.  For in Christ's Ascension, He takes His humanity into heaven, showing us that our own human nature is capable through grace of doing the same.  This process of grace in us is called theosis, or divinization, and it is what our true salvation is all about, how Christ our Physician heals us through a lifetime process in which we constantly turn to Him throughout our lives.  He is the Sower who sows the seeds of salvation for us in His gospel, and as He teaches in this chapter of parables, these grow and shape and produce fruit, and  transform everything, so that even the angels can dwell with us and we are prepared to dwell with Him.  For without these mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, such healing doesn't exist.

 

 

 

 

Enter by the narrow gate

 

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 

 

 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know the by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 

 

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  

 

- Matthew 7:13–21 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

 

  "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  My study Bible comments that the description of the two ways was widespread in Judaism (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:18-19, 12:28, 15:21; Sirach 15:17), and also in early Christian writings, such as the Didache and Barnabas (esp. chapter 18).  St. Luke's version (Luke 13:24-30) has a more eschatological focus, referring to the end of the age.  My study Bible says that because we wrestle against sins and human weaknesses as well as spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), to enter the Kingdom is the more difficult way.  

 

  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them."  My study Bible notes that because they can easily deceive others, those who put on a show of virtue or religion are more dangerous than those who are evil outright.  So, therefore, we need to be all the more cautious among those who are outwardly virtuous.  We are to observe their fruits.  Note the continuity of the gospel;  Jesus here uses the same words as taught by St. John the Baptist when preaching repentance in preparation for the coming of the Lord:  "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

 

 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  Here Jesus begins a testimony to His own deity.  He calls Himself Lord.  My study Bible says that this name refers to the divine name "Yahweh" of the Old Testament.  Moreover, He speaks of the will of My Father in heaven, which He fully knows and shares.  In the verse that follows (verse 22), He refers to the final judgment; perfect judgment is only possible for God.

 

  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  In these words, Jesus lays out the true test of what it means to be His disciple, to call oneself a Christian.  He often speaks of our faith as creating family.  In chapter 12 of St. Matthew's Gospel, we read that Jesus is told that His mother and brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Jesus replies, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers? And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:46-50).  We are understood to be children of God by adoption, as He is eternally-begotten Son.  But here He gives us the thorough grounding in what it means to be His brother or sister or mother, our requirement for belonging in this Kingdom, and there are no shortcuts.  There is one way to enter.  In today's reading, Jesus makes this very clear.  He tells us, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  "The way" is His way (as in "I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6).  Indeed, the early Christian movement was called the Way.  Lest we confine the "way" to a method, we need to understand this word in Greek.  It is ὁδὸς/odos, meaning "road" or "path" (in modern Greek it's commonly used to mean "street").  This path, we tread not simply by mental understanding or belief, but by doing something, by living our faith, embodying it throughout our life.  This is what it means to bear good fruit.  This path of faith, this road, is doing the will of Christ's Father in heaven.  He is the way because, as He has put it, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).  He is that narrow gate that the devil, the evil one, does not want us to find or follow, and tries to obscure.  On its surface the language here sounds extremely restrictive.  But in effect, it's quite personal.  We each have the way we are called, and as contradictory as it may seem, in that path is our true freedom, the way we find who we are called to be and to become.  But this is why we're not to judge, and only God can be the true judge.  As Christians, we're to understand that the devil will throw in our path obstacles to this faith.  We'll have hurdles to overcome, sometimes requiring discipline, separation from things we think we love or can't do without.  Sometimes, like an addict in recovery, we might need to change the company we keep in order to find and stay on that path and limit our obstacles on it.  But He is also the Light, the beam of light we both need to follow, and which shows us the way, His Way.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has laid out His gospel for us, given us the righteousness of the Kingdom, and its blessings, given us an idea of what it is to dwell in this Kingdom and what it means for us.  He's laid out a kind of roadmap, in which we know we must pay attention to what is ours to focus on, find His way, practice our faith in prayers and almsgiving and fasting not to be seen by others, but knowing we are seen by our Father who sees in secret and is in the secret place.  Let us hold fast to what He teaches on this journey, including His warnings to be alert for false prophets, for we're responsible for the fruits we bear.

 

 

 

 

Whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder

 

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:  

'The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the LORD'S doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

 

- Matthew 21:33-46 

 

In our current readings, Jesus has made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), and cleansed the temple.  Yesterday we read that when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him." 

