Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle A

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.