"Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.' So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."
Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures:
'The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord's doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes'?
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls."
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.
They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
Today is one of those days when all the news for LGBT people is not terribly good. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has just upheld the States Gay Marriage Ban. A New Hampshire GOP Congressional Candidate has compared gay marriage to marrying "men and sheep" and "women and dogs." The GOP Governor of Rhode Island has vetoed a bill that would have extended hate crimes protection to transgendered people. And these are just a few of the really bad news for and about LGBT people, the equality of our relationships and civil rights protection. Much of this is being carried out by individuals who are doing so with religious convictions. It can feel to many of us like the loud messages we sent during our Pride celebrations this past weekend have just been wasted.
This Gospel for today seems to have the Prophets and Jesus in the same situation. They came to bring good news to the people of their day. Jesus came to call those who were marginalized and stigmatized by the religious leaders of his day to be part of God's family. Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to those who could not see. Jesus even went so far as to put a name and a face on those who were dead. Those who knew that they needed God to help them with all of their difficulties were Jesus' best friends. Jesus came to tell all of us who need God that we are loved by God even when society and the Church turn their backs on us. Jesus came with his message of salvation and liberation, and those who feared loosing their prestigious place as teachers of the faith rejected God's perfect revelation. Because God came in a way they did not like or expect God, they rejected Jesus and did all they could to destroy him. What was happening was not because of the Jewish religion or even it's people. We do not condone nor suggest that the Jews killed Jesus, and therefore Jewish people must be converted to Christianity to avoid condemnation by God. Such a notion is not only not true, it is completely contrary to the Gospel and the message of Jesus.
The beauty and wonder of Jesus is that though all the odds were against him, he still continued on with what God wanted him to accomplish. Jesus trusted in God even when it seemed like God had forgotten him. Jesus faced every challenge and overcame it through his total trust that somehow God would help him through all that he was experiencing. There must have been moments when Jesus felt like he should just give up. The most important message that Jesus taught us about God is that God never gives up on us. Even when humankind is stupid or the Church is just so arrogantly rude towards people who do not fit their status quo. God still wishes to draw close to humankind. God accomplishes this through Jesus Christ, and yet even then humankind continues to pay little attention.
Today's news is bad news. But in God there is plenty of good news. God has not given up on us and God never will. God continues to call on women and men everywhere to a change of heart about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning people. There are many women and men who are hearing this call of God and there are others who have chosen to harden their hearts. God the Holy Spirit continues to call with her powerful and majestic voice wanting people to stop the violence, discrimination and cruelty. The Holy Spirit is truly weeping that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continues to pollute the ocean, kill wild life and destroy the livelihoods of those who need what is in the sea to make a living. The Holy Spirit wants people to stop putting corporate greed ahead of the needs people to work, sleep, eat, drink and live with a sense of dignity, peace and security. However, if people do not listen to her voice and promptings all she can really do is move on the hearts of people. The Holy Spirit can move, but she cannot make those who use their freedom of will for destructive means suddenly listen and obey. This is why we must continue to pray for the entire situation and trust somehow that God will answer our prayers.
God will in time answer the prayers of LGBTQ people. The more people speak up and write their legislators and work to elect fair and equal minded leaders, the closer we will get to equality. The more we continue to be open the Holy Spirit's work to change the hearts of many who lead the Church to accept all people including LGBTQ folks, the more likely in time, the change will happen. The changes we seek will not happen if we give up. The hope for a renewed Church and society that seeks and protects the equal rights of all people will happen because Christians and all people of good will take an interest, make bold statements and are willing to be apostles and agents of change. The news may not be encouraging, but the opportunities to get involved to make better news in our future is the best thing any of us can do.
Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 8, Book of Common Prayer, Page 230).
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, Page 815).
Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Oppressed, Book of Common Prayer, Page 826).
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