The Vineyard, the Vines and the Tenant (Sunday, Week 27, Year A)

The gospel passage of the 25th Sunday tells a story about a landowner who went out to hire and send laborers into his VINEYARD. Again, the gospel passage of the 26th Sunday tells another story about a man who asked his two sons to go into his VINEYARD: one refused to go but later repented and went; the other agreed to go, but did not go. Today’s gospel passage tells us another story of a VINEYARD which was planted, hedged around, and leased to irresponsible tenants who badly treated the servants of the owner of the vineyard and even killed some when they came for the fruit of the vines during the harvest time. The questions we may have to ask in the course of this reflection are: What is this VINEYARD that the gospel has so much talked about from the 25th Sunday to the 27th Sunday? As we have it on today’s gospel passage, who are those irresponsible tenants to whom the vineyard was leased? And who are the servants who were treated badly and killed by those irresponsible tenants?

The first reading from Isaiah 5:1-7 and the Psalm (Psalm 80) tell us that, within the context of the Bible and the ancient Biblical times, that VINEYARD (severally mentioned in the bible) is the house of Israel. The tenants are the stewards to whom this vineyard was entrusted for them to care, nurture, groom, water and grow it. Who are they? Within the context of the biblical times, they were the political and religious leaders of Israel (the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the chief priests, the elders, the kings, and so on). These tenants were to manure and water the vineyard with truth and exemplary leadership so that it could produce fruits of justice and righteousness. As we have it in the prophecy of Isaiah 5:1-7, instead of yielding grapes, the choice vines of that vineyard yielded sour or wild grapes. Instead of yielding fruits of justice, they yielded bloodshed; instead of yielding fruits of righteousness and love, they yielded tears, hatred and wickedness. But let us not forget that the vineyard was on a fertile hill; in other words, the vines were planted in a fertile soil; they were cleared of stones; every condition necessary for them to grow and produce good fruits were provided. But because of the irresponsibility of the tenants (or the stewards), the vines yielded sour and bad fruits. Within the context of the ancient biblical Israel, those servants of the vineyard owner who were sent during the harvest time were the prophets. They were sent to behold the good fruits of righteousness, love and justice. But many of them were treated badly, while some were killed by those wicked tenants or stewards.

The Israelites are not here to listen to these readings. They are meant for you and me. We are the modern-day tenants and stewards to whom the vineyard has been entrusted. Are you in charge of a family? If you are, know that you are a tenant to whom the vineyard of the family is entrusted. Are you in charge of a school, a church, a society, a group, and so on? If you are, know that you are a tenant to whom some vineyard has been entrusted. Are you a mentor to someone, does anyone look up to you or take you as a guide (you may not even be aware of it)? Know that you are the tenant and the steward of the vineyard of the person’s soul. Those vineyards that you are in charge of, what are they yielding: sour grapes, bad grapes, wild grapes of sin, evil and wickedness or good fruits of righteousness, love and justice? Are the modern-day tenants (our leaders – political, traditional and spiritual) up and doing in the discharge of their duties? Our nations are blessed with good human and natural resources to be used to take care of the national vineyard. But what do we see or hear about? The political tenants are looting and stacking away what is meant for the common good, for the entire nation. Exploitation and gruesome acts of wickedness and selfishness are going on at various levels and echelons of service. The messengers of truth (those who speak truth to power, to the tenants) are persecuted, some are killed.

But let us not talk more about those in power; let us not be so much bothered about those in the political arena: what of ourselves? The vineyard being talked about in Isaiah 5:1-7 is situated on a fertile hill. It has been dug, cleared of stones and hedged around. Has it ever occurred to us that vineyard could be you or I? We have everything (the teachings of the Church, the sacraments, the devotions, and so on) at our disposal to grow, mature and bear good fruits. Instead of good/sweet grapes of love, righteousness and justice, sometimes we bear sour/wild grapes of bloodshed, hatred, evil and wickedness. How come? As individuals, what are we doing to ensure that the "vineyard" begins to bear good fruits of justice, love and righteousness?