Blessings Given and Squandered

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 5:13 pm Post subject: Blessings Given and Squandered

Blessings Given and Squandered

Scripture:

I will sing to my beloved the canticle of my cousin concerning his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a hill in a fruitful place. And he fenced it in, and picked the stones out of it, and planted it with the choicest vines, and built a tower in the midst thereof, and set up a wine press therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you men of Juda, judge between me and my vineyard. What is there that I ought to do more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? Was it that I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it has brought forth wild grapes? And now I will show you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be wasted: I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down. And I will make it desolate: it shall not be pruned, and it shall not be dug: but briers and thorns shall come up: and I will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel: and the man of Juda, his pleasant plant: and I looked that he should do judgment, and behold iniquity: and do justice, and behold a cry. (Isaiah 5:1-7)

Be nothing solicitous: but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline: think on these things. The things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me, these do you: and the God of peace shall be with you. (Philippians 4:6-9)

Hear you another parable. There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard and made a hedge round about it and dug in it a press and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen and went into a strange country. And when the time of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits thereof. And the husbandmen laying hands on his servants, beat one and killed another and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the former; and they did to them in like manner. And last of all he sent to them his son, saying: They will reverence my son. But the husbandmen seeing the son, said among themselves: This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance. And taking him, they cast him forth out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen? They say to him: He will bring those evil men to an evil end and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen that shall render him the fruit in due season. Jesus said to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? By the Lord this has been done; and it is wonderful in our eyes. Therefore I say to you that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof. (Matthew 21:33-43)

Reflection:

How is it that heaven is placed before mankind, yet it is not seen? It is rejected for the ways of iniquity. The journey of the path is squandered and the blessings to be received turned away. How is it that evil is so beguiling that souls willingly become captive to it? The perfection of love has been laid out, yet, so many are blind to its blessings. Peace is betrayed, nations crumble and families are forsaken in the path of evil. Sad are the people of the land for they do not comprehend their inheritance and, therefore, do not care for it. Anguish will be their eternity as they discover what could have been if not for the ways of iniquity.

The children of His creation cry out at the trials of their journey, but fail to perceive their role in the anguish of their days. It is easy to blame and bemoan. It is the nature of not knowing what shall come which fuels the worry of the day. It is the lot of those who seek to walk the path alone for they do not see where it leads or the hazards along the way. The evil one does not come with a sneer, but a smile to lure the unsuspecting to the darkness. How is it, then, the faithful are to know the way?

The faithful need not be anxious, for as they turn themselves to Him, He will lift from their shoulders the burdens which weigh upon the soul and the cares of their path. The way of the world is to worry, but in His hands, there is no challenge which becomes too great. Through His mercy and love, the soul will be embraced with eternal peace.

Because He created them in His image, the Creator handed dominion of the air, land and sea over to the children of His creation so they may cultivate it and be its stewards. He has expected that they shall do what is right and just. He has sent His angels and prophets to guide them, but the ways of the people are not His ways and their thoughts are not His thoughts. They have turned to ways of selfishness over ways of selflessness. They have become arrogant and believe their ways are wiser than His ways. Many care not for their Creator nor one another. They care not for His creation or the blessings He has laid before them.

Though so many have turned from Him, because of His love for them, He sent His only begotten Son to teach them. Still, because of their selfishness and hardness of heart, so many remained blind to His lessons. The wisdom placed before them and the treasure and blessings it holds, they fail to comprehend; therefore, the inheritance He desired to be received by all shall be left only for the few who seek Him. Sad will be those who believe they have everything in the world only to discover that in short time they shall have nothing, for they have only sought to store up that which shall return to dust and have not cared for the treasure of His kingdom, the treasure of love.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier