Proper 22 -- Isaiah 5: 1-7; Psalm 80: 7-14; Philippians 3: 14-21; Matthew 21: 33-43
A homily by Fr. Gene
Tucker, given at The
Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Springfield, Illinois, on Sunday, October 5, 2014.
“WHAT’S MINE IS MINE, AND WHAT’S YOURS IS MINE, TOO”
(Homily text: Isaiah
5: 1 – 5 & Matthew 21: 33 - 43)
“What’s
mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine, too.”
That saying
might well summarize the moral of Jesus’ parable, which is before us
today. Usually known by the title “The
Parable of the Wicked Tenants”, Jesus told this parable directly against the
rulers of the Jewish people.
As we said
last week in the parable which immediately precedes this one (The Parable of
the Two Sons), the setting for that parable and for this one is the
Temple. It is Holy Week, and Jesus has
already overturned the tables of the moneychangers who were plying their trade
in the Temple. And, as we remarked last
week, Jesus’ audience perceives that He is talking about them in these two
parables.
What was so
wrong with the attitudes and the behavior of the chief priests, the scribes and
the Pharisees?
Perhaps the
answer is that they confused their role as stewards of God’s kingdom for
ownership of it. Or, as we said at the
beginning of this homily, they thought that “What’s mine is mine, and what’s
yours is mine, too.”
Four
ingredients make up the parable (not considering Jesus’ comments about the fate
of the wicked tenants):
- The owner of the vineyard,
- The tenants,
- The vineyard,
- The fruit of the vineyard.
Basic to
the story is the relationship between the owner and the tenants. It is the owner who has established the
vineyard, and who has provided everything necessary for it to be profitable. The tenants are the ones to whom the owner
has entrusted the care of the vineyard.
The owner is in overall control, while the tenants are in control of the
day-to-day operation, since the owner is away at a distance.
Next, we
should look at the image of the vineyard.
Our reading from Isaiah (to which we referred last week) is most likely
the source for Jesus’ use of this image.
The Old Testament prophet likens ancient Israel to a vineyard, one that
the Lord had planted and provided for, saying, “For the vineyard of the Lord of
hosts is the house of Israel…”(Isaiah 5: 7)
It follows
naturally that the stewards are expected to produce fruit for the owner of the
vineyard, for that us the purpose in establishing it in the first place. In the parable, the landowner sends his
servants to collect the fruit of the vineyard as harvest time comes along.
Now, we are
ready to apply these aspects of Isaiah’s pronouncement and Jesus’ parable to
God’s people in ancient times, and to us…..
First of
all, it is important to keep in mind who the owner of the vineyard is. It is the Lord God in Isaiah’s imagery and in
Jesus’ parable. It is God who has
established the vineyard (by establishing His covenant with His chosen people),
and it is God who hires people (the house of Israel in Isaiah’s words and the
leadership of the Jewish people in Jesus’ parable) to care for the vineyard. Ownership of the vineyard is permanent, while
the tenants are only temporarily in charge.
Secondly,
the vineyard exists to produce fruit.
The production of fruit benefits the owner of the vineyard and those who
will enjoy the fruits that it produces.
The tenants or stewards of the vineyard are, therefore, agents of the
owner whose task it is to produce fruit for the benefit of others, not for
their own benefit.
You and I
are God’s tenants today. We are in
charge, temporarily, of the Lord’s vineyard, which is the Church. It is our task to produce fruit for the
kingdom, for the good of the Lord, and for the benefit of the world around
us. For it is important for us to
remember that the Lord may well say, “What’s mine is mine, and what you think
is yours is actually mine, as well.”
AMEN.