 

  "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him."  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  My study Bible explains that in this parable, the man represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people.  The vinedressers are the leaders of the Jews who are entrusted to care for the people.  The servants sent by the owner stand for the Old Testament prophets who came to call people back to God, and his son stands for Christ Himself.  When the Son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed, it's understood on two levels.  First, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem; and second, that Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers and not by those of His own "vineyard."  The others who later receive the vineyard are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  Note that, as in yesterday's reading (above), the Jewish religious leaders condemn themselves through their answer.

'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  My study Bible tells us that this stone is Christ (the quotation is taken from Psalm 118:22-23).  It cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who remarks that this saying illustrates the two ways of destruction.  There is first of all the people who fall on the stone; these are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while still in this life.  But those upon whom the stone falls are the unrepentant, who suffer utter destruction in the final judgment.  

It is intriguing to consider the commentary of St. John Chrysostom on today's passage, regarding the "two ways" of destruction upon the stone which the builders rejected.  One way is to be broken, leading to repentance.  That is, if this Stone is Christ, recognizing even through hardship and error the truth of Christ, and so coming to repentance.  This is a sense in which we've come upon Christ the Stone as stumbling block, and turned to Him in our own brokenness.  The second way is one which enters into Christ's teaching not too often so far in the story of His ministry, but makes itself felt quite plainly and even direly here.  That is to live life unfettered in error and sin, and come to judgment still in this state.  This latter, second way leads to full destruction, an incapacity for repentance and thus a lack of salvation.  So St. Chrysostom's thinking leads us -- if you are like myself -- to consider the redemption available to us through stumbling and difficulties, even hard and harsh experiences in life, through which we may find Christ's redemptive and saving power of truth, what leads for us to true life.  St. Paul says something similar in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, when he mentions one engaging in a scandalous sin in the Church, teaching the Corinthians, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Corinthians 5:4-5).  This would suggest the effects of such a life outside of the Church, with the possibility of leading to repentance through its consequences.  But at this juncture in the Gospel, we come up against the possibility of profound rejection and loss in the judgment of Christ, an utter loss of life at the time of judgment.  This is now the stark picture presented to these men who would be the religious leaders of Israel, in whose hands is the spiritual care of the people.  In chapter 23, Jesus will name several "woes" of the scribes and Pharisees for their practices and their hypocrisy.  Earlier in the Gospel, He has spoken of the woes that would befall those in His Church who will cause offense and scandal to the "little ones" in the Church, causing them to be lost and to stray, saying, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!" (Matthew 18:6-7).  So, in making these observations of Christ's preaching of "woes" we are able to observe that He first warns His own apostles, who would become the leaders of His Church -- and by this warning, also their successors -- against abuses of power, sinning against and causing offenses to the "little ones" (the humble of the Church) who will be in their spiritual care.  Here in Jerusalem at the temple, in confrontation with the religious leaders of Israel, He gives this great warning to those who have failed to care for their vineyard, lacking the spiritual fruits meant to be produced while entrusted to their care.  Observing this consistent warning to those entrust with the spiritual care of the people of God, we may see Christ's concerns as applying forever to those who would be His followers in the Church, and in particular to those who would be leaders entrusted with the spiritual care of the faithful.  How far have we come from the mark Christ has set for us?  How far do we have to go?   Do we take His warnings seriously?  How much do we protect and take heed against abuses of the humble in the Church?  Each one of us must take His warnings seriously, and be reminded of the prophets of the Old Testament coming repeatedly to call people back to God, but especially of the warnings Jesus gives here to those who will plot to destroy Him.  In the Church, we have a great responsibility -- all the faithful -- for the care and nurturing of those who will come to find faith, and to grow in the Church.  Let us remember the Stone, and the two ways, for each may beckon before us.  One way, we may gain all that we might have through repentance; the other way, we may lose even what we think we have (Matthew 13:12). 

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone

 

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  

 

"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  

 

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

    'The stone which the builders rejected

    Has become the chief cornerstone. 

