Friends in September

Jesus, help me choose friends who treat me well! Amen.

Jesus said, "A man rented out his vineyard. At harvest time, he sent servants for the crops, but the renters killed them. So the man sent his son, thinking, 'They'll respect him.' But the renters killed the son." The listeners said, "The man will get rid of the renters and get new ones." Jesus told them, "In the same way, the people who go to God's kingdom will be those who grow its fruit."

September can be all about friendships. When you go back to school or start activities you took a break from over the summer, you might feel like you're getting to know your friends all over again. Sometimes, you end up hanging around with kids you didn't even like a few months ago!

In a way, this week's Gospel (Matthew 21:33-43) is about times like that. Jesus talks about good people getting into heaven and bad people not going there, but He also reminds us that everyone gets lots of chances to be people God can "hang around with."

Seeing your friends after a long break can be a happy time; you might jump right back into all the fun things you used to do together. But that doesn't always happen. Sometimes, the people you liked last year aren't the ones you spend much time with now.

The Gospel story about a vineyard owner and his renters is really about God and us. The people started out as friends with God, until they changed. When they treated others badly, God gave them a chance to change, then said they had made their decision: They were being bad, so they were choosing not to be close to God any more.

The same thing happens to kids today: Some of your old friends aren't your friends any more, and new friends have come along. But the Gospel story reminds us of something important: Give everyone a chance to change. People who treat you well are real friends!