WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.160 The Holy Spirit. Glory to Jesus Christ. There's 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:13.359 a vineyard out there. So a parable about a vineyard 00:00:13.359 --> 00:00:16.219 is not that unusual. We know how it works, more 00:00:16.219 --> 00:00:19.379 or less. We're surrounded by vineyards in Sonoma 00:00:19.379 --> 00:00:24.379 County. That vineyard was planted by John Vandeventer 00:00:24.379 --> 00:00:29.589 back in 2001 before he moved to Texas. It's now 00:00:29.589 --> 00:00:32.869 being cared for by a friend of the parish. In 00:00:32.869 --> 00:00:34.450 fact, there's someone out there working right 00:00:34.450 --> 00:00:40.329 now, a vine dresser. He asks this friend of the 00:00:40.329 --> 00:00:47.070 parish, he asks nothing for his labors and for 00:00:47.070 --> 00:00:49.189 the people he hires. And when the harvest time 00:00:49.189 --> 00:00:51.850 comes, when the time of the fruit draws near, 00:00:52.049 --> 00:00:55.570 it's just like the gospel. We receive the fruits 00:00:55.570 --> 00:01:00.950 thereof. This man's a good servant, unlike those 00:01:00.950 --> 00:01:04.469 in the gospel account of the parable we just 00:01:04.469 --> 00:01:11.290 heard. This is an important parable. It sounds 00:01:11.290 --> 00:01:15.390 terrifying, but actually, if we listen carefully, 00:01:15.609 --> 00:01:20.689 we see how merciful God is. This parable was 00:01:20.689 --> 00:01:25.120 spoken by our Lord just after Palm Sunday. Chapter 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:28.200 21 of the Gospel of Matthew, we're getting near 00:01:28.200 --> 00:01:32.519 the end. The parable was spoken just after he 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:34.519 had come into the great temple in Jerusalem, 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:38.579 and St. Matthew recounts that Jesus went into 00:01:38.579 --> 00:01:42.900 the temple and overthrew the tables of the money 00:01:42.900 --> 00:01:46.799 changers. He said to them, it is written, my 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:49.540 house shall be called a house of prayer, but 00:01:49.540 --> 00:01:54.560 you have made it a den of thieves. And the chief 00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:58.840 priests, says St. Matthew, were sore displeased. 00:01:58.980 --> 00:02:02.579 In other words, they were quite angry. They were 00:02:02.579 --> 00:02:08.360 angry because he was accusing them, rightly so, 00:02:08.520 --> 00:02:12.840 as church history and archaeology and history 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:16.879 tells us, of taking property and money from, 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:20.939 well, the temple parishioners, basically, extorting 00:02:20.939 --> 00:02:25.219 them. making deals with the Romans to line their 00:02:25.219 --> 00:02:28.759 own pockets. This was the temple priesthood. 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:33.259 The Levites in the Old Testament were the only 00:02:33.259 --> 00:02:36.479 tribe to not receive a portion of the land because 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:39.159 they were the ones that would care for the temple 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:42.060 and the sacrifices. But they were gobbling up 00:02:42.060 --> 00:02:46.240 all the land. So when Jesus turned to them and 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:49.500 said, you've made the house of God a den of thieves, 00:02:49.979 --> 00:02:52.319 They were angry because he was right. Now this 00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:55.159 happened just days before the crucifixion. And 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:58.599 the parable gives an extremely clear accusation. 00:02:58.659 --> 00:03:01.599 It's clear in its message to the chief priests. 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:08.379 Is it clear to us? The story of accountability 00:03:08.379 --> 00:03:15.199 before God. It's not about retribution. It's 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:19.340 not about God's anger. Two things about that. 00:03:20.490 --> 00:03:25.030 In the parable, the Lord says, the master sent 00:03:25.030 --> 00:03:27.590 servants. Of course, we understand that to be, 00:03:27.669 --> 00:03:30.770 in this parable, to be a prophecy and the history 00:03:30.770 --> 00:03:33.949 of salvation. He sent servants, the prophets. 00:03:34.229 --> 00:03:37.750 And they were stoned. They were harmed. Some 00:03:37.750 --> 00:03:41.949 were killed. And then he sent more. To say, the 00:03:41.949 --> 00:03:47.330 time of the harvest is at hand. And they were 00:03:47.330 --> 00:03:50.639 killed. And then it sends, then... Jesus says 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:55.360 the master sent his son, for they will reverence 00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:59.620 and respect my son. But he was taken outside 00:03:59.620 --> 00:04:02.800 the vineyard, just as Jesus was taken outside 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:05.979 the walls of Jerusalem onto Golgotha, and he 00:04:05.979 --> 00:04:09.840 was killed. And Jesus asks a question in the 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:12.439 parable. Note, read carefully these parables. 00:04:12.539 --> 00:04:16.300 Jesus asks this question of those listening to 00:04:16.300 --> 00:04:20.740 him. What will the master of the vineyard do 00:04:20.740 --> 00:04:25.319 to those miserable men who killed the son? Jesus 00:04:25.319 --> 00:04:28.839 is asking that question to the priests. And what 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:32.779 do they say to him? Oh, he will certainly kill 00:04:32.779 --> 00:04:36.439 him, all those people, and give the vineyard 00:04:36.439 --> 00:04:42.060 to other people who will take care of it. Jesus 00:04:42.060 --> 00:04:50.410 then repeats this verse. From Psalm 118. The 00:04:50.410 --> 00:04:54.370 stone, the word stone and sun in Hebrew sound 00:04:54.370 --> 00:04:57.490 the same, ebon and ben. The stone which the builders 00:04:57.490 --> 00:05:01.730 rejected, that one has become the cornerstone. 00:05:04.449 --> 00:05:08.870 The vineyard continues for the salvation of the 00:05:08.870 --> 00:05:14.490 world. God has been merciful step by step. He 00:05:14.490 --> 00:05:19.009 did not destroy those miserable men. No, he didn't. 00:05:20.189 --> 00:05:23.550 Patience. Let me point out that this parable 00:05:23.550 --> 00:05:26.370 is not about condemning the Jewish nation and 00:05:26.370 --> 00:05:29.430 the Jewish priests because they're not here. 00:05:30.129 --> 00:05:35.250 It's given to us. The temple is gone. Listen 00:05:35.250 --> 00:05:38.610 to what St. Paul says. If some of the branches 00:05:38.610 --> 00:05:43.930 of the vine have been broken off and you, that 00:05:43.930 --> 00:05:49.569 is Gentiles, all of us. Though a wild olive shoot 00:05:49.569 --> 00:05:53.050 have been grafted in among the others and now 00:05:53.050 --> 00:05:56.050 share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 00:05:56.209 --> 00:06:00.269 do not consider yourself to be superior to those 00:06:00.269 --> 00:06:05.310 other branches. If you do consider this, he says, 00:06:05.509 --> 00:06:08.529 you do not support the root, but the root supports 00:06:08.529 --> 00:06:12.329 you. You will say then, branches were broken 00:06:12.329 --> 00:06:16.980 off. So that I could be grafted in. Granted. 00:06:18.459 --> 00:06:21.160 But they were broken off because of unbelief. 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:24.279 And you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but 00:06:24.279 --> 00:06:27.680 tremble. For if God did not spare the natural 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:32.259 branches, he will not spare you either. Romans 00:06:32.259 --> 00:06:37.120 11. Do you notice how St. Paul clearly says that 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:39.300 the branches, in this case he's talking about 00:06:39.300 --> 00:06:44.430 olive trees. We have those too. Are grafted in 00:06:44.430 --> 00:06:49.350 among the others. This means that the house of 00:06:49.350 --> 00:06:52.810 Israel. The assembly of Israel. Not the country 00:06:52.810 --> 00:06:57.850 in the Middle East. The assembly is the church. 00:06:57.910 --> 00:07:01.209 Is God's people. They are the children of God. 00:07:01.410 --> 00:07:03.850 St. Paul says they have the covenant. The glory. 00:07:04.069 --> 00:07:08.009 The promises. And we are brought into that covenant. 00:07:08.490 --> 00:07:13.860 With Jesus. Who is the new covenant. He joins 00:07:13.860 --> 00:07:17.740 us, he grafts us by faith, and we become children 00:07:17.740 --> 00:07:22.079 of God. Listen to the further words of St. Paul. 