Scripture Scribbles: October 8, 2023
the Gospel
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
the devotion
We struggle to receive.
I’ve been reflecting on this lately: My own inability to simply be and receive.
The other night we were reading a bedtime story to my son titled Eyeore’s Good Day from Winnie the Pooh’s Bedtime Stories.
In it, Pooh and Piglet ask Eyeore: “What is the matter?”
Eyeore responds that the problem is that nothing is the matter.
He would actually feel better if something were wrong.
I had to laugh. Isn’t that so… us?
We seriously struggle to receive. We struggle to let go. We struggle to trust. We struggle to believe that God is actually there. That He’s actually willing and actively working for our good.
Sure, the Gospel, peace that transcends all understanding, a Savior, life to the full: It all sounds good, in theory, right? But in practice, how often are we actually receiving this gift and living it out?
Are we allowing ourselves to live in the peace and joy that Christ wishes to lavish upon us in the here and now?
I must admit to you all, very frequently I find that I am not. It is a struggle for me to let go and simply receive. I often find myself like Eyeore, even actively searching for something, anything, the next thing, to worry about or beat myself up about. Rather than receiving the good gifts Christ wishes to give me, I find myself tangled up or being tossed and turned by the anxieties of life.
The Lord has shown me that when I live this way I am actually refusing to receive. When I refuse to receive the goodness that God wishes to give me I am choking the good fruit that He wants to bear in my life. In turn, I am depriving it from reaching the lives of those around me. This is rotten fruit, friend.
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit
Today, I want to invite you to reflect on something along with me:
What sort of fruit am I producing in my life?
Am I letting go and receiving the peace and joy that Christ wills for me?
Or am I choking it with needless anxiety, worry, fear, or doubt?
Letting go, relaxing, and receiving the simple gifts of the present moment allow us to go forth and bear good fruit that will last.
Thank God, He never stops seeking us out. No matter how often we refuse to receive, He is there, waiting for us to let Him in just a little deeper. He is always there, waiting for us to loosen our grip and give Him our grapes so that He can produce a new wine in us.
In today’s second reading, St. Paul clearly tells us how to receive the peace that surpasses all understanding. Let us look to this as a roadmap this week, as we challenge ourselves to receive:
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus…
…whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.
Today’s devotion is written by Rachel Smith
