Historical Setting, 626 C.E. The Vintner’s Cottage on the Moselle
Face-to-face at the table with this vintner, the old wineskin he pours from has turned to vinegar. So, I already have a clear mind for this argument. We’ve acknowledged a distinction between the edicts of earthly kings and God’s law – something no king or churchman would ever admit to. Now, when I speak to him with the wisdom of all my years and my strength of literacy and my knowledge of gospel it will be clear to him that God’s law, not necessarily an emperor’s edict, is to love all people, Christians and Jews alike, as God loves us.
“I know God’s law” he says to me, “It is to take the side of Christians, as does God.”
“But that’s not the gospel message…”
“But I’ve heard this from a very fine priest who can read, and there is an actual written gospel right there at the high altar of the basilica for the priests to read it from.”
“It is something more than that…”
Before I can even speak the vintner challenges, “I know this well. I listened with all my heart and mind and soul to this reading and I know exactly what is written in that gospel.”
“Did you hear the part in Luke when Jesus is questioned by a teacher of the law?” [Luke 10:25-37]
“Yes! That’s what I am talking about! It clearly says we have to love the Christians and burn down the vineyards of the Jews!”
“What? No! There is nothing like that at all in Luke! There is nothing at all about burning vineyards.”
He says, “Maybe you weren’t listening when it was read. Or maybe you can’t understand the inuendo. You know, the Christ told simple stories for simple people, so even a goatherd could know what God’s law is.” He goes on, “The Christ was teaching and the enemy of God stood up and asked a trick question, ‘what is the most important law?’”
I happen to know Luke Romanized the teaching style a bit, making a normal question and answer teaching style into a confrontation, a challenge, but the message was the same. This vintner fellow did have the rightful words of the law in his memory.
He said, “The first law is to love God with your heart and mind and soul, and the second like it, to love your neighbor as yourself.”
“So” I ask “how can that love law be confused with instructions for burning down vineyards?”
(Continues tomorrow)
Lazarus Ink 