XXVII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Mt 21:33-43
In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear the parable of the vineyard and of the tenants who tried to take over the vineyard and make it their own property.
The parable interprets the history of salvation, giving a brief summary of it in a few sharp strokes. A landowner decided to plant a vineyard, providing it with everything needed to get a good production. In the first reading, Isaiah tells us that God is the landowner, who showed great love for his vineyard (Is 5:1-7). This vineyard is the people of Israel, whom God chose and loved, entrusting them with the mission of being God’s people among the nations. However, it seems that God’s trust in them was misplaced, because they were unfaithful, despising God’s love and ignoring his ways and commands, in such a way that God “expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry - (Is 5:7).
Telling this parable about the vineyard, Jesus built on the words of Isaiah and pinpointed the great areas of unfaithfulness of the people, forcing the leaders to see themselves represented, denounced and condemned in the parable.
The tenants took over the vineyard and made it their own property, and they did so by not paying their rentals or giving the owner his share in the produce. Their refusal of the owner’s rights led them to become criminals and murderers, beating and killing their fellow servants sent by the owner. And the story repeated itself time and again. Finally, he sent his son to them, expecting that they would welcome and respect him. However, they had become bold and fearless enough to carry their murderous attitude up to the end, by killing the son and taking over the vineyard.
In this parable, Jesus speaks of the relationship of God with his people, thus speaking at the same time of his own mission and of his own incoming death.
Many times, we hear people proclaiming that the Father sent his Son to death, and we may get the idea that Jesus’ killers cannot be blamed, because they were carrying out God’s plan for our salvation. It is true that Jesus died for us and because of us, but the Father sent him to be respected, listened to and obeyed. The Father’s heart may have trembled with fear, sensing that they would not respect his Son and that they would be ready to commit the ultimate crime and kill him; but he sent his Son so that he might bring them to their senses, leading them to obedience and surrender. Jesus, the Son, was not killed by the Father, but by people who refused to recognise and accept him as the Son, deciding instead to take his place and his rights.
The leaders understood the parable as being directed against them, and instead of changing their attitude, they wanted to arrest Jesus.
God has shown his love for us, but time and again we have the same attitude of the tenants, refusing God’s rights on our lives. Like the tenants we want to take over and to became the owners, excluding God from our hearts, our minds and the plans we have for our lives. Jesus warns that God may transfer the vineyard to others “who will give him the produce at the harvest time” (Mt 21:41).
The stone, which was rejected - Jesus Christ - has become the cornerstone, on which life and salvation can be found and our lives can be built into the house of God.
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