    This was the LORD's doing,

    And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

 

- Matthew 21:33-46 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,'  but he did not go.  Which if the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

 

  "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vine-dressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him."  My study Bible explains that in this parable, the man represents God the Father, and the vineyard is a reference to God's people.  The vinedressers are the religious leaders who are entrusted to care for the people.  The servants who are sent by the owner each stand for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God, while the son is a reference to Christ Himself.  When the Son is taken and cast out of the vineyard and killed, it is understood on two levels.  First, that Jesus was killed outside Jerusalem (the place of crucifixion, Golgotha, was outside the walls of the ancient city), and second, that Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers, not by those of His own vineyard. 

 

 "Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  Once again, as in yesterday's reading (above; see Matthew 21:31), these religious leaders convict themselves according to their own response to Christ's question.

 

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  This stone, upon which others fall, is Christ.  My study Bible refers us to the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, this saying shows the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while they are yet in this life.  But those upon whom the stone falls are the unrepentant who suffer destruction in the final judgment.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23; Isaiah 28:16.

 

Who is the Stone?  Jesus Christ.  It is interesting to think of stones in connection with Christ, and the various references to stones (or rock) we find in Scripture and in connection with the Church.  Here, first, Jesus refers to Himself as the chief cornerstone, the one rejected by the builders (the religious leaders who will seek to put Him to death).  A chief cornerstone functions in various ways to uphold the weight of a building and keep it together, also guiding the building of the rest of the structure.  Jesus has also given us a parable about building our house (our life) upon a rock in Matthew 7:24-29.  This is His illustration for one "who hears these sayings of Mine, and does them."  In other words, to build one's home upon a rock illustrates faithful living.  When St. Peter made his confession that Jesus was indeed "the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus told him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (see Matthew 16:13-20).  According to Luke's Gospel, when Jesus approaches Jerusalem at His Triumphal Entry, and His disciples shout as if welcoming a Savior King, some of the Pharisees tells Him to rebuke the disciples.  But Jesus replies, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:28-40).  In St. Peter's First Epistle, he writes eloquently to the Church as "living stones":  "Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, 'Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.'"   Peter then goes on to cite Christ's quotation from Psalm 118 in today's reading, and adds another from Isaiah to make the point St. Chrysostom repeats in commentary:  "Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,' and, 'A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.' They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed" (1 Peter 2:4-10; Isaiah 8:14).  In each of these ways, we see the illustration used of a rock or stone to teach us about our faith, about the Church, about Christ, even about St. Peter and his confession, and to all those faithful who are in the world as "living stones."  In any way we view these statements, we should understand that this rock or this stone and its qualities are given to us as a gift.  But so much depends upon how we respond to it, and how we live -- faithfully or not.  We have the choice to build His life in this world. 

 

 

And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder

 

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  

 

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 

 'The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the LORD'S doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

- Matthew 21:33-46 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came into the temple (the day after the cleansing of the temple), the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered an said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him." 

 

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."   In this parable, my study Bible explains, the landowner represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people.  The vinedressers are the leaders of the Jews who are entrusted to care for the people.  The servants sent by the owner are the prophets of the Old Testament, who each came to call people back to God.  The son is a reference to Christ Himself, sent last of all.  When the son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed, it is understood in two ways:  first, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem (Golgotha was outside the city walls); and second, that Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers, not those of His own vineyard.  As in yesterday's reading (above), the religious leaders convict themselves when they draw the conclusion to the parable.  Unwittingly, they tell of the other vinedressers to whom the vineyard will be leased, who are the Gentiles who will be brought into the Church in hope that they will render the fruits in their seasons.

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:   'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  This stone, of course, is Christ.  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who declares that this saying illustrates the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while yet in this life; but those upon whom the stone falls are unrepentant people suffering utter destruction in the final judgment.  

The explanation of the "action" of the stone by St. John Chrysostom is quite interesting, and it is in contrast to many popular ideas about God and God's love.  If God were truly loving, so many ask, why would God permit bad things to happen to people?  While this is an important question, and is answered in various ways (the problem of evil is clearly present in the Bible!), it is also important that we understand St. Chrysostom's insight into this saying.  It is one that is shared by St. Paul as well in 1 Corinthians 5:5 (see verse 5 in context here).  Of a brother in the Church at Corinth who is sinning in ways which are corrupting to others, St. Paul writes to them to "deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."  What does this mean?  How can they deliver someone to Satan?  Why would St. Paul tell any believer to do this?  What it means is that the person is to be excommunicated, to live life outside of the church so that he may feel the consequences that result from his lifestyle.  This is not an assumption that a form of exile (or excommunication) in and of itself is that consequence.  It is rather the consequences that will result in a nominal believer's life from the rejection of Christ's teachings and their separation from the Church, being without the spiritual protection of the Church.  This is a teaching about what it is to be outside of God's protective mercy, to truly reap what we sow.  The understanding -- as far as I understand this teaching -- is that through worship, with God's blessings and spiritual protection we receive through prayer, we are those who understand that we are blessed not to get "what we deserve."  That is, not to directly receive the consequences of our sin in our lives.  To share in the Eucharist of Christ is not the product of a "deserving" life, for none of us can do things which render us deserving, or can compensate with some sort of payment, for eternal life.  Nothing we do can command such grace through merit alone, because the gift is far more valuable than what we can produce.  So we understand this as a gift of God, incomparable to what we could "pay" for it.  God's grace and mercy work through our faith, the way we see that faith in the Gospels works to render healing possible and all kinds of blessings that come out of Christ's ministry.  We are spiritually protected from that which seeks spiritual harm for us.  But to be cast out of that grace and mercy is a different set of spiritual circumstances.  While God always loves us, we may find ourselves disengaged from faith and wandering in our own choices not to participate in that grace -- and that is life that St. Paul speaks of when he writes to "deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."  For sadly, it is all too often only through our bad experiences in suffering the consequences of our own mistaken behavior that we come to repentance, that we start to reconsider the value of our souls more deeply, and especially to consider the value of our relationship to God.  It is so often there that we begin to turn toward God in our grief or despair or even anger to find the way back into that grace, the lack of which we so keenly can feel at times in our lives.  Since I myself have had this experience, I feel that I can testify to it, and readily admit that I am glad God keeps me from having all that I truly "deserve" through the grace and mercy and love that I experience instead.  For all of us err, and none is perfect, but we may all be on our way somewhere, to that place where our spirit may be saved in "the day of the Lord Jesus."  In the end, even a rebuke from Christ, even St. Paul's command to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, is not meant for punishment, but for salvation -- so that we can learn God's reality and what life is like without it, so that we can come to our spiritual senses.  May all those whom we love be brought into God's grace by every means possible.  For there are times when even worldly misfortune can be a saving grace.

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it

 

 "Hear another parable.  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to him.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  

 

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

'The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the LORD's doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

 

- Matthew 21:33-46 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

 

  "Hear another parable.  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to him.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."   In this parable, my study Bible explains, the man represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people.  The vinedressers are the leaders of the Jews who are entrusted to care for the people.  Each servant sent by the owner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God, while the beloved son refers to Christ Himself.  When the Son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed, this is understood on two levels:  First, that Jesus was killed outside Jerusalem (Golgotha was outside of the city walls); and second, that Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers and not those of His own vineyard.  The other vinedressers who later lease the vineyard are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  Note that, as in yesterday's reading, above, in answering Christ's question, the elders convict themselves.

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  Jesus quotes to the religious leaders Psalm 118:22-23.  This stone is Christ.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who comments that this saying illustrates the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while yet in this life, whereas those upon whom the stone falls are the unrepentant who suffer utter destruction in the final judgment.  

