Dear Friends
The Lord created the Earth, and it was good as we read so many times in the first chapter of Genesis. And on the sixth day,
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.
Genesis 1:31
For indeed, God created humanity to be stewards of his new Creation.
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27–28
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Since we have this mission from God; the Earth is “good” but is not “perfected:” we have to continue the Creation, the ordering, which has been set in motion. And to show us the perfection we may bring he set an example from which we may learn how to have dominion—which is to say stewardship—of the Earth.
The Lᴏʀᴅ God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Genesis 2:8–9
And out of the ground the Lᴏʀᴅ God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
And this “good garden” contained all that we need see that we might bring the goodness of God to the entire world: it is ours to make the whole Earth as Eden; for by the death and Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ this is once again possible. As we sing, towards the end of Matins on most Sundays,
Most blessed art thou, O Virgin Theotokos, for through him that was incarnate of thee is Hades despoiled, Adam is recalled from the dead, the curse is made void, Eve is set free, death is slain, and we are endowed with life. Wherefore, in hymns of praise, we cry aloud: Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, who is thus well pleased, glory to thee.
Which is to say through Christ is Adam raised and Eve set free, death is destroyed and we are all brought to life and may enter Paradise. But it is not ours simply to enter Paradise, the Kingdom of Heaven, but to bring about the Kingdom here in our world, to set this land in order, to bring about—here and now—the perfection of the Earth.
So when we see peoples at enmity we are to bring reconciliation, when we see injustice we are to raise up those who are downtrodden, when we see an acceptance of death we work to bring life. Whenever we see a situation in which we may bring even a glimpse of the Kingdom we must work to bring it to reality.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, given that Christ has died for our sins that we may have life through his Resurrection, it is our duty to fulfil the calling given to our race created in the image and after the likeness of God. (Genesis 1:26) Let us work together to reach that high calling, bringing order out of chaos, life out of death, that we may be worthy inheritors of his Promises and receive immortaility.
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Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
Notice, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the care and attention the householder in today’s Gospel has for building the vineyard; he planted it, set a hedge around it, dug a winepress and built a watchtower. All was present, all was ordered, that the tenants may be successful in producing wine. And we see here clearly the tenants to be the Judeans and the householder to be God. They had been given everything, theirs was only to tend the vineyard and make wine, and need only have acknowledged its ownership by God. The servants who were sent were the prophets—who were beaten, killed and stoned—and finally the Son whom they put to death. Ultimately God would come and “put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” And we see ourselves as the other tenants, good tenants, who will come and honour God.
This parable was given in the Temple during the first days of Great and Holy Week. The Triumphant Entry, Palm Sunday, has happened and the Lord is demonstrating his knowledge of what will come to pass: that he will be put to death. But, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we easily overlook what is being said as directed at the leaders of the Jews who reject Christ and scandalise the people, who abuse the seat of Moses and by the favour given them by the Romans they abuse the people.
But, in reality, this parable is directed at me: I am the bad tenant. The Lord has planted the vine that I may tend to it and taste of immortality, he has planted a hedge around, the Church, that I may stay close to eternal Life and has set the watchtower of the Fathers to keep me safe. And the Lord has sent servants to me, that I may send his fruit, and I have beaten them, killed them and stoned them. Because I want to claim the fruit of my labours as my own, even though God planted the vine and created the vineyard, and not offer them to God. And on the horizon I see the Son coming towards me, with gentleness and peace, and I am at a crisis. Will I continue on the path to oblivion or will I repent? Will I believe that all the good things around me are the result of my labours or part of the bounty of God with which to bless him?
…
Read last Sunday’s Sermon, The Bad Tenants.
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 8th September
Discussion on the Divine Liturgy, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 9th September
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 10th September
Matins & Divine Liturgy, 9 am
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Online session is via Google Meet: please get in contact for the details.
Please join us: all are welcome, come and see.
Attending Church
We meet at St Francis’ Hall, Nightingale Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 9JA. Come and See.
Can I help you?
I am here for you, you need only ask. Is there a way I can support your life of faith? Get in touch.
Can you help the community?
Yes, absolutely. Offer yourselves to the Lord: pray! Make available to him all your talents and ask him how he would like you to use them — listen for his reply.
Your prayers!
With love in Christ
Fr Alexander
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