I remember learning about allegory in my high school English
classes. An allegory can take the form
of a story, a poem, or even a picture. The true meaning of an allegory is not
what is read or heard or seen on the surface, but is hidden underneath the
words or the images. The parable Jesus tells today of the absent landlord, the
vineyard and the wicked tenants, is an allegory revealing the relationship of
God with the religious leadership of the Jewish people throughout salvation
history. God sent the prophets to the Jewish people throughout the centuries many of whom were maltreated, persecuted and murdered at the hands of the
Jewish authorities. Jesus foretells his own execution at the hands of the chief
priests and elders before him. The conclusion of the gospel reveals that
because of their resistance, mind, body, and soul to God’s word, the chief
priests and elders will exclude themselves from the Reign of God and be
replaced by others more receptive to God’s word.
Applying this allegory to our own times, it is very tempting
to see within the action of the Jewish chief priests and elders the behavior of
our own Church leadership. Surely, the sins of the institutional Church, which
seem to dominate the headlines and head stories of our news media, would
justify this interpretation. It is easy to use the institutional Church as a
scapegoat for our religious disaffections. However, in doing so, are we
refusing to acknowledge our own resistance to God’s Word? Do we use the
misdeeds of religious leadership to mask or distract us from our own misdeeds,
our own culpability?
This gospel parable challenges not only those of us who are
clergy but everyone to carefully examine how we receive the Word of God. If we
were to use our lives as an allegory of our relationship with God, what would
it reveal? Would our life story reveal that we are as guilty as the tenants in
maltreating, and even murdering the Word of God that comes to us? Would our
life story reveal that we place something or someone other than God first in our
lives? What fruit have we produced in our relationship with God?
God invites us into a very special relationship but how well do
we know our God? Relationships are not built on just knowing something about someone.
Relationships are built on knowing someone. In Spanish, the verb, saber, is about acquiring knowledge, the
verb, conocer, is about knowing the
person. If our relationship with God has been based on just acquiring knowledge
about God, than God is no more important than our study of crayfish or any
other scientific phenomena. A relationship that flourishes is one in which
there is evolution. A healthy relationship is not a static state, but one that
is in a continual state of growth, constantly revealing new facets of the other
person, producing newer mystery that draws a person deeper into the
relationship. Is our relationship with God static? Are we merely just going
through the motions? Where is the passion in our relationship with God? Are we
guilty of taking our relationship with God for granted?
Is our relationship with God mere lip service, going through
religious rituals and motions to satisfy an obligation? Isaiah cautions this
kind of behavior. “Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah! What
do I care for the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD. I have had enough of whole-burnt rams and
fat of fatlings; In the blood of calves, lambs, and goats I find no pleasure.
When you come to appear before me, who asks these things of you? Trample my
courts no more! To bring offerings is useless; incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling assemblies— festive convocations with
wickedness—these I cannot bear. Your new moons and festivals I
detest; they weigh me down, I tire of the load. When you spread out
your hands, I will close my eyes to you; Though you pray the more, I will not
listen. Your hands are full of blood! Wash yourselves clean! Put
away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good.”
While our personal prayer life and our participation in the
prayer life of our community is important in building our relationship with
God, that alone cannot be the whole of the fruit which we produce. While grace
is freely given to us by God, it is not meant to be hoarded, but shared with
all.
The fruits of our prayer will be revealed in our
relationship with God who is present in all the people we encounter .Isaiah
concludes, “Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea,
defend the widow. Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may
become white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they may become white as
wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of
the land; But if you refuse and resist, you shall be eaten by the sword: for
the mouth of the LORD has spoken!”
So what does the allegory of our lives reveal about
ourselves? Are we counted among those from whom the Reign of God will be taken,
or are we numbered among those to whom God’s Reign will be given?
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