Today a parable leads the comments: Mark 12:1-12. It is a parable that troubles a lot of folks but it I think Girard does an interesting job with the interpretation 1 And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 2 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed; and so with many others, some they beat and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son; finally he sent him to them, saying, `They will respect my son.' 7 But those tenants said to one another, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture: `The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; 11 this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" 12 And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and went away. Girard notes the the last violence (in the parable) is unique in regard to the victim's identity but not unique as violence - it is similar as the rest. The difference is that it is the master's son who is the victim of the violence. Jesus will die like all the other prophets. Jesus death will repeat the ancient pattern of collective violence that we have in the parable. "Let's get him!" Girard is quick to say that this is not meant to be anti-Semitic (the Jews killing Jesus) but rather the ones who kill - kill like the whole human race does! What will come of this is the fact that this one who is killed - this innocent victim - will not incite a riot or will not seek any type of payback. Instead a new order will arise in which collective violence is to be no more. That is what resurrection does. God put an end to the cycle of violence that has been the pattern of our humanity. The Stone - this Son of non-violence has been rejected and yet it will be the beginning of a whole new way of living on the side of the victims of such violence. When we seek control - when we want what other have - when we want to be who others are - we have this history of violence. As time rolls on, that pattern does not change - we imitate what we know. We see what seems to 'work' and we jump into that pattern. Siding with the victim - become a victim alongside other victims - does not seem like a winning adventure. And yet, as in the parable, even though the son knows what has happened to the messengers from the Master, the son goes in and brings the message - without weapons, powerful threats. Instead, he comes with what is really good news. Those who are tending the land are still there and will be there as a gift of good will from the Master. But they want what is the Masters and will do anything to keep things in the way they want them. The 'threat' at the end is not that the Master will blow them up - I think it is more that they will destroy themselves as they live within such a system of violence - they have rejected the other way. Connection: It is too easy to follow in the ways of violence - there are so many ways that are violent. And yet, when we are caught in that cycle of blame and needing someone at whom we can cast stones for the predicament we are in, there will be violence upon violence and the world will be as it always is. The strange aspect of this 'other way' is that it does not stand up and beat up oppressive and violent powers - that would simply make us like them. Rather, the new way walks into what is considered foolishness - non-violence - forgiveness. Until all are united in such a life, there will be martyrs who are crushed by the powers but also seen as a light of hope to another way. As you walk with us, O God, be our encouragement to follow the Lord of Peace, Jesus. Amen. |
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