Sunday Readings: Isaiah 5.1-7, Philippians 4.6-9, Matthew 21.33-43
The tenants seized the son, dragged him outside the vineyard, and killed him. When the Lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? The chief priests, “He will put that wicked crowd to a miserable death.” The elders say, “And lease the vineyard out to others who will see to it the owner has grapes” (Matthew 21.39-41).
Jesus’ parable this Sunday tells how tenant farmers want to keep their entire harvest, kill the owner’s slaves who come to collect the owner’s share, and kill the owner’s son when he comes. What should the owner do?
The chief priests and elders think the owner should kill the tenants. The elders think the owner must lease to someone else. They look at Jesus’ parable from the point of view of the owner. But what if the vineyard belongs to God and the officials are the tenants?
The parable turns into an allegory of Jesus’ life. He is the son, the owners heir. In this case the parable calls the temple officials to believe in the owner’s son and produce a rich harvest, especially caring for the poor who entered the temple after Jesus cleared out the sellers.
What rich harvest do you expect of the Global Synod meeting now in Rome? What rich harvest have you invested your love in?