The Importance Of Recognizing God’s Authority

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

April 10, 2025

in Spritual Growth

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April 06, 2025

Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21
Philippians 3:8-14
Luke 20:9-19
5th Sunday of Lent 2025 Homily – Abp. Hines

Christ teaches us so that we may be able to know Him and know His ways and realize all that He’s given to us. The Parable today is for us to understand and to seek its meaning. The purpose of this parable is to confront us when we refuse to acknowledge God’s authority. We take credit for so many things and not give praise to God. Refusing to receive and recognize with thanksgiving, the provisions given by the Almighty causes death.

In the beginning, God took from nothing and created everything which was perfect. Just look how He created man from dust and breathed life into Him. This parable should make us realize that all things came from Him. The owner of the vineyard was the one who planted it. He only leased this to tenant farmers who would serve as caretakers to manage it. If we listen to what’s happening in the world right now

we would see that all things are falling apart. Earthquakes and wars these past months have been so prevalent. It is not God’s fault but ours. As we read along the parable, we find out that the owner sends a servant to the tenants to collect a portion of the fruit from the harvest. But the tenant farmers beat him. And so the owner sends a 2nd servant, he too was beaten up by the tenant farmers. He sends a 3rd one, who also met the same fate. The owner, being very patient, decided to send his only son, thinking that this time, he will not be harmed. But the tenant farmers killed him too. The owner got angry and removed them out of the vineyard.

Can this be like God who has so much patience with us? He gives us chances upon chances to repent and return to Him. We instead believe that things we have accomplished have been through our own efforts. Scripture tells us He not only paid the penalty of our sins, He also restores us to become sons of God, seated us in the heavenly places and gives us authority. Christ knew that if He paid the price, man could be set free.

Christ told Peter, “I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Christ’s ministry was actually very simple. He didn’t have a church building, He didn’t have bishops, priests, deacons and acolytes. But what He had was truth. He came to meet people at our level. We have failed to see the simplicity of God’s love. He gave us everything. All He needed from us is our thanksgiving as we live out the Gospel. Our task as a church is to shepherd the flock. Like the parable, the owner has already planted the vineyard. The job of the tenant farmers was only to take care and maintain it. Isaiah 43:19 “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” God took the children of Israel out of Egypt with all its wealth. What is our attitude? Are we taking care of what we have received? If we are truly sons of God, we will know how to honor God and give Him His portion. Our lives lived according to His Word is His portion. A life of honoring Him in thanksgiving.

We live in a world that belittles God’s creation. We do not regard this as gifts. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Are we thankful to God? Are we living out the freedom He has given us? God is looking for the harvest. A harvest not necessarily in numbers but more of how we live our lives. God corrects us. We should never think that we are better. Christ is the stone that the builders rejected but He has become the Chief Cornerstone.