Justice

In the Gospel of  Matthew 21:33-41, Jesus tells the parable of the landowner who perfectly prepares a vineyard, leases it out to tenants who evidently do not want to pay their rent. They ruff up the servants he sends to retrieve the rent and evitually kill the landowners son. Jesus then asks the question what will the landowner do when he returns. Jesus uses this parable to make a point to the Jewish leaders to whom he is speaking. But we would be making a dangerous assumption if we thought he was not speaking to the church today as well.

Sometimes it does seem that God has put tenants in charge and has gone off to a faraway land and we the tenants of his garden have refused his requests for a fair rent. We see injustice all around us and wonder that God does not return right now and set things aright.

So what is a right response by us. It is simple, It is complicated, and it is not as easy as it will sound here. Simple - We are to work toward God's kingdom, justice, and honor for God. Complicated - as other parables make clear, it is not our place to clear out those who do not measure up to God justice. As the parable of the wheat and tares makes clear God doesn't trust us accurately enforce his justice. Complicated - it is very difficult for us to work for the futherance of God's kingdom and not try to force others to do the same. When there is so much that needs righting, it is difficult to focus on one small area where we can actually make a difference.

The glory is that when we fail to achieve what God expects of us, he accepts us anyway. The glory is all God's