The theme of today’s readings is the rejection of the beloved. In the first reading, we see the brothers of Joseph plotting against him. The...
The theme of today’s readings is the rejection of the beloved. In the first reading, we see the brothers of Joseph plotting against him. Their Jealousy over his "tunic of many colors" and his father’s favor leads them to sell him into slavery. They think they have gotten rid of him, but God will eventually use Joseph to save them all from famine.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the Parable of the Tenants. The vineyard owner sends his servants, and finally his son, to collect the produce. But the tenants, driven by greed and a false sense of ownership, kill the son. Jesus is clearly speaking about Himself. He is the Son who will be cast out of the "vineyard" (Jerusalem) and killed.
But Jesus adds a quote from the Psalms: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." This is the great mystery of Divine Justice. What humans intend for evil, God uses for good. The rejection of Joseph saved Egypt and Israel; the rejection of Jesus saved the whole world.
Are there "stones" in our lives that we have rejected? Perhaps it’s a difficult person, a painful circumstance, or a part of our own history we are ashamed of. God often builds His greatest works on the very things we cast aside. This Lent, let us ask the Lord to help us see with His eyes, so that we don't reject the "cornerstones" He is sending into our lives today.
No comments