MATTHEW 21:33-43
WHEN WE LISTEN TO THIS
GOSPEL PASSAGE, WE MIGHT WONDER WHETHER THOSE TENANTS RUNNING THE
VINEYARD FOR AN ABSENTEE LANDOWNER ARE PLAYING WITH A FULL DECK.
SURELY, IF THEY HAD THE NERVE TO BEAT AND STONE AND EVEN KILL THE
MESSENGERS OF THE LANDLORD, THEY MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED THE NEXT VISIT
WOULD BE FROM HIS HIRED GOONS, NOT MORE SERVANTS. APPARENTLY WHAT
HAPPENED HERE WASN'T UNHEARD OF, THOUGH. THE TENANTS IN ORDER TO
LEASE THE VINYARD, HAD TO PROMISE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THE PRODUCE TO
THE LANDLORD – NOT A PERCENTAGE, BUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT. THERE WOULD
ALSO BE TAXES, AND THEY HAD TO MAKE ENOUGH FROM THEIR SHARE OF THE
CROP TO FEED THEIR FAMILY. GIVEN THIS ARRANGEMENT, A BAD CROP COULD
RUIN THEM. AND IF THEY KNEW THE LANDLORD WAS ALONG WAY AWAY, THEY
MIGHT HOPE THAT BEFORE HE PERSONALLY CAME BACK LEADING AN ARMY, THEY
MIGHT BE ABLE TO WALK OFF WITH AS MUCH OF THE CROP AS THEY COULD
HANDLE. THE LANDOWNER, AFTER ALL, HAD PROBABLY NOT HIRED THE TENANTS
PERSONALLY; THAT WAS DONE THROUGH HIS STEWARD. AND WITHOUT SECURITY
CAMERAS, DRIVERS LICENSES, AND SKILLED DETECTIVE WORK, IT MIGHT BE
QUITE DIFFICULT TO LOCATE THOSE TENANTS SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE
EVENT. SO THE WAY THEY TREATED THE FIRST DELEGATION MIGHT NOT BE SO
UNUSUAL. BUT WHEN THEY TREATED THE SECOND DELEGATION THAT WAY, IT
WAS LIKE POKING A STICK IN A HORNET'S NEST. AND TO KILL THE SON –
THAT WAS REALLY LOOKING FOR TROUBLE. NO WONDER JESUS' LISTENERS
ROUNDLY CONDEMNED THE TENANT FARMERS.
BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE
SOMEONE EVEN MORE FOOLISH HERE. THE LANDOWNER. AFTER ALL, SOME OF
THOSE SERVANTS WHO WERE SENT FIRST MUST HAVE GONE BACK AND TOLD HIM
WHAT HAD HAPPENED. AND HE STILL SENT OUT MORE SERVANTS. AND SOME OF
THOSE SURVIVED TO TELL THE TALE. AND STILL THE LANDOWNER DIDN'T DO
WHAT ANY REASONABLE HUMAN BEING WOULD HAVE DONE – IF HE COULDN'T
TAKE BACK HIS VINEYARD AND PRODUCE BY FORCE, SURELY HE WOULD NOT HAVE
SENT HIS SON. AND HOW COULD HE BELIEVE THAT THESE TENANTS WOULD
TREAT HIS SON ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN HIS SERVANTS?
BUT MAYBE THAT IS PART OF
THE POINT JESUS IS MAKING. THE LANDOWNER WANTS TO FORM A TRUSTING
AND EVEN LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS TENANTS, EVEN TO THE POINT OF
DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN. JESUS IS DRAWING AN ANALOGY HERE, TELLING
US WHAT GOD THE FATHER IS LIKE. HE IS NOT A GOD OF WRATH, A GOD WHO
ACTS LIKE A POWERFUL LANDOWNER MIGHT BE EXPECTED TO ACT. HE IS
INSTEAD A GOD WHO DOES ALL HE POSSIBLY CAN TO FORM A RELATIONSHIP
WITH HIS PEOPLE. AND YOU WILL NOTICE THAT JESUS DOESN'T AGREE WITH
THOSE WHO SAY THAT THE LANDOWNER WILL SEND TROOPS AND BRING THOSE
THIEVING MURDERING TENANTS TO JUSTICE – THAT'S A HUMAN CONCLUSION,
AND IT DOESN'T FIT GOD.
BUT REMEMBER, THE FATHER
WILL DO EVERYTHING HE POSSIBLY CAN, EVEN TO THE SENDING OF HIS ONLY
SON, IN ORDER TO BRING US INTO HIS OWN LOVE AND LIFE. BUT GOD HAS
TIED HIS OWN HANDS; HE CANNOT OVERRIDE OUR FREE WILL, BECAUSE THEN
OUR WILL WOULD NOT BE FREE, THE GIFT HE GAVE US WOULD BE A SHAM, AND
THE CHOICE TO LOVE HIM OR NOT WOULD NOT BE A CHOICE AT ALL.
