My homily this morning at Holy Ghost Church.
“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." [Matthew 21:42]
Are we producing the good fruit of the Kingdom of God? Jesus tells us after he tells the parable of the vineyard that those who are not producing fruit will not inherit the Kingdom. This is worth reflecting on.
There are two general groups of people in the world. The first group, those who will have the Kingdom of God taken away from them, are represented in this parable by the tenants of the vineyard. It is clear that one of their greatest sins is greed. They are selfish. They see the vineyard as a place through which they can enrich themselves and care little about the good of others.
Each day there is a great temptation for us to live this way, thinking only of ourselves. It's easy to see life as a series of opportunities for us to "get ahead." It's easy to approach life in a way that we are constantly looking out for ourselves rather than sincerely seeking the good of others. This first group of people DOES produce fruit, but it's ROTTEN fruit. It's not the fruit of the Kingdom.
The second group of people, those to whom the Kingdom of God will be given, are those who understand that the central purpose of life is not to enrich themselves but to share the love of God with others. These are the people who are constantly looking for ways that they can be a true blessing to others, especially those who are on the margins and suffering in some way.
This second group of people produce GOOD fruit, the fruit of the Kingdom. The main difference between these two groups is whether our life is one of selfishness and pride or one of generosity and humility.
Let us each seek to serve His will, rather than our own will, so that all we do will be for God's glory and the salvation of souls, producing the good fruit of the Kingdom. #GospelToday
Deacon Scott /
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2024-03-01 16:34:15
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2024-03-01 16:34:15Event JSON
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"content": "My homily this morning at Holy Ghost Church.\n\n“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.\" [Matthew 21:42]\n\nAre we producing the good fruit of the Kingdom of God? Jesus tells us after he tells the parable of the vineyard that those who are not producing fruit will not inherit the Kingdom. This is worth reflecting on.\n\nThere are two general groups of people in the world. The first group, those who will have the Kingdom of God taken away from them, are represented in this parable by the tenants of the vineyard. It is clear that one of their greatest sins is greed. They are selfish. They see the vineyard as a place through which they can enrich themselves and care little about the good of others. \n\nEach day there is a great temptation for us to live this way, thinking only of ourselves. It's easy to see life as a series of opportunities for us to \"get ahead.\" It's easy to approach life in a way that we are constantly looking out for ourselves rather than sincerely seeking the good of others. This first group of people DOES produce fruit, but it's ROTTEN fruit. It's not the fruit of the Kingdom.\n\nThe second group of people, those to whom the Kingdom of God will be given, are those who understand that the central purpose of life is not to enrich themselves but to share the love of God with others. These are the people who are constantly looking for ways that they can be a true blessing to others, especially those who are on the margins and suffering in some way. \n\nThis second group of people produce GOOD fruit, the fruit of the Kingdom. The main difference between these two groups is whether our life is one of selfishness and pride or one of generosity and humility.\n\nLet us each seek to serve His will, rather than our own will, so that all we do will be for God's glory and the salvation of souls, producing the good fruit of the Kingdom. #GospelToday",
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