Monday, January 24, 2005
Venerable Xenia of Rome; Blessed Xenia of Petersburg
1st Vespers of Theologian: Proverbs 3:13-16 Epistle: Hebrews 11:17, 27-31 Gospel: St. Matthew 21:33-42
St. Matthew 21:33-42, especially vs. 40: "Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes,
what will he do to those vinedressers?" In contractual relationships, failure to perform as one agreed is called "breach."
As we say, breach is going back on one's word, not performing as promised. In the Lord's parable, the tenants of the
vineyard reneged on the terms of the lease in failing to deliver the owner's portion of the crop. Worse, they compounded
that violation with a series of bold, shameless and heinous crimes - assault, murder, and conspiracy to commit a major theft
(appropriation of a vineyard for themselves). The tenants were what Holy Scripture calls men of "reprobate mind," "being
abominable, and disobedient" (Titus 1:16) "to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness"
(Rom 1:28-29). What is striking about the behavior of the tenants in the parable is their effrontery, their willingness to
indulge blatantly and recklessly in every manner of wrongdoing.
Beloved, every Orthodox Christian, in reading this passage, needs, first of all, to realize that the Lord Jesus' parable - in its
original context - was a direct indictment of the chief priests and the elders of the people when they challenged Him for
teaching in the Temple: "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?" (Mt. 21:23).
Looked at from their perspective - in the context of first-century Judaism - Jesus was an untrained carpenter daring to teach
without permission within the precincts of the Temple for which they were responsible.
On the other hand, looked at from the perspective of our confession of Jesus Christ as God the Son, the exchange must be
seen in quite another way. As God-in-the-flesh come into His Temple, Jesus was teaching naturally, rightfully, and
correctly in His own precincts. While the Jewish leaders saw His actions as effrontery against their authority, the Lord
Jesus understood their resisting Him as effrontery against God. To drive home His point He warned them as follows:
"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you, and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it" (Mt.
21:43).
Most important for us as Christians, as followers of Jesus Christ, is that we consider what our Lord, God, and Savior is
saying to us in this parable! Certainly His warning is clear: any failure on our part, by whatever means, to deliver that
which is rightfully His constitutes breach of covenant on our part. Worse yet, if we refuse His servants or abuse them in the
performance of their duties, then we are guilty of effrontery against God - bold, shameless temerity.
Most sobering of all is the fact that, if we reject the Lord's rightful claims on us to worship Him and obey His
commandments, or, if we disregard His teaching whenever and however it constrains us from doing what we prefer, in
effect, we take the Lord Christ "and cast him out of the vineyard" of our hearts and souls, and we kill Him (Mt. 21:39). We
have made Him dead within us. We have attempted to "seize his inheritance" for our own (vs. 38). Very often, especially
because the world around us encourages us to do what pleases us, we lack acute awareness that we are guilty of effrontery
or of doing anything heinous in God's eyes. This is why the Holy Fathers urge us always to examine ourselves, to be
watchful over our souls. To do so we must practice reflecting on what we are thinking, saying, and doing - as much as we
are able - so we see through God's eyes. Meditation on Holy Scripture and the attentive reading of Fathers can so open the
eyes of our hearts. Matthew the Poor describes meditation as withdrawing oneself "into God's word as if into a strong
room inaccessible to thieves."
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not
Thy Holy Spirit from me. (Ps. 50:10,11 LXX)
