MaToday’s First Reading is Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a) and the Gospel Reading is Matthew 21:33-43. 45-46). What do you make out of these readings for Friday of the Second Week of Lent?
The First Reading is about how Joseph, the second
youngest son of Jacob, was rejected by his older brothers and sold as a slave
to Egypt. On the other hand, the Gospel Reading is drawn from Jesus’ parable of
the wicked tenant workers of the vineyard.
So, what do these stories have to do with each
other?
If we see these stories, which seem irrelevant, as
narratives about rejection, then, we can take an important Lenten lesson by
juxtaposing these scripture stories. And we recognize that both stories tell us
rejection and consequence of rejection.
The parable of the wicked tenant workers of the
vineyard describes how these evil tenant workers beat, stoned, and killed all
the servants of the landowner, sent to the vineyard to inspect the progress for
the harvest. Upon this, the landowner sent his own son to the vineyard, hoping
that the tenant workers would respect him, therefore, would not attack him
(Matthew 21:37). However, as they saw the son of the landowner, they killed him
so that they might get his inheritance (Matthew 21:38-39).
Keep in mind that Jesus addressed this parable
specifically to religious leaders, who questioned Jesus’ authority, as he
cleansed the Temple, rebuking them for turning the sacred place into a place of
commerce, to confront and castigate their sinfulness beneath their
self-righteousness (Matthew 21:12-17,23-32).
What Jesus meant to say through this powerful is
that those hypocritical religious leaders are like the wicked tenant workers
who rejected not only the servants but also the son of the landowner, who
prepared the vineyard for them to work.
God had appointed these religious leaders to care
for the Temple as the House of God and to shepherd His people, just as the
landowner put the tenant workers to care for the vineyard that he set up. The
wicked religious leaders had turned the Temple into a market place to make
money as they wanted – not as God willed. So, Jesus came to cleansed it. And,
figuratively yet very powerfully, Jesus prophesized the destruction of the
corrupt Temple by cursing and making the barren fig tree die (Matthew
21:18-22). And, as to iterate with more elaboration, Jesus gave the parable
(Matthew 21:33-46), knowing that these sinful hypocrite religious leaders are
about to treat Jesus, the Son of God as the wicked tenant vineyard workers
killed the son of the landowner.
As the vineyard that the wicked tenant workers
ruined with the blood of the innocent was take away from the wicked tenant
workers by the landowner, the Temple that these hypocrite religious leaders
corrupted with their sins will be destroyed, as Jesus prophesized by cursing the
fig tree to die.
In concluding the parable, citing from Psalm
118:22–23; cf. Isaiah 28:16; cf. Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7), Jesus said:
The
stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has
this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?
(Matthew 21:42).
The rejected stone means Jesus, the Christ, who was
rejected by those who built the Temple to be killed by the hands of the Romans.
But, when Christ resurrected, the rejected stone turned into the cornerstone
for the Church that he builds.
That is why following the above words from Psalm
118:22-23, cited by Jesus, sings the joy of the resurrection with these words:
This is the day the Lord has made; let us
rejoice in it and be glad. Lord, grant salvation! Lord, grant good fortune! (Psalm 118:24-25).
This is the day also when the vineyard taken away
from the hands of the wicked, whose who rejected the stone, is renewed and
given to those who are faithful to God, and this new vineyard is the Church
that Christ builds. And the stone rejected by the wicked, who ruined the old
vineyard, has become the cornerstone of the new vineyard, the Church (Ephesians
2:20).
In fact, the parable of the wicked tenant workers of
the vineyard (Matthew 21:33-46) in today’s Gospel Reading is a reflection of
the vineyard song in Isaiah 5:1-7, and Jesus’ insert of Psalm 118:22-23 in
Matthew 21:42 is a reflection of Isaiah 11:1-7. Jesus is the cornerstone, as well
as the sprout out of the stump of the tree of Jesse.
Like the son of the vineyard’s landowner, Jesus was
rejected and killed. So, he became the cornerstone for the new vineyard, which
is the Church that he builds. And, God gives it to those who can faithfully
work in this new vineyard to help build the Church into the Kingdom on earth,
as it is in heaven. God makes something good out of the evil action committed
by the wicked.
This motif is also found in today’s First Reading
(Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a), if you follow the life of Joseph all the way
to Genesis 50:26.
Joseph was like the rejected stone – rejected and
sold by his older brothers. He started his life as a slave in Egypt. But with
his steadfast faith, Joseph never lost his patience during these years of
difficulties and persevered. God blessed him to eventually become the top
administrator of Egypt, entrusted by the pharaoh. And, Joseph did very well for
Egypt. Because of Joseph’s great administration, Egypt was not severely
affected by famine. However, his brothers, who rejected him, suffered from the
famine and came to Egypt to meet pharaoh’s chancellor for help. What was unbeknownst
to them was that the chancellor they sought out in Egypt for help was their own
brother, whom they rejected and sold as a slave.
Joseph knew his brothers, when he met.
Did Joseph turned his back, because of they did to
him?
No. Joseph did not hold grudge. He initiated the
reconciliation process, as his brothers were so anxious to have found out that
the man whom they sought help from was their own brother, whom they rejected
and sold. So, Joseph said to them:
Come
closer to me, I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. But now do
not be distressed, and do not be angry with yourselves for having sold me here.
It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you
(Genesis 45:4-5).
If we only read the First Reading, it would be just
a horrible story of rejection. But, as we read the rest of the Book of Genesis,
we realize that God makes something good out of what was made bad by our
wickedness or sins.
Joseph was the rejected stone and sold to Egypt.
But, in Egypt, having polished upon persevering challenges there, this rejected
stone became the cornerstone to save his brothers, who rejected him. Jesus was the rejected stone by the hands of
the wicked religious leaders, who conspired the Romans to kill him. But, he has
become the cornerstone to build the Church for those who faithfully work to
build further, thus, pleasing to our eyes and God’s.
Having read these stories about rejection in
juxtaposition during Lent, we now recognize that God is not only calling us to
be faithful to work with the cornerstone but to align ourselves with God to
make something good out of what was made bad by the hands of the wicked.
How can we be like Joseph, helping those who were
too anxious to reconcile?, for example. This is just one reflection we can make
for ourselves today.
No comments:
Post a Comment