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| “Red Vineyards at Arles” by Vincent Van Gogh, 1888 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: 2 Peter 1:2-7
Commentary on 2 Pt 1:2-7
This is the brief introduction to the Second Letter of Peter, similar in form and language to the introductions from Jude and the First Letter of Peter. The book was admitted to the canon of the New Testament late because it is thought to have been written under a pseudonym by someone other than the Apostle Peter. This first section set the stage for the principal thrust of the letter which is Christian knowledge, which should arm them against false teachers, specifically those who doubted that there would be a “second coming” of Christ.
The author points out that knowledge is the key to understanding and realizing the gift of the divine promises of Christ. He then goes on to present a gradation of qualities beginning with faith that leads at last to Christian love, the ultimate expression of Christ’s gift in the world.
CCC: 2 Pt 1:3-4 1996; 2 Pt 1:4 460, 1129, 1265, 1692, 1721, 1812
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 91:1-2, 14-15b, 15c-16
R. (see 2b) In you, my God, I place my trust.
Commentary on Ps 91:1-2, 14-15b, 15c-16
The hymn of thanksgiving that is Psalm 91 gives praise to God for the salvation of his people. He saves those who believe in him from distress and fear.
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Gospel: Mark 12:1-12
Commentary on Mk 12:1-12
In the first part of the Gospel we hear the Parable of the Vineyard. Since this story is directed to the chief priests and scribes, we understand that the vineyard represents the Kingdom of God and the tenants are the Sanhedrin. They should have been working on behalf of God, but instead they misused their power and disregarded the Prophets, killing some, beating others. And when the son of the owner comes and is killed, Jesus prophesies his own death.
The final section of the reading uses the image found in Psalm 118; 23-24, “the stone rejected.” Jesus uses this scripture quote to drive home his point: that the Sanhedrin had completely missed God’s intent, and that the one they rejected, Jesus himself, the Messiah, was to be the cornerstone of the New Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom on earth and in heaven.
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Reflection:
There is an ongoing struggle, even within our Christian ranks, to discover how best to follow Jesus’ teachings. Some argue that “I don’t need a church. I am a spiritual person and I read the Bible. I am a good person.” We would not argue with the last statement. There are many people who are good; look at Gandhi who was a very good person. An individual, doing their best to follow their impulses to do “good,” is not what Christianity is about. It is the sum of its members responding together to challenge the status quo and transform the world, driven by their faith and belief that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God, and it is his example Christians follow.
Christ’s mission was not to introduce an individual form of self-improvement. He came so that salvation might be given to those who could find the strength to follow him. An individual doing “good” things, reading the bible, praying to God, has found a selfish expression of faith that will make them feel good, and not require any effort to change, either what they do (they have excluded from their circle anyone who would challenge them), or how they interpret “good” from what they read. That individual might rationalize excellent reasons for rejecting “organized religion.” Most commonly heard are things like: “I don’t need them to know what’s right or how to pray,” or “They are all a bunch of hypocrites.” It is like a soldier saying: “I know that our side is right in going to war, but I’ll fight when the enemies are at my front door,” or “Soldiers are supposed to be brave; the ones I met were all scared.”
The expression of faith lived in the world is something that Christ calls us to. It is difficult to do what he asks, and if we find ourselves comfortable in the pew, content with the faith, we probably need to fire ourselves up. The Second Letter of Peter pushes us hard in that direction, and the Gospel reminds us that when we push as he wants us to, others will almost certainly push back (“So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.”).
Our prayer today is that we will not be complacent in the faith we share; that we will take that faith boldly into the world and demonstrate the love Christ calls us to share as our badge of Christianity.
Pax
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