Year A - 27th Sunday in ordinary time He will leave the vineyard to other tenants Matthew 21:33-43 33 "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.
34 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce.
35 But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way.
37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'
38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.'
39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."
42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.
(NRSV)Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus To explain the kingdom of heaven I have spoken in different parables, this one speaks of investments and profits.
There is no action without a reaction, just as there is no work without a reward. If men have the right to work and obtain their wages, to invest and receive their profits, is it not then appropriate for God to have the same rights and even higher?
I am the Word of God that when planted as a seed in the heart of man is destined to produce fruit and bring glory to my heavenly kingdom. It is because of the action of the evil one, the lures of the world, the pleasures, the worries, the entertainment and all the dissipations of earthly life that my word is not given a chance. In fact it is despised, rejected and eventually destroyed in the same way that I was personally rejected and put to death on the cross.
The Jewish people had waited for thousands of years for the coming of the Messiah, they were waiting for their liberator, but they were so caught up in their religious rituals that they were blind to my coming. I came humbly as one of them, I came to bring light to dissipate their darkness, but they rejected me and put me to death. They failed to produce the fruits that my word was supposed to receive from them; they failed me! They were the chosen ones, but they proved to be unworthy of my gifts, therefore my kingdom has been given now to those who listen to my word and put it into practice, regardless of their background. I have come to forgive sinners and to give to everyone the opportunity to be saved.
On the day of reckoning, every one will have to give an account of their talents. In the wonderful creation of God, man has been lavished with many gifts and talents; the greatest of them is my word, which serves to elevate man to the spiritual heights of salvation. Blessed is the man who listens to my words and puts them into practice, he is producing the fruits that I expect.
My word becomes a curse for those who reject it because I am the word and they are rejecting me, God himself.
Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary |
