USURPING THE VINEYARD OF GOD (They threw Him out and killed Him)

 
HOMILY FOR THE 27^TH SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The inordinate desire for property acquisition that has enveloped the world is alarming. Mankind has failed to realize that she is not the actual owner of the mother earth. She has disregarded the owner of the earth, and has ascertained herself as the centre of the universe. We have moved towards anthropocentrism; that is seeing man as the ‘be all’ and ‘end all’ of the universe. Mankind has in various ways and manner tried to prove to herself that she are the highest being that exist. She makes effort to disprove the existence of the owner of the earth. We tend to bury the truthful words of the Psalmist that the earth belongs to the Lord, and everything in it; the world and those who dwell therein (Psalm 24:1). The disheartening aspect is that even when mankind claim to be the actual owner of the earth, she does not handle her with proper care and attention. Mankind exploits the globe, instead of exploring the natural resources put therein. The injunction of Genesis to fill the earth and subdue it (Gen 1:28) is not one of exploitation but one of careful exploration. Our environment has been degraded so much that human beings have again started to cry over the effect of such depletion on human life. This explains the call to study ecology with an eco-spirituality that takes care of the world. We are labourers and should not be usurpers of God’s vineyard.   

In the Gospel of today (Matt 21:33-43), Jesus tells a parable of the tenants who went an extra mile in evil to possess and usurp a vineyard that was not theirs. The landlord sent his servants to get the fruits when the time for harvest reached, but they killed those servants and when he again thought that sending his own son would make them submit, they killed too his son. They took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him (Matt 21:31). And in fact, it is this that sentence forms the line of my reflection today. What/where is the vineyard? Who are the ‘they’ that killed? Who is that ‘him’ that was killed?

What is the Vineyard?

1. The vineyard agriculturally is a farmland. The Israelites of the time of Christ are familiar with the picture the Gospel presents concerning the vineyard. Vineyards have peculiar constructions. The hedge was a thick edge thorn hedge designed to protect the land against wild animals and thieves who might steal the grapes. Vineyards had winepress. The wine press is made of two troughs either hollowed out of the rock, or built of bricks. One was a little higher than the other, and was connected to the lower one by a channel. The vineyard was owned by landlords who usually left their estates in the hands of others, and were only interested in collecting the rental at the right time. It might be paid as a rental, or in percentage or a fixed number of the fruits. Due to the situation of the country then, the workers were normally discontented with the landlords that many times they grow rebellious.

2. The vineyard is Israel. The vineyard demands a lot of attention and fortification. Thus, it would be highly frustrating for the workers or the landlord to go through the hurdles and at the end of the day, the vines are unable to produce grapes, or worse still that the vines produce less number of grapes as would have expected, or they produce wild ones. This is the situation in the First Reading (Isaiah 5:1-7) of today whereby the Lord regards Israel as his vineyard. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel. As his vineyard, the Lord expects Israel to produce adequate grapes, but instead the fruits ended up becoming wild. Hence, the dignity of the vineyard as a respectable agricultural venture will be withdrawn. It can only be wished what Christ wished for the Fig tree in John 13. And in John 15:2, he cuts every branch that bears no fruit. Those materials that make the vineyard honourable will be razed; if this happens, the vineyard loses its title and becomes like others. And this is how the dignity and respect of the Israelites would be held in check since they have failed to reciprocate to the divine love and care unto them.

3. The vineyard is the kingdom of God which we must look after. This is an understanding derived from the Gospel of today. Christ entrusts his kingdom to us and expects us to cultivate it, and render proper stewardship. We are like the tenants who take care of his vineyard. All of us have the rights to work in the Lord’s vineyard. God trust us so much; little wonder he totally gives us his vineyard to till and cultivate. Humans are the caretakers of this vineyard, not even the angels. In Psalm 8:6, we read: you made him ruler over the works of your hands, put all things under his feet. The world is this vineyard. It belongs to God. The Church too is this vineyard. How do we take care of the Church? How do we take care of the earth? Do our reactions portray the reaction of those tenants who killed the other servants? In fact, these questions link me to the second consideration. Many of us today have in one way or the other usurped the vineyard of God. Some of us see the Church as our property and as a place for enriching ourselves. Some of us hide under the cover of being Christians to commit atrocities. Some ministers have tried to convert the people of God to people of (a particular pastor or priest). This is usurpation. The vineyard belongs to God, and we are his labourers.

