Friday, March 9, 2012

Intense love does not measure, it just gives

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Gospel text (Mt 21,33-43.45-46):
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures:

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?

Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

What does Jesus do after and in the midst of all this abuse?

Jesus loves us unconditionally. He opens His heart to us. He turns the other cheek (Mt 5:39). Jesus hates sin because He loves sinners so much. Jesus, the most rejected One, never rejects us (Jn 6:37). Jesus forgives us and loves us infinitely forever. Let us love as He loves and enter into the mystery of God, Who is Love (see 1 Jn 4:8, 16).

Rejection is one of the most important experiences of our lives. We can respond to rejection by hating and rejecting others or we can spend our lives trying to show those who have rejected us how big a mistake they've made.

Jesus Christ was and is the most rejected Person ever, but He will in no way reject us (Jn 6:37). He doesn't get caught up in reacting to rejection. He is caught up in loving everyone, even enemies who reject Him. If we take our rejection to Jesus, we'll be caught up in love. This will lead to a life of true greatness.

What we do with rejection will make or break us. Let's fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2), not rejection. Let Jesus be the Lord of your rejection. He will turn rejection to the good for those who love Him (Rm 8:28).

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