4/10/26
Hear the Word of the Lord
The Master was a skilful storyteller. It was his main method of teaching, and we still use his stories today.
In the gospel set down for this weekend He tells a real rip snorter and it finds its mark, in part, because the setting is very familiar to his listeners who are the religious leaders of the day. The setting is a vineyard, and vineyards crop up on more than one occasion, which makes me think that he must have been familiar with at least one winery, or maybe he just got chatting to the folk who were running the wedding reception at Cana.
The audience he is addressing is the local clergy, parish wardens, maybe even the parish nominators and the board of electors.
In today’s parable, the owner puts a heck of a lot of work into establishing a really good vineyard.
He puts a wall around it, digs a winepress in it and builds a watchtower. But his choice of tenants is not as fastidious. They turn out to be a great disappointment to him, and that is me politely understating it.
When the owner of the vineyard sends some folk and asks for the fruit, the tenants seize his servants, beat one, kill another, and stone a third.
Ever patient and persistent to reap what is rightfully his, the owner sends more people, and this next lot of debt collectors are treated in the same way and also meet a grizzly end.
Finally, the owner sends his son, and instead of showing respect and honour, they see this from a different perspective altogether. This is their big chance to make a takeover big for this prize winning winery.
Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they take the son and throw him out of the vineyard and kill him too.
Their sense of entitlement and propriety is as gob-smacking as it is ludicrous.
The local clergy, parish wardens, the parish nominators and the board of electors are listening intently to this enthralling little story. So far, so good.. But then the master does something … um… master-full
He turns, looks them in the eye and in a firm and dulcet, non-threatening way asks them a question.
“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
And that is when the fuse finally meets the powder and the things explode.
For our little cluster of Holy ones, realise who the parable is really about. This story is all about and is for …them.
A few things to ruminate on.
The master knows exactly what is going to happen to Him. He makes it very clear that he will die at their hands, and this is one of the things that stirs me and makes me uncomfortable every Lent. As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, he knows that each step takes him closer to the place of his own crucifixion.
The religious leaders of the day know this too. They can see that the little, loving, truth-telling man in front of them is too prepared to embrace his death at their own hands. All the cards are clearly face up and on the table here.
It’s almost as if Our Lord is saying…Come on, folks… We all know what’s really going on here. We all know what you are going to do. We all know that you will bruise me and crush me.
We all know that I lay down my life of my own free will, and I will allow you to do this because I love you; because of this, I will be, and I am, the cornerstone. The foundation of love that is unshakable; the gates of the underworld of sin and hate and fear and greed will be vanquished. The empire of retribution and greed turned to rubble, and out of the dust, love will rise triumphant.’
There is good news here for us today. The fruit and the triumph and glory are not ours to keep to ourselves but have always belonged to the owner. It should be enough for us to simply turn up to the vineyard and enjoy the privilege of working for Him who wants us to be there.
Similarly, if there are mistakes and failures, disappointments and frustrations, even when we have tried our best, then we are not to be too hard on ourselves. We are not the owners of the vineyard. No one expects us to save the universe, sort out the parish finances, bring peace on earth and good will to all people, persuade God to come as our Bishop and lure the Blessed Virgin Mary to become our next parish priest. We just get on, do and be the faithful tenants we have always been called to be, gaining wisdom and experience with each passing mistake.
Finally,… at the end of the readings, we have a simple statement and response.
‘Hear the word of the Lord’ and the response ‘Thanks be to God.’
We listen, sometimes a little more attentively than other times, but sometimes we don’t hear and sometimes don’t take it to ourselves and amend our lives accordingly.
The religious leaders of the day understood that this parable was explicitly and implicitly for them. They get it.
And if they can hear it, if they can understand it … If they can get it… then why can’t I?
Hear the word of the Lord… Thanks be to God.