The Vineyard of the Lord is His people

Ish 5:1-7, Phil. 4:6-9, Mt. 21:33-43. On this Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, the Church challenges us to show appreciation for all that we have received from God by sharing with others what we have received. Today's first reading presents us with an allegory of “the song of the vineyard.” The vineyard, which has been planted with choice grape plants, is producing wild, unsavory fruit and have turned sour. God looked for "mispat" - justice, but found "mispah" - bloodshed; for "sedaqa" - justice, but found "se’aqa" - outcry. God expected His chosen people to act in a manner similar to the same way He acted toward them. 

Jesus uses the same imagery of the vineyard in today's Gospel, but His emphasis is very different. For Jesus, the problem lies not within the vineyard but with the tenant-farmers. The vineyard produces its grapes and from them the wine for drinking. However, the tenants will not give the land-owner his due. Such share-cropping arrangements, with the landowner and the tenants that involves splitting the produce are frequently exploitative and unjust. However when the tenants beat up and kill the master’s agents, they do not complain that they cannot afford the rent and buy clothes for their children. This is not a peasant rebellion against an unjust landlord. The tenants’ motive is named as pure greed, they want the vineyard for themselves. They even kill the owner’s son and heir. Perhaps they think that in future years they can then legally claim the vineyard as their own property on the grounds that the  legitimate owner had abandoned it. This parable is specifically a call for a fresh leadership of God’s people, a leader who will allow the vineyard to flourish and render to God the fruit. According to Paul in the second reading, the way to be fruitful is to be honourable, fair, pure, lovely and gracious (Phil. 4:8). On our part, we have the obligation to be fruitful and to render an account of our stewardship

May the Lord lead our way and help us so that we may always be ready to commit our lives at every moments, for the greater glory of God and His people! Amen!! Stay safe and save life, Jesus loves you, happy Sunday!!!