Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Isaiah 5:1-7; Saint Paul’s Letter to the Philippians 4:6-9; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 21:33-43
In this Sunday’s Gospel parable, Jesus uses the imagery of growing grapes and making wine to convey an important message. Jesus often used familiar imagery of the day to make clear points about how God enters peoples’ lives and the ways that people respond to God.
At the time of Jesus, much of the available land for agriculture was worked by tenants on behalf of absentee landowners. A high level of trust would be presumed in such an arrangement, whereby the tenants were expected to act responsibly, and not misuse their quasi-independence in the workplace. As such, both landowners and tenants would benefit by the arrangement.
At the same time, as Jesus indicates, there were situations when tenants abused their position, even killing the heir and only son of the landowner. In doing so they could theoretically try to grab the owner’s land, in an attempt to have sufficient legal basis to gain the inheritance. It likely sounds rather far-fetched from our point of view, but not so much to those who heard his story.
In today’s parable, Jesus identified himself with the son of the landowner. The vineyard is to be understood as Israel, where God intends to act and to bring about good fruit. That can only happen, though, through the good will and right actions of those “working the field” of God’s vineyard. If that occurred, by the obedient response of God’s people, there could be real hope of good fruit being produced..
Jesus indicates in the parable that servants or slaves are dispatched by the landowner, in order to obtain a fair share of grapes for the landowner, but the slaves are rejected and some of them killed. This mission of the servants is meant to call to mind the prophets of old, God’s messengers, who had been sent into the vineyard of Israel, but who were rejected, ill-treated and even murdered.
Finally in the parable, the landowner’s own son is sent into the vineyard. The son is called the “beloved,” who ultimately is cast out of the vineyard and killed. Here we are to think of Christ and his ultimate rejection and death.
Calling that to mind, we know that the death of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, has to be understood within God’s saving plan, whereby the death of Jesus becomes the means and passage to life for all.
Through his triumph over death, Jesus became the cornerstone of the structure of the new Temple, where God’s people can freely stream and find there a sturdy shelter for the present and everlasting life for the future.
The Gospel parable today is intended to underline the importance of a fruitful Christian life. The acceptance of Jesus in faith needs to be expressed in a way of life that is edifying, literally “building up” the Christian community, rather than tearing it down.
In another place in the Gospels, Jesus tells his followers that their righteousness must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, the officially spiritual leaders in the faith community of that time. In modern parlance, Jesus seems to be saying: “You can do better than that!”
Jesus presents a clear challenge to his hearers, including his followers today, indicating that we must never settle for mediocrity, hypocrisy or presumption when it comes to serving God and neighbor. Instead, humility, simplicity, transparency and genuine love must characterize our way of acting.
In today’s parable, Jesus stresses the fact that God judges according to deeds, the “fruits” of one’s labors, a challenge to meditate on one’s approach to life in general. As newly beatified Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen always said: “Life is worth living.” And living it well!
We have all been created as dynamic beings, and for this reason we cannot remain “stationary” or in an “intermediate” state. We progress continuously, toward good and God, or we regress away from virtue and our Creator.
Expressed another way: the sole purpose of this life is to grow in one’s knowledge of God and to find communion with God, which is the union of the heart with the eternal Spirit of God.
Faced with the reality of God’s unlimited and ongoing love, we can ask: do I continue to accept the message of Jesus Christ, even as the years roll on? When God visits me in my daily life, am I found living in accord with the demands of the Gospel, springing from a joyful and vibrant faith?
Our Catholic Tradition holds that those who respond to the demands of the Gospel and who answer God’s invitation with obedience, are members of the Household of God. May we always be among them!
Abbot Christian Leisy, OSB