Who are the ‘they’?

1. They are the rebellious tenants who refuse to pay their master. They even went to the extent of eliminating the people he sent up to his only son. What a malice!!! The more he sent, the more they killed. They were over-ruled by material possession, and were bent on eliminating anyone to inordinately posses the land. They knew that the vineyard was not theirs. In the context of the parable of Christ, the cultivators are the religious leaders of Israel (which extends to our religious leaders today). Man deliberately rebels against God. He wants to rule and be in-charge of the vineyard himself, and not being a mere worker. He wants to be the ruler of the earth. He wants to be the head of the Church. For instance, some Church posters today are replacing the pictures of Jesus with the pictures of themselves, wives and children.

2. Those tenants wanted to take all the proceeds alone. They did not want their landlord to even share with them. What a protracted selfishness!!! Sometimes, we want to appropriate things for ourselves without considering others. We do not even want to listen to the language of sharing. We just need everything for ourselves. We claim everything. We claim to have made everybody around. Some have made themselves gods that they would not want to share their glories with anyone. We need everything for ourselves to the extent of killing, slandering and persecuting the servants of God. Thus, the servant of God is called to suffer.

3. The tenants will be put to miserable death. If we are not careful, the landlord of the vineyard would take back his vineyard and give it to another group of cultivators. The time of judgment comes. God is coming to destroy the wicked. The destruction will be terrible since he has manifested himself a very patient God. The tenants will be bundled and wretched to a miserable death. The vineyard will be cultivated by another person. God will raise up a new people to care of the vineyard. Since they refused to be accountable, they are meant to face their consequences of their actions. But lands that produce thorns and thistles are worthless and are in danger of being cursed. In the end, it will be burned (Heb 6:8). When we do not remain in Christ, we are thrown away and wither (John 15:6).

Who is the ‘Him’?

1. It is Jesus. The landlord finally sent his son. The era of sending servants were over. Perhaps, they would listen to His voice and respect him. He condescended and asked the son to leave the glory of the father’s palace in pursuance of the rebellious tenants. The son is Jesus Christ. God sent his only son. He condescended and asked his son to leave the glory of heaven and eternity so as to bring us good news; and in so doing speak face to face with man. The son was different from all the servants sent previously. Christ made this unique claim on himself. He is more than a servant.  

2. The tenants saw the son of God. There were many kinds of evidence that gave indications to the Jews that Christ was the Messiah: the Old Testament prophecies, the testimony of John the Baptist, the deeds and teachings of Jesus himself, the signs of the time (cf. Gal.4:4), etc. However, they tried to suppress these indications deliberately because of their sin and greed for position, esteem, power and security. This occurs among us today. Even though many of us may know the truth of what or whom our fellow is, we are inclined to suppressing those truthful indications out of jealousy and greed which always have the endpoint of perdition.

3. The tenants plotted to kill the son. They planned to seize his inheritance; an inheritance that was not actually theirs. Men desire to possess the kingdom, nation, property, power, rule, recognition and wealth. Whatever be the position, they are even ready to kill so as to have it. The tenants murdered the son. They committed the worst crime in human history. They killed the son of God. The extreme desire for material possession leads to doom. It makes us to disregard the most important things in our lives; to disregard the very foundation of our lives.

4. Jesus is the cornerstone. The Gospel ended with the picture of the stone. The STONE which the builders rejected has become the connerstone. Christ is that cornerstone. The symbolism of Christ as the connerstone has two things to tell us. The connerstone is the first stone to be laid. All other stones are placed after it. It is the preeminent stone in time; He is the firstborn of all creation. The connerstone is the supportive stone. All other stones placed upon it are held by it. Christ is the support and power; the foundation of God’s new creation. So, Christ is the only true foundation upon which a man can build. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11). All who are not laid upon Christ simply crumbles. It may seem that the Jews rejected Christ as we do today, but they would find out that the Christ whom they rejected is the most important person in the world.

For us today, Christ remains the foundational stone of our lives. As the connerstone, we rely on him for support and strength. ‘Standing To Operate Notwithstanding Everything’ is the lot of anyone who has Christ as his/her connerstone. With Christ, we stand to operate regardless of anything that is on our way. If we make Jesus our connerstone, we shall defeat the temptation of seeing ourselves as the actual owners of the vineyard, and so will not usurp in any way. This is my prayer for all of us as I wish us a blessed week ahead. God bless you.