Reflection
for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
(Is
5:1-7, Phil 4:6-9, Mt 21:33-43)
1.0. The Vineyard and the Tenants
“My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile
hill.” The Prophet Isaiah tells the story of this vineyard, planted with choice
vines and tendered with the utmost care. He even built a wine vat there, ready
to tap sweet wine. But it yielded soar grapes... “What more was there to do for
my vineyard that I have not done in it?” He complained bitterly. In his anger and disappointment, the owner
declared destruction for the vineyard. Then Isaiah says, “For the vineyard of
the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel...and he looked for justice, but
behold, bloodshed, for righteousness, but behold, a cry!”
Jesus gives a similar story but
this time about the tenant to whom the householder leased out the vineyard. “He
set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let
it out to tenants, and went into another country.” This time the vineyard
produced, but the tenants would not allow the householder to have his own
share. They dealt with the servants sent to receive the Householder’s part of
the agreement. “And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another,
and stoned another.” But the householder will not give up. He sent more
servants. “And they did the same to them.” Surprisingly, he risked his son,
saying, “They will respect my son.” This was in hope that the tenants would
repent and respect his agreement with them. “But when the tenants saw the son,
they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his
inheritance.’” So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
2.0. The
Householder and the Vineyard
The householder in the parable
took pride in his vineyard. He invested heavily in it and handed it over to the
tenants. Unfortunately, they turned against him and became bloodthirsty. But
the householder would never abandon his vineyard in the hands of wicked
tenants. Unlike the first reading where the vineyard was laid waste, he took
every precaution to save his vineyard. He was faithful to their agreement.
The tenants thought they could
usurp their master. Still, the man was merciful and patient with them. They
killed the first servants, he sent more. This shows he forgave their first act
and still wanted to work with them. They did the same to this second set, but
the householder was still merciful and ready to work with them if they changed
and honoured the agreement. He staged his son! He risked the life of his son for his
vineyard. This is the fulfilment of the words of Isaiah in the first reading, what have I not done for my vineyard? Why
did it then yield wild grapes?
The wicked tenants rejected the
son sent to make peace. They brought ruin to themselves. “He will put those
wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who
will give him the fruits in their seasons.” The transfer was made...
3.0. The
Cornerstone
For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the
men of Judah are his pleasant planting...The Pharisees and the elders of
the people rejected Jesus, the Son of God, sent to make peace. They killed the
prophets sent to them (Lk 11:47-51). Finally, they led Jesus outside the city
and crucified him (Heb 13:12). His blood sealed the transfer of the vineyard to
new tenants. He made peace by His death
on the Cross (Col 1:20). Thus a new people of God emerged—the Church,
sealed in the Blood of the Lamb. The Son gave his life to save the vineyard,
and the new tenants are brought through His Blood. Thus, the stone rejected by
the old tenants has become the cornerstone of those saved by the Blood the Son.
“This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.”
The sufferings and death of the
prophets, saints and martyrs find their meaning and fulfilment in the shedding
of the Blood of Jesus Christ. He is equally their Cornerstone for without His
Blood, they would have died in vain.
As the mediator between heaven
and earth, Jesus hangs on the Cross as the tower in the midst of the vineyard.
From there he delivers us from the hands of the wicked ones. He is the hedge,
the fortress around the Church—His choice vineyard. Jesus is the winepress in
the vineyard that is the Church, which produces the sweet wine of the Sacraments.
These means of spiritual nourishment draw there efficacy from open side of
Jesus on the Cross (CCC 1225).
4.0. “Have no anxiety about anything...” (Phil 4:6)
“For nobody can lay down any
other foundation, than the one which is there already, namely, Jesus Christ” (1
Cor 3:11). The Cornerstone is laid. It is on Him we are established, and on Him
alone we must build our lives. The Lord has made us tenants at different
capacity in His vineyard. We are part of the Body, the Church, with different
responsibilities but for the one Lord (1 Cor 12:5). This grace has been handed
on to us through the blood of the prophets and martyrs, and above all, through
the Blood of Jesus Christ. Hence, St Paul advices in the second reading, “Have
no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
So our thoughts should be on
Jesus, the Cornerstone. If we expel Jesus in our lives, we will lose the
inheritance. Our lives must be built on Jesus as the foundation. Then we shall
produce the wine of justice, truth, purity, love, graciousness. “And the peace
of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.”
Fr
Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
St
Theresa Catholic Church,
Off
Ewah Road, Benin City, Nigeria.
8/10/2017.
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