God of hosts bring us back; let your face shine on us and we will be saved.
The peace of God will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Finally he sent his son to them.
Gospel Mt 21:33-43
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
Your response?
When we read this parable we are amazed at the patient love of God. After all what are humans? We may and do think of ourselves as important. Who is God, we may even ask? The fact is, we were nothing – totally lacking in existence. Then God quite freely decided to create us. He made us in his own image – ‘male and female he made us’. He chose us in Christ before creation. He gave us life and gave us the power to choose and most of all the power to choose to love. In us he sees a reflection of himself and each of us is precious in his eyes. Since we have received everything from him we should love him. He put us on earth to give us time to use the gift of choice, time to choose him as he chose us. He wants our life here to be a foretaste of the life with himself. This is his vision.
Everything went sadly wrong. Rather than choosing to love him from whom they had received everything, men chose to rebel. They disregarded his commandments considering them a bind and not the road to happiness. Still he wanted to save men from their own destructive ways. He chose Abraham so that he could prepare a race in which his own Son could be born. He sent them prophets to teach them the truth and keep them faithful. But they rejected one prophet after another and rejected God who cared for them. Nonetheless he still sent his Son – ‘they will respect my Son’. This was his hope. Jesus came and lived among them. He became one of them. Some did accept him and he gave them the power to become the children of God and heirs ‘of all God possessed’. But others rejected him and handed him over to be crucified. Still God did not lose hope. Jesus still loved even as he hung on the Cross –‘Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing’.
God still has not lost faith, hope and love for us humans. He still sends his Son to every generation to give us the invitation to the banquet in the kingdom. Though we are nothing, he still treats us as being ‘little less than a god’ respecting to the end the gifts he has given us.
We are now in the vineyard and the Son is coming to us. What do you say? Do you accept Jesus into your life as the Son? Are you willing to give him the fruits of faith – love for others as God loves you, forgiveness for others as God forgives you, compassion for others as God is compassionate to you. This is not a parable any more. It is the fact of life: Jesus is standing at your door and knocks.
Father, as we accept Jesus into our lives may we show you the fruits of faith; love, compassion and forgiveness.
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