Like the last few Sundays, the readings today speak of a vineyard. It is an excellent time of the year to contemplate a vineyard, vines heavy with grapes waiting to be harvested. But when Jesus speaks in parables, each element stands for something else. The vineyard is our very home in the Lord. The fruit it produces is the Kingdom of God made manifest in our world.
It must have been a beautiful vineyard to attract tenants who wanted the finer things in life. They saw the vineyard and they envied its owner. They probably felt that they deserved it and the bountiful harvest. After all, they worked hard all year while the owner traveled far and wide. Who did this absentee owner and lowly servant think they were to take away all that they had produced? They wanted it all for themselves. So they fought to keep it, escalating their fight until they saw their opportunity to keep it forever. Their greed drove them to murder. Their desire to possess what was never truly theirs prevents them from finding joy in living in the beautiful vineyard for the season in the first place. Sounds similar to the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Paradise. The Kingdom of God will be taken from the greedy and given to the generous. Let us resolve to be productive servants to produce an abundant harvest for the Lord’s vineyard.
Love, Peace, Joy,
Fr. Bob
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