SAINT BONIFACE, BISHOP AND MARTYR (MEMORIAL)

It is wonderful in our eyes. 

What a bold move! Jesus dares to recount for the chief priests and scribes their predecessors’ history of violently rejecting God’s servants, the prophets. It’s such a sad summary that it would be easy to miss the message of hope that this parable holds for Jesus’ listeners and for all of us. So let’s take a closer look.

A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower (Mark 12:1). The owner gave the tenants not just the land but everything they needed to successfully farm it. In the same way, God pours blessings into our lives, both tangible and spiritual. He may not give us everything we want, but he gives us everything we need to grow into the holy people he wants us to be.

Then he . . . left on a journey (Mark 12:1). The vineyard owner didn’t try to micromanage the tenants. He gave them freedom to farm as they saw fit. Similarly, God gives us free will so that we can choose to love and follow him.

At the proper time he sent a servant . . . to obtain . . . some of the produce (Mark 12:2). God is patient. He gives us time to produce fruit in our lives. And while he wants us to have enough for our needs, he also expects us to be generous with the blessings he has bestowed on us. He wants us to share our time, money, and talents with those who have less.

He sent them another servant (Mark 12:4). Amazingly, when the first servant was beaten and sent away empty-handed, God sent another servant. And another! This is the same overwhelming mercy God shows us. He gives us chance after chance to place him first in our lives. No matter how badly we mess up, he is always ready to take us back.

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone (Mark 12:10). Clearly no evil is so great, no amount of rejection so violent, that it will convince God to give up on us. In fact, he took the worst evil—the death of his Son—and used it for the greatest good, our salvation. Now, no matter what we have done, God is willing to wash away every sin in the river of his mercy.

What a message of hope! This is truly “wonderful in our eyes” (Mark 12:11)!

“Jesus, I marvel at your saving love!”

Tobit 1:3; 2:1-8
Psalm 112:1-6
Mark 12:1-12