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 27^TH SUNDAY, YEAR A: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: DIVINE EXPECTATIONS VS HUMAN LIMITATIONS

(Matthew 21:33-43)

The Gospel Reading of today presents God as a householder who planted a vineyard and gave it all the necessary requirements to bloom and be fruitful.

We see a God who has given in what He should give to make man useful and productive. Just as every farmer expects to reap sweet produce from his farm, just as every father expects to enjoy the fruit of his labour, just as everyone expects profit from his work, so God comes in anticipation of being made glad by his creatures. What does he find?

The vine keeping demands creativity, time, patience, and effort. God, our creator, put in a lot of spiritual, physical, and passionate energy in the act of creating us. Something went out of him, really. He spent Himself in making man like Himself. He made Him a paradise, a garden, a vineyard, but chose Him as His special vineyard. This is interesting. Little wonder time and again, He never stops visiting to interact with Adam and Eve.

Sadly, when on that day He visited to see how Adam and Eve were doing and found them not bearing fruit but losing fruits having plucked the fruit of disobedience. It was not funny for God.

Just as man in Adam disappointed God and responded, "I am naked," in Cain, he disappointed and said: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Man in the brothers of Joseph betrayed him and sold him to slavery. Yet God formed them as a people in Egypt. From there, He uprooted them and planted them like a vine on his holy mountain. He was their protector and shepherd. In growing wild instead of docile to the vine owner, they severally were exiled. God continued sending them prophets as their vinedresser, but they enjoyed being wild.

In their wildness, they killed the different servants sent to care for them. Yet, God sent His son, saying, "They will obey my son." But him they also killed.

Is God wrong to expect good from us? Is He expecting too much? Oh no! He created us good and wants us to bear good fruits. But man chose evil over the good. He wants us to taste sweet, but a lot of things in us make us sour. He wants us to be life-giving, but we choose to be poisonous. The Lord created us to be lights, but we recreate ourselves to be darkness. He wants us to listen to Him just as He comes to listen to us. But we turn away from Him. In His love and tender mercy, He still picks us up to reinstate us. This is how much He loves us. 

As we wander, Jesus wonders: what have I not done for you? Why have you chosen to bear no fruit? Why are you straying away? Why do you want to remain adamant in your evil ways?

 

BE FRUITFUL

God wants you to be fruitful in your family. Be useful in your place of work. Be a good child of your parents. Be a good keeper of His commands. Take His word to heart. Bear fruits of holiness, peace, and charity.

Remove bitterness. Do you think you can't make it again? The word of God says you can. The Lord will not reject you. Do not withdraw your hands from what He offers you. Surprise those who think you have been lost. Surprise the devil who has made you believe that you can't rise again. Have you been rejected and seen as fruitless? The Lord is saying today that you will be a cornerstone. You will be like that stone that the builder rejected, which has become the cornerstone. May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

May the Lord be satisfied with us and satisfy us with His good things through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happy Sunday (27th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh