Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said, ‘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 watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ 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.’....

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. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The parable of the wicked tenants is told, as the chief priests and the Pharisees realise, against them. The image of a vineyard is a common one for the nation of Israel. Jesus is saying that just as God has created a nation and protected it, sending them prophets to guide them, and finally His Son, they have ignored God's wishes. Notice that Jesus knows that they are already plotting his death. He warns them of what God will do. He will take the 'Kingdom of God' from them and it will be given to a people that produce the fruits of the kingdom.

We have confidently assumed that this legacy has been given to the Gentiles, that is to non-Jews, and specifically to Christians. But have we done any better? Our history shows, not necessarily. All too often we resort to violence rather than mediation, and while we might pay lip-service to loving all people, we often fall far short of the reality.

Just as tiny acorns can grow into mighty trees we need to start with one small seed - with ourself. May we continue our Lenten journey this year trying to amend our thoughts, our words and actions by taking the path of love. That is, we should try to measure all our thoughts, words and actions against the word 'Love', what then would we think, say, or do? When this goes wrong, we shouldn't panic, but offer to God our mistake and start again!

Lord Jesus Christ,
King of kings,
as Your subjects we come to You
to admit our failures,
and to ask for Your help
to put them behind us
and to start again.
May Your rule of Love
be our guide this Lent
in all that we think, say, and do.
Amen.