People's Prayers: Prayers of the People: Tenants, Anyone? ~ 18th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, October 4, 2020; Readings: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Psalm 19, Philippians 3:4b-14, Matthew 21:33-46

Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon up so that you do not sin." [Exodus 20:20]

The Law of the LORD is perfect and revives the soul...Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer. [Psalm 19:7, 14]

...forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:13b-14]

Jesus said [to the Pharisees], "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'...Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. [Matthew 21:42-43]

This week we are given a personal reading by God in a passage we know as The Ten Commandments, or The Decalogue ~ from the Greek for “the ten words.” The Israelites are frightened by the power and enormity of God’s voice, the thunder and lightning and sound of an otherworldly trumpet. Well, who wouldn’t be? They turn to Moses to request that he, only, act as God’s spokesman. Moses tries to reassure them but explains that it is God’s test to put the fear in them so that they don’t sin. How soon they and we all forget…

Paul is writing to his most loyal congregation. He wants them – and us – to understand that in strength of faith, even during hardship, we can press on…because Christ Jesus has made me/us his own. Our power comes from our Lord through our faith. Some days are easier than others.

And then with Matthew we are into an infamous Vineyard scenario. This time Jesus tells us a parable about the tenants who are running the place and when the owner's representatives came to collect the owner's share of the produce, the evil and rebellious tenants beat one, stoned one, and killed another. The owner sends a second group who received the same treatment. Finally, the owner sent his son, assuming his son would be treated with all due respect. But even the son was killed so the conspiring tenants could "get his inheritance." [Mt 21:38b]

At first glance, I can't help wondering if some of these tenants had been the disgruntled workers of the previous vineyard parable, those who worked longer hours and received the same pay as those who worked fewer.

At second glance, I feel as if I'm reading a headline about a local, national, or even international situation. Hateful rhetoric, tragedy, and rage seem to be so commonplace, as to almost desensitize us from shock. Violence, even in mere language, has become frighteningly normalized as otherwise “nice” people make vicious and disturbing comments on social media. The headlines on air and in print show us that every-day life is getting meaner by the moment. Not unlike in Jesus' own time, brutality in word and deed is the tool of vengeful cowards who know no other way to express their own fear and impotence.

And then there's the third glance, Jesus is giving a lesson to the disciples about what is happening then, what is to come, and the ever-watching Pharisees unhappily get the picture about who's who and what's what in this parable. And as they should know, God is pretty clear in Exodus about The Law ~ how we are to behave ourselves and toward one another. Legal scholars often argue about interpretating the differences between the spirit of the law – the intent of the framer – and the letter of the law – defining its literal understanding. Paul cuts through to the heart of it and tells us in Philippians: ...this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:13b-14]

We are the tenants in this parable as the vineyard is all of Creation and God is the owner. Our travel along this temporary road of earthly life is filled with bumps, potholes, sunshine, rain, disasters and rewards, and everything else. While we often despair of the mean-ness in today’s world, we are to take heart and even rejoice in the Presence of Christ, the Cornerstone of our spiritual foundation. The Summary of the Law that Jesus gives us in Mark 12:29-31 is our simple map to guide us forward. As we work for the good of this vineyard in faith, hope, and love, let us seek in Christ the sustenance, renewal, and the revival of our souls that readies and steadies us for all that is to come. So, who wants to join this group of good tenants, anyone? Let’s gather and press on toward the Cornerstone that is the Living Christ.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O LORD, our God, grant us the humility to desire and accept the call as tenants in Your earthly vineyard. Turn us from the idols of temptation and fill us with acceptable words and meditations to nurture, produce, and share the fruits of Your perfect Law.

O God of Glory
RESPONSE: Cleanse us from our faults

~ O LORD, our God, strengthen and empower our voices in the governing halls across our Community, our Nation, and our World, to urge generosity of spirit, compassion, and ethical judgment in every facet of policy and legislation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions