Treat things, people well

Jesus, teach me to treat other people's things well -- and other people well, too! 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 those 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."

"Let me borrow the flashcards you made to study with," a friend begs. You're fine with lending them -- but when you get them back the next day, they look like they've been run over by a bus! You probably won't be lending that friend anything again.

This week's Gospel (Matthew 21:33-43) is about borrowing. People have rented a vineyard, where grapes are grown -- but when it's time to give the grapes to the owner, they won't. Instead, they kill anyone the owner sends to the vineyard, including his son.

Sharing your stuff with friends is a good thing, as long as they treat your things with respect. Getting your flashcards back dirty and crumpled doesn't make you want to keep sharing, though!

In the Gospel story, the vineyard owner is God and the "renters" are people. Jesus is describing how God sent prophets before to teach about heaven, but people didn't treat them well.
 
Now, God the Father has sent His own Son, Jesus -- and already, Jesus knows He won't be treated well, either. Things deserve to be treated with respect, and people deserve that even more. The people Jesus taught understood that, if they didn't treat all other people with respect and listen to what Jesus taught, He'd go find other people who wanted to learn about God.

Torn-up flashcards are frustrating, but you can make more. Jesus wanted us to remember that torn-up people can't be replaced!

(10/2/08)