Jesus said a parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again, he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” They answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes’? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you Lord, Jesus Christ.
Dear God’s beloved children, Jesus’ depiction of the Jewish nation as God’s vineyard would have been a familiar concept to his listeners. The details were similar to those of Isaiah’s parable of the house of Israel, the vineyard of the Lord, set apart and cherished by God for his particular favor (Isaiah 5: 1-7). The story of the wicked tenants is an allegory of salvation history. God, the owner of the vineyard, left his people in the care and protection of religious and political leaders. Their responsibility was to bring the people to fruitfulness in knowing, loving, and obeying God so they might continue to enjoy his love and protection. For time to time God sent his prophets to remind the people of this purpose, but the prophets were abused, rejected, and even murdered. Finally, God sent his Son, but he too was reviled and put to death.
Jesus’ mission on earth was to form the church, a new people of God. United by submission and obedience to the Father’s will, they would live out the fullness of God’s life and love, and would one day enjoy the eternal inheritance promised to all the faithful. We are often like the tenants who sought by devious means to obtain the owner’s inheritance, and thus become our own lord and master. There is a pride in the human heart that spurs us to take control of our lives and find fulfilment apart from God and obedience to him.
God’s earnest desire is that the members of his church listen to and commit their lives to his Son as they hear God’s word in prayer, scripture, and celebration of the liturgy. It is only through Jesus and in union with him that we can recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit. As we hear his voice and turn to God, we will “have no anxiety about anything” and our minds will be raised to heavenly realities, enabling us to think about whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious” (Philippians 4: 6,8).
Thank God in prayer for the love he offers you in Jesus and for the intimacy to which he calls you as a member of his church. Ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life so that living in him and for him you may be faithful to God, know the peace and glory of his favor and protection, and return to him the fruit that is his due.