Mt 21:33-43, 45-46 The Master of the Vinyard

Pharisees and Sadducees surround Jesus to hear him preach.  What does Jesus present to them?  The allegory of the vineyard master to sends his servants and then his son to collect the rent from the wicked tenants.  Jesus' message is clear in Matthew:  The Pharisees and the Sadducees are those tenants. In reality the talk about having Jesus executed has already begun. 

Wait, what did Jesus say?  Those wicked tenants would be killed and the land rented to others?  Isn't God kind and loving?  Did Jesus really say that?  We could imagine the evangelist writing it down or others invented the story or embellished it to make it more dramatic.  Some people tend to do that to make themselves feel safe with the idea that God wouldn't do that, that he truly loves everyone. 

However, maybe it serves as a big red WARNING sign that hey, you should feel uncomfortable.  Be awake and aware of what you are doing.  One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is fear of the Lord (Timor Dei) and this is what Jesus is invoking in us.  Be on guard, think.  Act righteously.  How can Jesus' words help shake us up and help us get back on track? 

Luke 10:21-24

In today's Gospel reading Jesus teaches us how to praise God Our Father in the Holy Spirit.  Praise is nearly a forgotten form of prayer, but one that is so important.  Throughout scripture God is very insistant about praise.  Even in the Lord's Prayer we find praise in the words, "Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, thy kingdom come, Thy Will be done..."  Within these words and all other prayers of praise we acknowledge God's greatness, and conversely our lowliness.  Praise allows us in our humility to find room for God's love and for His will to be done in and through us.  Praise is also a thanksgiving.  Shouldn't we be grateful?  Our Father sent his Son to die for our sins so that we may be given eternal life.  Doesn't that deserve our eternal praise and thanksgiving? 

Think about a child.  Most young children are filled with such awe and reverence toward those they love and admire.  They seek to please them by doing what they know is right.  And they are grateful for the love shown to them and the gift they receive.  We are called to be childlike, to have complete abandon in Him, so that His love and Kingdom will be present to us and not hidden.  Praise can lead us to be worthy to receive and see.  May we in our humility lovingly turn toward Our Father in praise and thanksgiving with the heart of a child holding nothing back.