THE CORNERSTONE

Reflection for the 27^th 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.