St Francis Day – 2026
Matthew 21:23-46
Marian Free
In the name of God our creator who made and who loves all things. Amen.
Today marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis so it is particularly poignant and significant to be focusing on his life today and through the blessing of pets, acknowledging his love of all creation.
But let’s begin with our gospel for today which at first sight has little or nothing to do with the life and times of St Francis, but as I thought about this sermon, I realised that the times in which Francis lived were in many ways similar to the times of Jesus and that both Francis and Jesus were considered threats to the institution of the church because they dared to relate to the common people and to give them the freedom to worship God without intermediaries. In both the first and 13th centuries, the church leaders had aligned themselves with the political authorities. The established church was corrupt and members of the religious establishment used their positions to build their wealth and power. In both ages the religious leaders had little concern for the people who were suffering – either under the oppressive rule of the Romans or the even more oppressive rule of feudal landlords. In both eras it was impossible of the majority of people to properly feed themselves, let alone improve their lives. The temple and church had established themselves between the people and God – through the practice of sacrifices in the first century and the practice of indulgences in the 13th.
Not only was it impossible in either age for the people to change their circumstance – if they were born in poverty they would almost certainly die in poverty, they were also made to feel that in and of themselves there was little they could do to improve their place in God’s regard. Jesus, and in his time Francis, completely upended this idea. They preached God’s love and forgiveness and made it clear that anyone could have a direct connection with God.
For the church leaders of first century Jerusalem Jesus was anything but a comfortable figure. He critiqued their practices and their treatment of the people, he usurped their authority, was popular with the people and he broke their law. Chapters Matthew 21-23 focus on a number of conflicts between Jesus and various different groups of church leaders. They variously try to trip Jesus up and to expose him as a charlatan, but in the end all that they do is reveal their own ignorance, pride and self-serving nature.
The Chief Priests and elders (appointed and elected leaders of the Temple) begin this series of debates by asking Jesus by what authority he teaches and heals – by what authority does he disrupt the way things have always been? Jesus responds by revealing their inauthenticity. He asks a question of his own which they are unable to answer. Then, as we saw last week, he tells not one but three parables which directly attack the authority of the leaders or at least their use of authority – the parable of the two sons in which the church leaders are identified with the son who initially says: “yes” but then does not work in the vineyard, the parable of the tenants who conspire to take control of the vineyard (which we have read today) and the parable of the banquet to which those who were invited do not come.
Today’s parable of the tenants (which the chief priests and elders recognise as being told against them) reveals what Jesus sees as their keenness to own/control their religious heritage, its practice and its practitioners and possibly even to do away with the inconvenience of a landlord who is truly concerned with the crop By getting rid of the son they (unrealistically) believe that they will have control of the vineyard (by which the audience will know that Jesus means the people of Israel).
Much later Francis was born in a time of great spiritual renewal. People were taking faith into their own hands, by-passing the corruption of the church and forming communities both religious and lay, as they claimed their right to a direct and personal relationship with God. Many whom we now know as saints emerged at this time. With Francis, they created an expression of spirituality which was both accessible and homely, a spirituality which anyone – no matter how poor or how uneducated could experience and could live for themselves without the intervention of the church.
Of these Saint Francis has proven to be the most popular and enduring, possibly because he embraced radical poverty and took the gospel to the people rather than confining himself and his fellow monks behind the walls of a monastery and relying on contributions from the rich.
There were many influences in Francis’ journey, but perhaps Matthew’s account of the sending out of the disciples which impacted most strongly on the way he, his followers, and the sisters of Clare lived their lives. In Matthew 10, Jesus sends out the disciples with these words. “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food.” From this moment he owned nothing more than a single tunic and depended wholly on the goodness of others. Through his life Francis at least indirectly critiqued the wealth and power of the church and demonstrated that neither wealth nor power were prerequisites for a relationship with God
There are many stories about Francis life, his ministry and his relationship with and respect for creation both animate and inanimate. He referred to animals and to sun and moon features as Brother and Sister and it was believed that he was able to speak to animals .
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Like Jesus Francis immersed himself in the lives of the people. Like Jesus he eschewed wealth and relied on the support of others, and like Jesus he disrupted the society of his time and was considered by some to be dangerous. Above all, like Jesus, he opens the door to an authentic and personal relationship with God.
Today, we give thanks for his life and witness and pray that our lives may be at least a poor reflection of his.
Tags: corruption, Creation, Francis, misuse of power, radical poverty
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