Again in today's reading we encounter themes that have to do with God's mercy and forbearance, but also with the power of God as it works through our human interactions.  That God is the owner of the vineyard sets the stage for our understanding of our place in the world.  We are in a world that is not of our own making, nor are we even "owners" of this world.  We are, in fact, stewards of this world in the setting of the Bible.  As such, it must be our concern to be good stewards, not only to care for our world, but to care for all that God has created and all that implies; this includes much more than simply a physical material plane of existence, but also the spiritual welfare of all the world.  In this parable, the vineyard is Israel, but clearly it becomes extended out to the Gentiles, to all the world.  The vinedressers are the leaders of the people; in this case, it is specifically directed at the religious leaders in the temple, who are responsible for the leadership of the people on so many levels.  The fruits of the property are spiritual fruits, for which the owner (God) sends his servants -- the prophets who come to call the people back to God.  Finally there is Christ the Son.  But His rejection and killing will set off a different chain of events, and here we have an indication that the mercy of God actually has its limits.  Or perhaps what we should say is that our abuse of God's mercy will have its limits.  Earlier, Jesus has taught, "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men" (Matthew 12:31).  In the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, we're told that there is no such thing as an unforgivable sin -- but it depends upon our own repentance.  In other words, the only unforgivable sin is the one that is not repented.  And so it is with the story of the Wicked Vinedressers.  God's mercy, a time for repentance, extends through all the calls of the prophets sent to remind the vinedressers what they are to be about.  But the failure to understand and accept and be fruitful in their relationship to the owner only deteriorates through their attitude.  They wish simply to own and exploit the vineyard, finally killing the son and heir in that selfish quest.  There is no turning back and no repentance, and the effects of their rejection and selfishness will be the fruits they will bear.  This is something that might be difficult to understand in terms of God's love and mercy, which we consider inexhaustible.  But it is our own rejection that at some point becomes fixed; it is our own internal life that can become corrupted enough through rejection of spiritual truth that we don't turn back but hang on all the more to what is not truth, not reality.  Our world is frequently compared to God's vineyard in support of the idea that it is not simply ours to own and to exploit, but rather ours to care for as good stewards.  This is often used as a metaphor for considering the ecology of the natural world, and issues such as climate change.  But Jesus tells this parable for reasons far beyond the care of the physical being of the natural world.  It is a parable directed at the religious leaders, who know full well what He is talking about.  But it is at the same time a parable for us to take seriously regarding our own spiritual fruits and spiritual lives, the life of the soul, and the heart that does not accept the vineyard owner, and the very nature and substance of who has given us life and whose sustenance makes our lives possible.  So many people have no sense at all of the sacredness of life, the gifts we're given, and pay no attention to the spiritual needs that accompany the fullness of life, the heart and mind and soul that is neglected through a focus on selfishness.  To exploit our world is far more than a question of its physical well-being, but depends very much on our spiritual understanding of life and the righteousness in which we're called to engage and to grow.  Our ancient ancestors, and the literature of the Bible, seem to suggest that we can't separate the physical well-being of ourselves or of our world from our spiritual well-being, and I would agree that this is so.  It is something we need to take seriously and to consider for ourselves.  In the parable, this spiritual vineyard will go on to the care of others who may prove to be fruitful in the ways that the vineyard owner desires; it will be leased to others.  In that aspect, it seems we are to understand the infinite creativity of God; that God is not altogether dependent upon us but will find other creative ways to seek out those who are capable of bearing the fruits of the Spirit.  We don't know the infinite creativity and meanings and intentions of God, so let us take this parable -- and its manifestation in history -- to heart.  Let us take care for ourselves that our "right relationship" to all things begins with our relatedness to God, and that within that embrace is contained the world and every single thing in it.  It is the umbrella of God's love and care that we seek to learn and within which to grow, and to extend that to all of creation.  There is no telling what beauty and truth and goodness can come of such "right relatedness," but we are also warned of the consequences of our failure to understand this mission and the meaning of our lives within the right relationship to God, and that we are invited to dwell in God's kingdom in this world.  Let us begin today to seek Christ's way, for all that we might be in charge of in our lives, for whatever is in our care, be that big things or small ones, for all of it is a gift and all of it precious to its true Owner.  This is especially so of those who come bearing His word and His life into the world to call us all back to Him, and to wake us up to ourselves and our true citizenship in the Kingdom.

 

 

 

 

But blessed are your eyes that see, and your ears for they hear

 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"  He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.'

"But blessed are your eyes that see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

- Matthew 13:1-17

On Saturday, we read Jesus' words as He began to conclude the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:13-21):  "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.  Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  As we begin to prepare for the commemoration of Jesus' Ascension on Thursday, the lectionary skips forward to this parable in chapter 13 of Matthew's Gospel.  On Saturday we had read almost to Jesus' final words in the Sermon on the Mount.  But in today's reading, we skip ahead into Jesus' ministry, to a time when He is so well-known that many come to see Him out of curiosity, and so great multitudes come to Him.  Also by this time in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus has begun to have conflicts with the religious leadership, who openly demand to see a sign from Him to prove His identity as Messiah, which He refuses.  They have accused Him of casting out demons by the power of demons.  It is at this point in the Gospel that He begins to introduce a new style of preaching.  He begins to preach in parables.  In contrast to the Sermon on the Mount (which began with the Beatitudes), in which Jesus spoke explicitly of the blessedness of the kingdom of God and God's righteousness, parables are "word-pictures" which illustrate aspects of the Kingdom and rely on the perception of the listener.  My study bible adds that in the Old Testament, metaphors of sowing and harvesting are common (Psalm 126:5, Jeremiah 31:27-30, Hos 2:21–23; Joel 3:12–14).  These are images common to daily life for the people.  In this first parable, which introduces both the disciples and His audience of "great multitudes" to the use of parables in His preaching, Jesus introduces Himself in a particular way.  He is the Messiah who is the sower in the earth, foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.

