DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Saint Matthew 21:33-42
(12/27-1/9)
The Proto-Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen
The Atheistic Soul: Saint Matthew 21:33-42, especially
vs. 38: “But when the vinedressers
saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us
kill him and seize his inheritance.’” Father
Steven Kostoff describes Dostoevsky’s novels as
“...an endless exploration of the consequences of the existence or
non-existence of God.” Father
Kostoff locates the greatness of the famous
nineteenth-century Russian writer in his godly trepidation when he saw the
atheistic humanist philosophies of Western Europe entice and obsess his
nation’s intelligentsia. For,
as Father Kostoff says, Dostoevsky foresaw
“...that the future envisioned by these ideas would eventually become an
inhuman world wherein ‘everything is permitted’ against
flesh-and-blood human beings not ‘in-step’ with the reigning ideas
or the reigning party.” Thus,
the Prophet Dostoevsky foretold the genocide and inhumanity of the succeeding
centuries.
In His parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Lord Jesus also
prophesies the same outcomes whenever men or nations turn against God, deny His
existence, reject His rule, and scoff at His sovereignty. Lift the Lord’s parable up from
the hillsides of first-century Palestine, clothe it in
a swastika or a hammer and sickle, and the roots of Dostoevsky’s prophecy
are plain: “...denial of the existence of God will inevitably lead to a
contempt for humanity.”
Dehumanizing overtakes the nation that disdains the word of the Lord:
then, those in power beat, stone and kill God’s servants exactly as the
Lord Jesus Himself is “...cast...out of the
vineyard and killed” (vs. 39).
The atheistic soul exults, for ‘everything is permitted.’
The parable of the vinedressers was poignant for
“...the chief priests and the elders of the people...” (Mt.
21:23). Its narrative invites
every member and leader of the Church - and the People of God and the citizens
of every nation - to evaluate the receptivity of their souls to
“...render to him the fruits in their seasons” (Mt. 21:41). The Parable probes us with questions
concerning the extent to which atheism has taken root in our souls. Christ’s simple tale itself pleads
with us to build our lives upon “...the chief cornerstone” (vs.
42).
The life in Christ is a humble acknowledgment that
“...heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is therein” (Ps.
145:6) belong to God. Hold this
truth as foundational for living, and we will willingly render to God what is
His. May we will to live out the
words we uttered in our Christian initiation: “I believe in Him as King
and God.”
Faithful servants perceive their bodies, their houses, their checking
accounts, their life-savings, their time and all that is ‘theirs’
as what we are to manage for God, and they accept the obligation to oversee
earthly treasures as He wills.
Christ’s servants extend this truth to the Church,
for do not the Pastors and Bishops come expecting “...that they might
receive [the] fruit” of our labor?
Do they not deserve a just return from all who labor in the Lord’s
vineyard? Why else do our Bishops
pray to God for us at Hierarchical Liturgies saying, “O God of hosts,
return again; and look down from heaven and behold, and visit this vine, and
perfect that which Thy right hand hath planted...”
(Ps. 79:15,16)?
Supremely, the question of whether atheism or godly
devotion lodge in the soul is manifested whenever we acknowledge the image of God
in the persons we meet, whether or not apparent. Orthodox Christians true to their Faith
seek Christ in everyone, from the holiest of Saints to the most depraved and
bestial. The vinedressers in the
Parable are tragic figures, people we know well - poor impoverished souls given
over to atheism, sad men who knew not the “...hope, or joy, or crown of
rejoicing...” (1 Th. 2:19) that is ours in Christ Jesus.
“The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance....I
will bless the Lord Who hath given me understanding; moreover, even till night
have my reins instructed me”(Ps. 15:5,7).
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