“In this story, the owner of the vineyard is God. If God wants the tree to bear fruit, then it will bear fruit. The comparison gives an appearance that the tree decides for itself whether or not it’s going to bear fruit.”
Well, God is certainly the owner of the tree and He is the One Who planted it. He even arranges for it to be fertilized. But if it doesn’t bear, it will be cut down. Indeed, He tells the vine dresser to go ahead and fertilize it, when His first “impulse” was to destroy it. How does this demonstrate that it is God Who decides if the tree will bear fruit or not? None, not one, of the Fathers support your read of this verse, FK.
Apropos of your comment, you were pinged to Fr. Calivas’ commentary on the Orthros and Holy Unction service for Great and Holy Wednesday. With speciifc regard to your comments in #1096, what do you say about his comments on the Orthros for Great and Holy Wednesday?
Off to church in the snow; back later.
Enough already, Lord.
Well, if God is the owner, then this analogy would appear to have Him changing His mind, at the behest of the vine dresser. This does not actually happen, of course, it is an illustration used to make a point. (God didn't really "wonder" where Adam was in the Garden.) This was an outward call, one of many, but God maintains control. Part of the point is that God would be fully justified in destroying the tree for not bearing fruit. However, the owner is "merciful" and will give the tree another chance. The bottom line is that what the owner says, goes.
Apropos of your comment, you were pinged to Fr. Calivas’ commentary on the Orthros and Holy Unction service for Great and Holy Wednesday. With specific regard to your comments in #1096, what do you say about his comments on the Orthros for Great and Holy Wednesday?
Thanks for that ping. The following are some of his statements and my responses:
Freedom belongs to the nature and character of a human being because he has been created in the image of God.
Yes, BUT, freedom always has its limitations. Our own children have comparatively little freedom, but we say that is a good thing. Were they as free as us, many of them would destroy themselves. Likewise, we are called God's children. If we were truly in charge of our lives, we would also destroy ourselves. Every single person who demanded to be in charge, was allowed to be in charge. ALL of them either are, or will be in hell. The gulf between human adults and God is far greater than the one between children and adults. IOW, the analogy doesn't do the real truth justice. In the grand scheme, we adults are LESS able to take care of ourselves, alone spiritually, than our children are, alone physically.
Freedom is not something extraneous and accidental, but intrinsic to genuine human life. It is not a contrivance of human ingenuity and cleverness, but a divine gift.
Yes, we let our children freely play in the back yard, but not in traffic. God's gift of freedom also has limits.
Man is free, because his being has been sealed with the image of God. He has been endowed with and possesses divine qualities.
But we cannot possess these qualities to the fullness that God does. We will never be equal with our Master on any level. God gave us the ability to think and reason, but who can do so to God's level? Every attribute or quality that God has, and He shares with us, is to a lesser degree than He possesses.
The ultimate truth of man is found in his vocation to become a conscious personal existence; a god by grace.
There you go. I know that Father Calivas is NOT saying that we can achieve equality with God. Therefore, whatever he does mean is something less than God Himself. This fits my paradigm of limits.
Sin is more than breaking rules and transgressing commandments. It is the willful rejection of a personal relationship with the living God.
Yes, I agree. ...... All of us would make this willful rejection, but for the intervention of our Lord.
Sin is not just a disposition. It is a deliberate choice and an act.
Timing is everything. :)
Overall, this is a good work on which to make a comparison. I do see some things on which I can fully agree with Father Calivas, but obviously I must disagree on the extent of free will.