Matthew 21:33-43
When I was employed many years ago, I worked for a company that had a “three strikes and you are out” rule. If I wanted one of my staff to stop doing what he was doing or start doing something she wasn’t, and they did not respond to my requests, I would first of all give them a verbal warning --which I had to document. This warning would lay out what I expected and when. If the individual failed to meet expectations, then I would issue a written warning, which would contain the behavior I expected and a deadline for it. This was supposed to be discussed with the employee, who could write a note to accompany it when I sent it to my own superior. After the expected time I could fire the individual, unless my own superior intervened. I never had much trouble with the people I supervised, except when we converted our institution to a computer system, and an employee who was also a friend refused to learn the system. Fortunately we only needed step one.
Today you hear about a landowner who was obviously following a different system. When the tenants beat and killed and stoned his servants, he doubled down and sent another batch, who received the same treatment. When he heard about this, he sent his son, who was killed. When the chief priests and elders heard the story, and Jesus asked what was the next thing the landlord would do, you heard their answer. Jesus doesn’t confirm or deny it, and when you think about it the landlord had already demonstrated that he was a guy who always gave his enemies another chance. And for us Christians that’s a good message -- Jesus is always paying the price for our sins, our transgressions.
Some people see in this gospel passage the old idea that Christians replaced the Jewish people as the new favorites of God. In fact this and several other passages in the New Testament tend to support that idea . But Jesus is talking to the leaders, the chief priests and the elders. Jesus himself would never agree that the Jewish religion was replaced by the Christian religion. His point at the end of the passage is that the chief priests and elders were expected to bring about the kingdom of God and didn’t, and now that goal will be taken away from them and given to those who are Jesus’ mother and brothers and sisters -- those who hear the word of God and keep it.
What is this kingdom of God that Jesus is always talking about? It's outlined in the scriptures -- even in the Old Testament which doesn’t seem to have made an impact on the chief priests and the elders. It’s a world where no one is hungry or thirsty or naked; it’s a world where everyone loves his neighbor as himself. It’s a world where we don’t have wars. It’s a world where everyone has what he needs to live, and has the opportunity to become the best person he could be. And we shouldn’t leave out the fact that the kingdom is where God is truly worshipped by every soul. In short, the kingdom of God is heaven on earth. That’s what Jesus taught; that’s what he wants for mankind.
And this gospel should make us ask some serious questions -- what am I doing to make the kingdom of God present? When I encounter people during my day, some probably need something I could give them. Am I sensitive to this? Obviously most people don’t show their needs, but we know that everyone needs affirmation, encouragement, recognition of a job well done, however small. You don’t have to be an extravert to do these things, it just takes willingness and doing it. What are you doing, what am I doing to bring about the kingdom of God?
And what is our parish doing? Is it doing enough? Because despite the fact that we live in a very affluent community in a part of the country where hurricanes and winter storms aren’t too bad and summer isn’t too hot, in spite of all the blessings we already have, what more can we do to make the kingdom of God present in our town -- and we can do more than we are doing as a parish. Twenty percent of our parishioners attend weekly mass. How can we do something about that? Some of our parishioners are lonely -- shut up in their own homes because they are no longer mobile; confined to nursing homes because they can’t take care of themselves. Who are they and what can we do about them? And we could go on and on.
If you look at the scriptures and the history of our church, you can see that God is working among us to bring about the kingdom of God -- but through his people. Let us consider whether we are worthy of the kingdom being given to us.
