IGNORING GOD’S MESSENGERS

XXVII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 21:33-43

The first reading and the gospel in this Sunday’s liturgy speak of a vineyard planted with great care and treated with great love. Looking back at his work and examining himself, the owner says: “What could I have done for my vineyard that I have not done?” (Is 5:4) In spite of that, the owner got nothing: “He expected it to yield grapes, but sour grapes were all that it gave.” (Is 5:2). And so he was very disappointed and he is ready to abandon his vineyard. 

Isaiah makes it clear that the owner is the Lord and the vineyard stands for the people of Israel. And God is making a public accusation against his people. Indeed,

“He expected justice, but found bloodshed,

integrity, but only a cry of distress.” - Is 5:7

The people of Israel went astray and turned against God. By doing that, they turned against each other with oppression, exploitation and violence. And we cannot recognise them as being God’s people. 

The image of the vineyard can be applied as well to the Church of God and the harsh words of condemnation may also be deserved by the Church, that is by ourselves, because of our unfaithfulness and because of the violence which can be found among ourselves.

In the parable of the wicked tenants, Jesus interprets the history of the people of Israel, accusing them as well of unfaithfulness. They do not want to recognise God and his lordship over them; instead, they want to become the owners of the vineyard, forgetting about the true owner and his demands. They kill the Son, so that they may keep the property for themselves alone. They did not care about the consequences and that we reap what we sow. We can never claim as ours what is borrowed or was entrusted to us. We will face judgement for whatever we do. Jesus asked people about the consequences of the tenants’ criminal action, and the crowd answered: “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives”.(Mt 21:41). These words are a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in the year 70 AD.

The parable stresses the fate of the Son, who was killed by the tenants. When the landowner sent the Son, he was aware of the danger, but he hoped for a peaceful solution: “They will respect my son”, he thought (Mt 21:3t7). The Son as well must have been well aware that his life would be at risk, but he accepted to go. Both the Father and the Son hoped for a good outcome. Instead of that, we had a tragedy, because the tenants did not have respect even for the Son. It was not the Father who killed the Son, but those criminals who had lost all sense of dignity, honour and respect.

Do we accept God’s lordship over us? Do we give back of what we produce? Or, like the wicked tenant, do we want to be the lords of ourselves, rejecting God and his authority over us?