Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost 2023. October 8.

Matthew 21, 33-46

Rev. Neli Miranda

Last Sunday, we learned that Jesus entered Jerusalem with great authority in the company of a crowd of pilgrims, who hailed him as the Son of David, the One who comes in the name of the Lord. At his entrance, the surprised inhabitants of Jerusalem asked, “Who is this?” and the crowd responded, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee”(21,10-11). This recognition of Jesus entering Jerusalem as a prophet means that this is a journey with no return, like many prophets of the past. He comes to denounce the corruption of the Jewish leaders, to call them to repentance, to warn them of the imminent judgment, and to suffer the fate of a prophet. His mission as a prophet guides us to understand his actions in Jerusalem, which first sought the liberation of the temple, the house of the Lord, which had been turned into a market and whose profits benefited mainly those who controlled the temple, the chief priests.

Jesus’ liberating actions diminished the power of the chief priests, the elders, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Now, they come to confront the prophet from Galilee who was occupying the temple teaching and healing the people. In the first encounter, through the parable of the two sons sent by their father to work in the family vineyard, Jesus publicly exposed the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders who pretended to be righteous in the eyes of the people, when they really were evil people and uninterested in the well-being of those they were called to care for and guide.

Today, Jesus continues denouncing the evil practices of the Jewish authorities by telling them another parable, which is also related to a vineyard. This image was well known in the Old Testament and represented the people of Israel. Isaiah, in the first lesson, denounced that the people of Israel, despite God’s loving care, did not produce good grapes, only rotten grapes. The prophet was announcing the imminent judgment: the vineyard would be destroyed. Some years later, it was the Babylonian army that executed the judgement. However, during the exile, God sent prophets announcing mercy for the people of Judah and they returned to their land.

In Jesus’ parable, the vineyard also represents the people of Israel who now live under the guidance of the Jewish leaders, represented by the evil tenants. God, the landowner, has leased the vineyard to these tenants who are responsible for taking care of the vineyard, making it productive and profitable, and giving the owner what is his at harvest time. Some Bible scholars propose that there is no reason to think that these tenants were impoverished or marginalized; they could have been commercial farmers hungry for profits and looking for opportunities. This image would perfectly fit with the voracious attitude of the Jewish leadership.  In the parable, Jesus says that the evil tenants, breaking their agreement with the landowner, took over the vineyard and murdered those sent by the landowner to collect the fruit from his vineyard. Many prophets like John the Baptist might be identified as one of the servants sent by the landowner (God). Finally, seeing that the landowner sent his son with authority, the evil tenants with an extremely violent attitude, killed the son (Jesus) planning to get his inheritance.

When Jesus finishes telling the parable, he asks the Jewish authorities “…when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” Then, seemingly unaware of their own situation, the Jewish authorities declare their own fate, “He [the owner] will put those wretches to a miserable death and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time” (21,40-41).

In response, Jesus does not affirm any kind of violence from the landowner but foretells his own return, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone…” God will respond to the evil tenants by resurrection not by violence.  Then, directly addressing the Jewish authorities, Jesus says, “… the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom…” (21,43). Jesus is pointing out that it is not the Jewish leaders but a new people who will bring forth the fruits of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is universal, not privatized or controlled by human authority. Everyone is invited to participate and produce good fruit in this Kingdom.

Dear sisters and brothers, the parable is addressed to the Jewish authorities, whose greed and great corruption led them to misunderstand their positions as servants of God and guides of the people, to mismanage the goods of the people, to seek only their profit, and to take over what belongs to God. To whom could this parable be addressed today? 

In Guatemala, there is a large Christian population and most of the population are believers (tenants). The vineyard represents all places where we have been called by God (the landowner) to produce fruits of the Kingdom.  Once again, to whom could this parable be addressed today? It is addressed to each one of us!  Those who serve in the government and are called to produce fruits of justice and peace, the clergy or pastors, parents, teachers, administrators of offices, businesses, commerce, and anyone in a leading position.

In the light of today’s Gospel, St. Francis of Assisi celebrated on October 4, reminds us also that we are caretakers of the great vineyard, our planet earth.

 Are we producing the fruits God expects from us?

Amen.