WHAT GOD DOES, THOUGH,
JESUS DESCRIBES. WHEN HE'S DONE ALL HE CAN DO, HE LOOKS AROUND FOR
SOMEONE ELSE TO LOVE,
SOMEONE ELSE WHO MIGHT RECIPROCATE HIS OWN LOVE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FIRST
READING AND THE SECOND, WE UNDERSTAND THIS PASSAGE TO HAVE SOMETHING
TO DO WITH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS; WITH THE IDEA THAT THE
COVENANT WITH THE JEWS WAS BROKEN, AND NOW A COVENANT HAS BEEN MADE
WITH THE GENTILES. BUT VATICAN II TELLS US THAT THE FIRST COVENANT
WASN'T BROKEN, AT LEAST ON GOD'S PART, BECAUSE GOD WOULD NOT GO BACK
ON HIS WORD. WE CAN BE SURE THAT GOD STILL LOVES THE JEWISH PEOPLE,
HIS FIRST LOVE.
BUT THIS SCRIPTURE
APPLIES TO EACH INDIVIDUAL'S LIFE AS WELL. WE ARE GIVEN LIFE, WE ARE
GIVEN A FREE WILL, AND WE ARE GIVEN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME IN WHICH
WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER TO RESPOND TO THE OVERTURES OF GOD OR NOT.
AND HE MAKES OVERTURES ALL THE TIME. HE CALLS US THROUGH OUR
CONSCIENCES; HE CALLS US THROUGH OUR RELATIONSHIPS. FOR THOSE WHO
HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH BEING BORN OR BEING RECEIVED INTO THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH, HE CALLS US THROUGH HIS WORD, OUR SCRIPTURES; AND HE CALLS US
THROUGH OUR CHURCH, WHICH CONTINUALLY APPLIES THE SCRIPTURES TO THE
CIRCUMSTANCES OF TODAY, AND RESOLVES ISSUES WHICH HAVE THE POTENTIAL
OF CAUSING DISUNION, OR LEADING SOME OF US ASTRAY. AND HE CALLS US
THROUGH THE SACRAMENTS, EACH ONE OF WHICH IS A MANIFESTATION OF GOD'S
MERCY AND LOVE FOR US. PEOPLE WHO AREN'T CATHOLIC, PEOPLE WHO AREN'T
CHRISTIAN – WE HE CALLS THEM AS WELL, BUT IT ISN'T FOR US TO SAY
HOW HE DOES IT. AGAIN, VATICAN II TEACHES THAT WHATEVER IS GOOD AND
TRUE COMES FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT, SO EVERY PERSON IS EXPOSED AT SOME
POINT TO THE SPIRIT.
BUT FINALLY, LIKE THE
TENANTS IN THE VINEYARD, WE ALWAYS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEND
HIS MESSENGERS AWAY. AND A DAY COMES WHEN THERE ARE NO MORE
CHANCES, AND HE TAKES HIS KINGDOM FROM US AND GIVES IT TO ANOTHER,
HOPING THAT THIS ONE WILL BEAR FRUIT.
TO ME, AS I GET OLDER,
THOSE LAST WORDS OF THIS GOSPEL ARE THE MOST FRIGHTENING. HAVE I
BORN FRUIT? HAVE I BORN THE FRUIT I WAS SUPPOSED TO? I KNOW I'VE
MISSED A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO BEAR FRUIT. I KNOW, IF I AM HONEST,
THAT I HAVE BORN SOME GOOD FRUIT. AND I ONLY HAVE A LITTLE TIME LEFT
BEFORE THE DAY WILL COME WHEN HE WILL LOOK AT MY LIFE AND DECIDE
WHETHER TO LET ME HAVE THE KINGDOM, OR TAKE IT AWAY AND GIVE IT TO
ANOTHER.
SO THIS GOSPEL PASSAGE IS
ULTIMATELY ABOUT YOU AND I, NOT ABOUT THE JEWS AND THE GENTILES. IT
IS ABOUT OUR PARISH, NOT ABOUT THE PHARISEES AND THE EARLY
CHRISTIANS. IT IS ABOUT OUR COUNTRY, NOT ABOUT ANCIENT ISRAEL AND
ANCIENT ROME. AND ALWAYS, IT IS ABOUT BEARING FRUIT, AND THE
CONSEQUENCES OF FAILING TO DO SO. IN THE TIME WE HAVE LEFT, LET US
ASK OURSELVES HOW WE CAN BEAR MORE FRUIT; HOW OUR PARISH AND OUR CITY
AND OUR NATION CAN BEAR MORE FRUIT. BECAUSE THE KINGDOM CAN BE TAKEN
AWAY; IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE.
