January 2, 2011 – Mark 12 - 12:27
This is a parable that doesn’t really leave much to be hidden. Some parables are a little obscure or have a hidden message. They might leave some room for the authorities that Christ was talking to, to weasel out of or disregard. But this one is pretty point blank. The authorities were given God’s vineyard to tend, God sent servants to collect and guide and you beat and killed them. Now He will send His Son, and you will kill Him because of your selfishness and greed and “He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others.” Christ tells them this story knowing that their thoughts were specifically on trying to kill Him. How they must have squirmed in their cloaks.
Michelle was upset one time when she heard this reading about not being married after death. It is hard to hear if you are truly united with your spouse and have that commitment for life and hear that you aren’t married in Heaven. But that is a misunderstanding of what marriage is meant for. Marriage is a Sacrament that is meant for our Earthly life, meant to bring the spouses closer to God, not necessarily each other (but that is a by-product) and to create life. A person that thinks marriage is something that is meant to improve a person’s earthly life is seeing marriage similar to the Sadducees. Marriages, like all the Sacraments, are Earthly ways of achieving graces that are to point and lead us to Heaven. Once a person reaches the destination, signs are not required. Marriage is not necessary in Heaven because we have reached the final destination for which Marriage was one of the signs. We will know our spouses like we have never known them before in Heaven, but neither of us will want to be married because our entire will, effort, and attention will be directed towards God. That will be our focus and our motivation.