Can God labour in vain?

 

salvation is willingly, not by force.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A, October 8th, 2023
Texts: Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:9,12-16,19-20; Philippians 4:6-9; Matthew 21:33-43

“Can God labour in vain?” is a question that arose in my mind as I was reflecting on today’s readings. Today’s first reading relates effort in futility. We read, “What more was there to do for my vineyard, that have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?” The labour is in vain not because it yields nothing but because the fruits are worthless.  

The parable is about good quality labour that yields worthless result. It then shows that it is not labour alone that makes vineyard yields its fruits, grapes. Human freewill is involved.  Hence, the parable is also an emphasis on failure of man to embrace salvation. It tells us that salvation is willingly, not by force. Salvation is not imposed on man. We can afford to be bad, in spite of God’s grace. Being alive today is grace, we can make out of the grace be it wickedness or goodness. 

Enjoying God’s grace, they grow in wickedness

The question of the parable is not about labouring in vain; it is about savouring God’s grace in vain. It tells us about the perversion of God’s grace; they use God’s grace for wrong end. Enjoying God’s grace, they grow in wickedness. We read, “he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry!”  

Hence, God says, “I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.”  

We see in today’s gospel reading a patient God who continues to endure our ills, hoping for change. The gospel reading is about a vineyard owner who leased his vineyard to tenants after providing the facilities. He set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. 

When the season of fruits came, he sent his servants to the tenants twice. On each occasion the tenants maltreated the servants and killed some of them. Yet he was still hoping for change. His hope dashed when they killed his only son.  They showed they were for evil, not good.  

Our thoughts never align with the thoughts of God

We see in the reading that our thoughts never align with the thoughts of God. The vineyard owner thought they would respect his son but that was not true. They thought killing his son would grant them ownership of the vineyard. Hence, St. Paul, in today’s second reading, says, Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” We are also to do them as we think about them. 

St. Paul also admonishes us on anxiety. We are not to allow anxiety to take over our lives. In his words: “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ  Jesus.” 

Prayer 

Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke