Inheritance
An inheritance is something passed down. Today there are laws, regulations and stipulations which vary according to where you live. You might even incur a tax on the inheritance depending on whether it is property and you could even inherit debt!
In the Gospel reading, Matthew 21:33-43, the tenants want to acquire the inheritance of the landowner’s son. They feel disgruntled because they work the land and the landowner doesn’t, so they believe they should get more than they do. So, the tenants beat, stone and kill the servants the landowner sends to collect the harvest, and also kill the son.
The parable is a story about God. He is the landowner. The disgruntled tenants are inhabitants of the earth who whine and complain about what is fair and not fair. The servants sent are the prophets of the Old Testament, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, etc. Then God sent his son, Jesus, who was killed by the elders of the church.
Like the tenants in the parable, the Sadducees and Pharisees had inflated ideas of their importance. In essence, they allowed power to get into their heads and thought more highly of themselves than they ought. These delusions of grandeur lead their actions causing them to break the law believing they were doing it for the greater good, when it was primarily for the good of their pocketbook.
It reminds me of the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31) when Lazarus is in heaven and the Rich Man is in Gehenna begging for mercy. He says to Abraham, ‘I beg you to send him to my father’s house to warn my brothers, so they will not also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham replies, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ But the Rich Man begs further that Abraham should send ‘someone from the dead’ because he believes his brothers will listen and repent. Abraham repeats, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’
I see it all in much similar terms. To me, Jesus didn’t need to die for me to acquire the inheritance of God. As a child of God, I am living on my inheritance. God passed on the beauty of the earth and all he created on it and around it.
So, at night when I look up into sky and see the moon and the stars, I am taking in my inheritance. When I go for a walk along the beach, feeling the sand sink beneath my feet and hear the water lap along the shore; I’m taking in my inheritance. I am given riches beyond measure in these and so many other moments by the gifts God has left.
Then, when Jesus died, he left even more. His inheritance is the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. Like with the gift of creation left by God to enjoy without end so is Jesus’. Only there is a condition of Jesus’ inheritance, you must choose to love God with all your heart, mind and soul and love others as you love yourself.
Some inheritances’ do have conditions. It could be that the person can’t get the inheritance until they reach a certain age or sometimes in terms of property, it can’t be sold. It is up to the person giving the inheritance what terms and conditions will be set. In the case of Jesus, his inheritance is there, available to everyone and will be there forever.
There is a song by Country Singer, Chris Janson called Good Vibes where one of the lyrics says, ‘I’m breathing on God’s time.’ This phrase got me thinking because I think the songwriter intends for us to be reminded that we gotta live life to the fullest, every second because there is no guarantee of tomorrow. Though it made me think that God’s breath is part of the inheritance too.
Nothing else that God created got his breath. In the creation story in Genesis, God created the light and dark, the land and sky, the birds and fish, etc. Never in the scripture does it say, God breathed into them, except for Adam. When God created man, he breathed his breath into Adam making each of us created by God and in his image.
So this makes me believe that I can pass on God’s inheritance to others, not by breathing on them but by sharing God with them. I can share it though my relationships, especially with my husband when we conceived our daughters. Then teaching them about God and raising them to have a relationship with him.
The ultimate would then be for our daughters to pass on the inheritances of God and Jesus to others, including any children they bear. Though, we can see the riches of the inheritance in their lives each time we see them share and express love, compassion and mercy for others. It’s just another level of the inheritance God has given.
No matter whether it is God’s, Jesus’ or another inheritance, it is not up to you what will be left behind. It is up to the person who is giving the inheritance to whom and what is given. In essence it also depends on what the person has to give. I pray those in my life find value in the inheritance I leave behind. It will certainly not be lots of money or tons of valuable property. Instead, what I hope to leave is my example of appreciating and taking care of God’s creations, my expressions of love through words and actions and my relationship with my BFF, Jesus.
