27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 8th October 2023.
Lectionary Readings:
Isaiah 5 v1-7; Psalm 80 v7-15; Philippians 3 v4b-14; Matthew 21 v33-46.
“Are you receiving me? Over”
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is asking his listeners, (Chief Priests, Temple Leaders, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees) if they understand what it is that he is saying to them and asking them for a response.
The parable of the vineyard tenants starts with a deliberate echo of Isaiah’s song about a vineyard. The description of a project that is well prepared and provided for, yet despite the best efforts of the creator, it produces bad fruit.
Jesus expands the story by relating the experience of God’s prophets, sent to the vineyard (Israel) to mature the crop (The people of Israel). The prophets were rejected by the tenants, their advice ignored and if they were foolish enough to push too hard, the tenants beat them up or killed them.
Jesus brings the story (the history of Israel) up to date by talking about himself as the vineyard owner’s son and heir and the tenants rejection of the son’s message. Jesus then adds his prophecy about the son’s death at the hands of the tenants, using a portion of Psalm 118 (about builders rejecting the most important stone) as a way of underscoring his message.
Jesus is appealing to his listeners to use their intelligence, and their knowledge of the scriptures, to recognise the truth of his interpretation of Israel’s history and current circumstances.
The chief priests and the other religious leaders receive this message as criticism, and they fail to register that this is also yet another opportunity to repent. To turn from their mistaken ways and begin to honour God by providing a true role model in terms justice and mercy towards the ordinary people of Israel, the people they have been called to serve.
Jesus is saying, as he did in the story of the vineyard workers, (Matthew 20 v1-15) that they have another chance to seek forgiveness, even at this late hour.
Jesus, in telling the story of the tenants in the way that he did, is making clear that they, the chief priests, have an opportunity to change the ending of the story, that God’s son does not have to be killed.
Paul, who meets Jesus for the first time as the risen Christ, knows that he had not previously understood the life giving message of Jesus. Paul vows to learn from the mistakes of his former tutors and mentors, and to spread the ‘gospel’ far and wide.
In his writings, Paul challenges us, his readers, to follow in the way of Jesus.
“Over” (for our response)
Fortified with the benefit of hindsight and two thousand years of Christian scholarship, we should be able to explain to our ‘listeners’ why we agree with Paul that “Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Bible quotations are taken from the Contemporary English Version.