When Religion Gets Violent

Devotional Reflection, Thursday, December 7, 2023

The week of the first Sunday in Advent

The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D..

Key phrases for reflection from today’s Gospel reading:

33 ‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

You will find the full text of today’s Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.

Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 937)

AM Psalm 18:1-20; PM Psalm 18:21-50

Amos 4:6-13; 2 Pet. 3:11-18; Matt. 21:33-46

Today we celebrate the Feast of Ambrose of Milan. See below.)

David's Reflections

As a seminarian taking a Th.D. seminar on the parables of Jesus, I read for the first time of the concept of "christological penetration" into the parables. Simply put, it meant that we sometimes can find Jesus' self awareness, his sense of his identity, implicit in the narrative dynamics of a parable,.

In this parable, the owner of the vineyard sends his son to collect the rent from the tenants after they have rudely treated and killed various agents sent for that task. That son is rejected, thrown out of the vineyard, and killed. With the vineyard being a prominent symbol for Israel (See Isaiah 5; John 15), it is hard to resist the notion that Jesus saw himself in the character of the son killed "outside the vineyard"; Jesus was crucified outside the city of Jerusalem.

That bit of penetration of Jesus’ self awareness into the parable highlights the contradiction between religious conviction and emotional and physical violence. Pious people engineered the horrific torture and death of a prophet. Their emotional violence, their fear and rage, energized their actions. Their actions create a cautionary tale for us. Anger and fear make dangerous companions when paired with devotion to dogma. And, what a contrast with the restraint and forbearance of the vineyard owner.

The gentle forbearance and patience of the owner feels excessive, as does his naiveté about sending his son into such a violent situation. Yet, if we allow this forbearance to remind us of God, the parable begins to make more sense. God's surprising gentleness and patience and willingness to risk Godself in the sending of Jesus obviously lie in the shadows of this narrative.

How shall we our respond to the ongoing initiatives of God in Christ to claim our loyalty, our commitment, our selves, our time, our possessions, our minds? How territorial are we? How resolute and persistent are we at resisting? This parable calls us to attention about the areas of noncompliance in our lives.

Noncompliance with God's loving, gentle initiatives could be compared to our refusal to reciprocate love and loyalty from a friend, a spouse, a sibling. If someone is reaching out and we are refusing their initiative, they would be in the place of suffering our rejection and insensitivity. Perhaps that helps to frame a bit more clearly the position in which we place God by our resistance. Perhaps it also helps to frame more clearly what an appropriate response to God might be.

The vineyard is not ours. Neither the community of faith or we as individuals are our possessions. We belong to God, like the vineyard belonged to the land owner, not the tenants. Imposing an agenda and our expectations onto a community of faith rather than discerning the will of the God who created it leads to ruin. Better to remember who owns the vineyard and us and discern God’s purposes.

Collect of the Day, First Sunday of Advent

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 211)

Today we celebrate the Feast of Ambrose of Milan, bishop and doctor of the church

(died 4 Apr 397 CE).

http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Ambrose.htm

Collect of the Feast of Ambrose of Milan

O God, who gave your servant Ambrose grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellence in preaching and faithfulness in ministering your Word, that your people may be partakers with them of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Guidance

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people; Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP 100)

For the Nation

Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 258)

A Collect for Mission

Everliving God, whose will it is that all should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 816-817)

Daily Office Gospel, Matthew 21:33-46

33 ‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ 41They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’ 42Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes”? 43Therefore 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. 44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’Other ancient authorities lack verse 44c 45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Daily Offices in The Book of Common Prayer

Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, The Book of Common Prayer

Noonday Prayer, page 103, Book of Common Prayer

Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p 109, Book of Common Prayer

Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer), page 127, Book of Common Prayer

Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer