Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost 2023

No special Ambon Prayer

Our Venerable Father Pimen

Title

Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous

Outline

The early Church was a dicey operation

It was a minority faith linked to a disliked group of people, Jews

While its positing monotheism appealed to philosophical elites, its claim that a crucified criminal is the physically resurrected Lord of the Universe was viewed as shameful, if not simply idiotic

And its confession that Jesus was Lord was politically loaded

Paul writes into this context

He instructs them to “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous . . . Let all that you do be done in love.” While courage was a classical virtue connected to fortitude and watchful could be connected to prudence, they, along with standing firm. imply a hostile environment. Love was not a classical virtue and especially not Christian love that included love of enemies.

Paul lauds the connectedness and unity of the Church as expressed in the various workers who helped build the Church. Unless someone attacked the unity of the Church and the essence of the gospel, Paul knew no enemies within the Church, only fellow-workers, some of which had a higher social status or better rhetorical skills than he. Since his goal was not to build his ministry but the Church, he did not enter into rivalry so long as they were building the Church.

Unity is needed in a hostile environment and the devil seeks division.

Jesus gives another aspect of Church building

In the parable the householder has provided all the vineyard needed to be fruitful including skilled tenant farmers, who would receive a good income. The problem was the the tenants wanted the vineyard for themselves. They wanted all of the fruit. They wanted independence from the householder, their landlord.

Therefore the servants, who were only trying to carry out the will of their master and who came to take the just portion of the fruit to their master, had to be intimidated or liquidated.

The son, the heir, then, when he comes at his father’s bidding, is an opportunity. He is viewed as an only son. And there is no thought that the householder might come. Kill the heir and the vineyard is not just functionally ours but in essence legally ours.

Ah, yes, but God flips things: “The very stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes” The householder will come and he will execute justice, but, more than that, his Son whom they executed will rule. That is indeed marvelous.

There are those who take over the Church for themselves, always acting in the name of the householder, in the name of God, but in name only. We see it in how they treat the true slaves of God, we see it in how they treat the Son, Jesus, however he comes to them.

Brothers and Sisters, God is building a community, a Church

On the one hand, we are to respect and honor those who truly seek to build the Church and to do so in unity with one another, even if their styles are different. We stand together and work together in a hostile environment.

On the other hand, we should beware of those who want to take over the Church for themselves, whether they are still acting as if on behalf of God or whether they are showing their true colors in serving their own interests. They will receive their just reward; we do not need to try to give it to them; we need to be the true servants who will accept shame and even death for the sake of their master; we should look to the Son, who, while seemingly defeated, is indeed the head of the corner.

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 9-3-2023: Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

EPISTLE

1 Corinthians 16:13–24

13 Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.

15 Now, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints; 16 I urge you to be subject to such men and to every fellow worker and laborer. 17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence; 18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men.

19 The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 20 All the brethren send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22 If any one has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 9-3-2023: Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

GOSPEL

Matthew 21:33–42

33 “Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; 35 and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. 37 Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

‘The very stone which the builders rejected

has become the head of the corner;

this was the Lord’s doing,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (8-27-2023: Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2023 | OCTOECHOS

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 9-3-2023: Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Matins Gospel Mark 16:1–8

Epistle 1 Corinthians 16:13–24

Gospel Matthew 21:33–42

Index of Readings