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Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2008 /  God challenges us to put our faith into action

by Fr. Richard C. Macey special to The Michigan Catholic
Published September 26, 2008

First Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7

Isaiah introduces these verses as a song. After telling the story about the vineyard, the prophet explains its meaning. He foretells the judgment of God following the disobedience of His people. The imagery of the vineyard as the people of Israel is also used in the New Testament, as in the Gospel narrative today. The detail about setting up the vineyard demonstrates the care and concern shown toward it by “the friend” of the prophet. God waited for His people to bear good fruit from His work with them. Some scholars have suggested some parallels to the Song of Songs in the use of imagery as metaphorical signs of intimacy.

A key word is “look for/expect.” The Hebrew word appears three times in this passage. It expresses the disappointment of the owner of the vineyard in the lack of fruitfulness of his labors on its behalf. The vineyard did not respond to his best efforts.

Isaiah is setting himself as a mediator between God and His people. He is posing as a “friend” of the bridegroom, a spokesman, who is accusing the people, the betrothed of God, of improper behavior in their relationship with God. He is taking the place of the “best man” at a wedding.

A judgment is rendered by God against the people. The devastation of the land, caused by the armies of Assyria in the eighth century B.C., was the punishment inflicted on the people for their disobedience. The tearing down of the vineyard described the devastation that would take place when the land was ravaged by the invading army.

Second Reading: Philippians 4:6-9

In this final chapter of the letter, Paul urged the people to be in harmony with one another. This selection begins and ends with: “peace of God … God of peace.” Paul encourages them to share in the peace which is the life of God among them. ” In the first part of this passage, Paul tells the Philippians that “God will guard your hearts and minds.” He uses a military word for “guard,” which describes the actions of a detachment of soldiers who stand watch to protect the people against an enemy. The heart and mind stand for the entire inner being of a person, their feelings and thoughts.

The second half of this reading is a balanced presentation of Christian life. Paul uses the expression, “If … excellence, and if … worthy of praise. …” Paul presumes that these are present, and thus all the rest of the values fall upon the duty of Christian life. He is using terminology that would be known to the people who live in the Greek culture of the city. He also lists the virtues that are included. He puts an emphasis on them by repeating the verbal structure, “whatever,” before each word. Moral philosophers of that time would create a list like this. Paul directs their focus to the highest values of humankind.

He also includes both thought and action, the motivation and the behavior: “think … .keep on doing. …” The Christian is not just a person who consents to a creed. A Christian also is committed to a course of action based on that belief. Paul tells them that their life is formed by “what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.” Paul offers himself here and other places in his writings as a model, an example, of a life which is committed to the work of God. The visibility of faith is the committed life of the faithful.

Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43

The first and most obvious meaning of this passage is the fate of Jesus Himself. He describes the efforts of God to be in communication with His people, represented as the tenants of the vineyard. The actions of the landowner are almost excessive in his mercy. He overlooks the murder of his slaves and sends his own son. It does not represent the weakness of the landowner, but the confidence he had in the success of his plan. The apparently futile efforts on the part of the landowner to secure what belonged to Him have become the undoing of those who acted as though they had power over the vineyard. The landowner endures the setbacks, but eventually he re-establishes justice. Early Christian interpreters believed that it described the transfer of God’s election from the Jews to the Christians.

Interestingly, though, this passage has not been used to support anti-Jewish rhetoric. One modern scholar (Ulrich Luz) suggests that it is because of the quotation from the Greek version of Psalm 117:22-23. The word for “cornerstone” describes the well-chiseled stone at the four corners of a building, the stone which brought together two walls. In this case the reference may be to Jesus as the one who joins and supports both the Jewish and Christian believers, who make up the house of God.

There is also a warning to any Christian as well. The mistreated slaves/servants recalled the prophets of the Old Testament, who often were persecuted by their own people when they delivered their divinely inspired message. In the course of history, Christian prophets have sometimes been mistreated by other Christians who were jealous for their own personal gain. The narrative concludes with the promise that the “Kingdom of God will be … given to a people that will produce its fruit.” The workers still belong to the Lord. They are not independent of His authority and under obedience to Him. Every age is challenged to make faith fruitful in action.

An interesting observation is that the Kingdom of God is not simply a future promise. It already exists. It continues to provide for those who are called to work in it. The Kingdom also includes the fruitfulness which it offers. It is “given to a people.” Matthew’s Gospel is the only one that mentions “the Church.” Here, however, the evangelist has deliberately chosen to us another word. The word, “people,” is singular. Thus, it is not synonymous with “the Gentiles,” since that would be in the plural. It is more inclusive. It probably refers to those who being about fruitfulness in their lives. It is an invitation and challenge to each of us everyday.

I am always surprised and amazed by people. So much good that they do is never read in headlines or well-known. In a conversation with one of our former ushers, I discovered that he was very active and helpful in a variety of groups – even at another non-Catholic church! He would paint their flagpole, since no one at that church felt capable of climbing it to do it, nor did they have the money to hire someone with the proper lifting equipment. Wherever someone needed assistance, you could find him wearing his Superman shirt and pitching in. He never considered what he did unusual or noteworthy. It was part of his nature to be helpful. He didn’t want to be part of any commission or lead any group. He just liked to help, and his example inspired others, including me. God still proclaims His Gospel through the lives of those who respond to His call.

Fr. Richard C. Macey is pastor of Our Lady of the Woods Parish, Woodhaven.