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:25.740 For ye are all the children of God by faith in 00:07:25.740 --> 00:07:29.319 Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been 00:07:29.319 --> 00:07:34.240 baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:38.519 is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond 00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:43.310 nor free. There is neither male. nor female, 00:07:43.709 --> 00:07:48.610 with access to the Father, for all are one in 00:07:48.610 --> 00:07:52.870 Christ Jesus. In the church, it's about the kingdom 00:07:52.870 --> 00:07:57.910 of God, not the kingdom of man. It's that which 00:07:57.910 --> 00:08:02.470 is above, which we enter into. It's not figuring 00:08:02.470 --> 00:08:06.110 out ways to insert the kingdom of God into the 00:08:06.110 --> 00:08:11.160 kingdom of man or a political party. And racism 00:08:11.160 --> 00:08:14.199 and sexism and bigotry and prejudice and anti 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:18.860 -Semitism, anti -black, anti -white, anti -whatever, 00:08:19.079 --> 00:08:22.579 none of these attitudes have a place in the Christian 00:08:22.579 --> 00:08:27.459 heart. We discern where sin is and where evil 00:08:27.459 --> 00:08:31.180 is. Of course we discern that. If we can't tell 00:08:31.180 --> 00:08:32.919 the difference between right and wrong, then 00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:35.720 there's no hope for us. But we don't have those 00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:41.600 attitudes in our heart. hatred or violence, divisiveness, 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:45.779 foul speech. Get off the internet arguments. 00:08:45.899 --> 00:08:48.960 Get off of it, brothers and sisters. You're wasting 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:51.840 your time. Seek the cleansing of your heart and 00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:55.059 prayer. Then you will know God's plan for you. 00:08:57.580 --> 00:09:00.500 Seek the fruit of the Spirit, love and joy and 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:03.740 peace. Remember we talked about that months ago. 00:09:04.379 --> 00:09:08.920 We were all going to practice one of those. virtues, 00:09:08.920 --> 00:09:14.200 once a week, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, 00:09:14.299 --> 00:09:17.759 goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self -control, 00:09:17.820 --> 00:09:23.240 and we'd start over when we were done. As Orthodox 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:26.860 Christians, we are branches in the vine of Christ. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:32.200 The Lord told his apostles, that's us, I am the 00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:37.159 vine, you are the branches. He who abides in 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:43.649 me, and I in him bears much fruit. Do yourself 00:09:43.649 --> 00:09:49.610 a test. I'll ask myself, if everyone in the parish 00:09:49.610 --> 00:09:54.429 was like me, what kind of parish would it be? 00:09:54.509 --> 00:09:56.330 Well, we wouldn't be in here, that's for sure. 00:09:57.230 --> 00:10:02.710 There'd probably be nobody here but me. Ask yourself 00:10:02.710 --> 00:10:07.100 in terms of your attendance to church. A couple 00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:09.799 times a month. If everybody in the parish was 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:12.379 like that, you're tithing. If everybody in the 00:10:12.379 --> 00:10:15.700 parish was like that, you're prayer life. The 00:10:15.700 --> 00:10:21.159 Lord is seeking fruit from us. For without me, 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:24.360 you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide 00:10:24.360 --> 00:10:26.879 in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:29.700 And they gather them and throw them into the 00:10:29.700 --> 00:10:33.639 fire and they are burned. If you abide in me 00:10:33.639 --> 00:10:37.289 and my words abide in you. You will ask what 00:10:37.289 --> 00:10:40.929 you desire, and it shall be done for you. By 00:10:40.929 --> 00:10:45.289 this my Father is glorified, that you bear much 00:10:45.289 --> 00:10:49.870 fruit. Let's remember there will be an accounting 00:10:49.870 --> 00:10:53.450 for our life. To the one that much is given, 00:10:53.590 --> 00:10:56.809 and so much has been given to us. Each one of 00:10:56.809 --> 00:10:59.649 you, I know, has been given a wealth of blessings 00:10:59.649 --> 00:11:03.090 from God. So much knowledge, so many blessings, 00:11:03.470 --> 00:11:07.700 so many understandings. of the faith so many 00:11:07.700 --> 00:11:12.899 wonderful things we are responsible to those 00:11:12.899 --> 00:11:17.539 around us for the fruit and we will have to bear 00:11:17.539 --> 00:11:21.820 that to the master at the end there is an accountability 00:11:21.820 --> 00:11:26.159 that's what the Lord is trying to tell his people 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:29.940 in chapter 21 of the gospel of Saint Matthew 00:11:29.940 --> 00:11:35.399 let's remember it And be joyful because the Lord 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:38.820 has given us the opportunity to bear incredible 00:11:38.820 --> 00:11:44.340 fruit. To him who is our life, be glory now and 00:11:44.340 --> 00:11:46.440 ever to ages of ages. Amen.