 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"  He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand."  The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, my study bible notes, are not simply obscure concepts or some religious truths only for the elite.  Neither is the understanding of the parables just an intellectual process.  My study bible remarks that even the disciples find the message hard to understand.    Even as Jesus  taught the same message to all, it is the simple and innocent -- at whatever level of personal education or sophistication -- who are open to its message.

"And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:  'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'"    Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10.  According to St. Chrysostom, this prophesy of Isaiah does not mean that God causes spiritual blindness in those who otherwise would have been faithful.  He explains rather that this is a figure of speech which is common to Scripture as giving people up to their own devices (as in Romans 1:24, 26).   That people will hear and not understand and will see and not perceive means that God permits self-chosen spiritual deafness and blindness (compare Exodus 8:15, 32 with Exodus 10:20, 27).   They did not become blind because God spoke through Isaiah; rather Isaiah spoke in prophecy as he foresaw their blindness. 

"But blessed are your eyes that see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."  This statement has echoes of Jesus' comparison of John the Baptist, considered the last and greatest of the prophets, to those who are least in the kingdom of heaven:   "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (11:11).  It is a tremendous blessing, far greater than we can commonly count it, to be a part of this Kingdom and experience its truths.

In our next reading, Jesus will address the meanings hidden in the parable He has taught of the Sower.  But one thing we can notice right off, and that is that Jesus promises that the seed that fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  This is a teaching that gives us an idea of exponential growth somehow contained in this Kingdom, and in this work of the Sower.  We might call it "magical" -- as if these seeds are magical seeds from a fairy tale.  But that would be entirely missing the point.  There is not magic in the work of God, but something greater and more potent than what might be called magic.  The work of God is precisely that:  it is God's work in us.  It is the work of the holy, and this Kingdom will be accompanied -- even as it continues through our faith today -- with the promise of the Holy Spirit among us.  We are to be reminded here of the opposite of the purpose of the practice of magic that this work is the work of God.  What is produced is not merely something that comes of our own effort, but with the help of God, by the grace of God, and by the nature of the Kingdom which is divine.  Jesus gives us a picture of what is often called synergy, which means that those who struggle through the difficulties of faith and allow that seed to take root in the good ground of the heart and soul do not produce results solely on their own.  It means that our fruitfulness is not ours alone, but the work of God who works in us with our assent.  That is, with our hearts capable to receive this mysterious reality, we may watch it equally mysteriously grow in our lives.  Many decades ago, I prayed for God to make God's presence known to me because, being a very hard-headed person, I needed to know for myself, and not simply because someone else told me so.  My prayers were answered to the extent that what you now read as part of this blog is a continuation of several years' practice, and which is still ongoing.  It is the last thing I could and would have expected when I embarked on an honest simple prayer to God.  My writing skills have been used in journalism and other forms of more commercial writing, and there are other talents I have developed in life and worked at.  I often wonder myself why I do not pursue other forms of writing at this time.  But this is where God has led me, and the course of several years of writing -- through which ideas and insights continue to unfold, such as they are (and I hope worthy of reading and in some way helpful to my audience) -- continues to lead me forward, especially through prayer.  It is one small example of the power of God at work which we can't expect, can't predict nor plan, and which I say truly I cannot claim essential credit for.  It is something which is given, a gift one dare not refuse even when it is entirely different from one's expectation and/or social milieu of value.  The long and the short of it is that this growth is surprising, unexpected and unplanned, and in the hands of God as our faith grows.  Let us consider also Jesus' words when He teaches that "many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."  Let us consider the astonishing ways in which we are blessed and given every day grace and the gift of the possibility to experience this Kingdom.  We must open our eyes to realize how rich we are, and how we have been blessed with Christ's promise -- even when we live among those who have eyes and do not see, ears and do not hear, and hearts that have grown dull.