Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/100211.cfm

Morning in the
Friars' Dining Room

Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit.


"What were they thinking?" we might ask when we hear Jesus' parable. Did the murdering field hands really suppose the owner of the vineyard might not avenge the death of his own son? 
But, lets face it, we pick up the newspaper everyday and scratch our heads with the same question. Did he really think he could get away with his Ponzi scheme? They didn't expect the housing bubble to burst? They bought a house with no realistic hope of paying for it? And the bank financed the purchase? What were they thinking? There is something insane about human beings, especially those who navigate this life without a clear, strong, principled moral code. 


But worse is, "What was I thinking?" Obviously I wasn't thinking at all! Or I was thinking with some part of my body that's not between my ears -- my stomach, my spine or my gonads. 


Jesus' parable is firmly rooted in the Hebrew tradition as today's first reading from Ezekiel demonstrates. The Jews have often been called God's house, spouse, flock or garden. Always there is a clear declaration of God's affection for his people. He is faithful, generous, industrious and patient. And always there is a dismayed description of their infidelity. The house is despoiled, the spouse is unfaithful; the flock wanders and the garden is barren. Inevitably there is retribution as God reclaims his people, often with violence. Sometimes it takes a loved one's anger to break through my mulish refusal to see the right course. 


I often like to think of myself as working with God, pursuing God's ends in my daily affairs. We're kind of like partners. But the Bible reminds us often that this is not an equal relationship:

    For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    nor are your ways my ways
    For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways,
    my thoughts higher than your thoughts.


To produce the required fruit that God demands of us, we should daily turn to prayer, asking the Lord to purify our hearts of self, as Saint Paul advises in today's second reading: 

Finally, brothers and sisters,

whatever is true, whatever is honorable,

whatever is just, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,

if there is any excellence

and if there is anything worthy of praise,

think about these things.

Keep on doing what you have learned and received

and heard and seen in me.

Then the God of peace will be with you.