Coffee With God

Reflection: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

We remember the famous Song of the Vineyard, composed by Isaiah, which talks about a vine-grower who prepared the soil, carved it, cleaned it from the stones, planted some precious vines, and then built a watch-tower; and then expected it to produce the best grape, and from the grapes, wine and happiness. But instead, the vines produced inedible bunches of wild grapes. It is the sad story of unreturned love of God for the people. And Jesus knows this song of the vine well, and in the parable, he recalls precisely all these concerns of the Lord for his people. We are at the end of the Gospel according to Matthew and also at the end of the life of Jesus. The top religious authorities are about to commit a great crime – to capture and kill Jesus. After entrusting the vineyard to the peasants, the Lord, the owner of the vineyard, goes far away. It represents the Lord who has now entrusted his followers with the mission of producing joy. What was expected of these servants who were entrusted with the vineyard of Israel? Book of Isiah had taught them: ” Learn to do good; seek the right. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow” (Is 1:17). Those are the fruits that the Lord of the vineyard wanted. The Lord loves his vineyard so much that he continues to send his prophets. But Israel rejected them and killed them. The owner of the vineyard loves this vineyard to the extent that finally He sends his Son. But the managers expelled the son and killed him. The parable clearly describes what Jesus foresaw; he realized that the religious authorities were about to take him out of the way, expel him from the vineyard. Jesus was executed outside the Holy City, as if he were someone who contaminated it. Today our Christian community must be careful because the danger of chasing God’s Son out of the vineyard continues to happen. When we cast the Gospel out of our lives, we are casting the Son out of the vineyard. Think of the challenges that confront the sacraments of marriage and family, debates on abortion, and many more issues – many in the Church prefer to follow the values of the world. The values of the gospel are regarded outdated, old-fashioned and many Christians prefer to chase away Christ and his Gospel. What is the result of throwing the Gospel out of our lives? Wars, crimes, destruction of creation, despair and loneliness. This parable is addressed to us today. Open your eyes, recognise the Son, don’t throw him out of the vineyard – out of our lives.