I always thought that the most ridiculous line in this particular parable is when the tenants say among themselves: “This is the heir. Come let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours.” Why in the world would they think they could get anything if they killed the landlord’s son.
But that is the self-deception of all sin. It is why we call Satan the master of all lies. The desire for sin – the experience of powerful temptation tends to distort our logic. As they say we lose the sense with which we were born with and make stupid decisions.
On the other hand, Tobit’s selfless act of burying the dead was perceived as reckless and stupid by his neighbors. But their assessment was unfounded. They feared the unjust authority of the Ninevah over and above their duty toward God.
Sin only makes sense amongst sinners – those who are self-absorbed. Virtuous acts are often perceived as senseless among the same crowd yet indeed they transcend ordinary, even non-sinful action. When our reverence for God becomes the primary motivation for our actions – we will do only those things whose logic is the same as God’s will. This may include self-sacrifice and martyrdom just as we remember Sts. Felicity and Perpetua – wasteful in the eyes of the world – but blessed in the eyes of God.
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