Equal but Opposite

"For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction." Sir Isaac Newton

"See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil." Moses

"He who is not with Me is against Me ..." Jesus of Nazareth

In exploring Matthew 21:33-46, the parable of the vinedressers, the above-mentioned passages and Newton's theory crossed my mind as well as the saying, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

While the Bible lesson itself is a good representation of what Jesus was facing during His own time, some passages are not so easily applicable to our time. It then occurred to me that this particular passage is completely relevant to our time and probably more specifically to me.

Even though we do not actively seek to kill anyone, we probably do our greatest harm when we simply fail to do any kind of "good". The harm we ultimately do in the absence of "good" may be greater and more profound than if we had actually ended a life.

Dr. Lynn Scoresby, in his book Bringing Up Moral Children In An Immoral World, reminds us that moral behavior is not simply the absence of immoral behavior. In other words, it is not enough to refrain from bad behavior; one must be actively involved in "good". I suppose this is why I don't get too upset with court rulings pertaining to the Ten Commandments; these "ten" emphasize "thou shalt not ..." One has to continue to read in order to learn that these Ten Commandments are not the entire law; there is so much more to what the Lord expects of us than to simply "don't".

While the chief priests and the elders certainly considered themselves authorities, teachers, and keepers of the Law, they failed to recognize themselves in Jesus' story. Is it any wonder, then, that they did not recognize the Son of the Most High if they could not recognize themselves?

Jesus never contradicted the Law by which these teachers lived, and yet they could never discern for themselves exactly what the Law is all about. Even when Jesus tried to explain it to them, they only got angry especially when they were bested.

Were these men actual and knowing "agents" for the evil one, or were they just blinded and absent any good? Did they actually plan evil, or was good simply absent from their thoughts? Even though these men were not directly responsible for the "servants" in the story who were killed by the vinedressers, I think Jesus was reminding them of the harm that is done in the absence of a fuller understanding of the Word.

What is most unsettling about this epiphany is that I have a difficult time distancing myself from the role of the "vinedresser" in Jesus' story. No, I am not responsible for anyone's death. There have been times, however, when I have refused to be responsible for anyone's life, either. There have been more times when I refused to listen to others who tried to bring me a good word because their word conflicted with what I already made up my mind about.

There is either good or there is evil; there is no middle ground that is offered by Newton, Moses, or Jesus. What is equal in one way is equal in another.