Memorial of Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr
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Biographical Information about St. Boniface, bishop and martyr

First Published: Monday, June 05, 2006

I'd rather own than rent

Reflection:

We start our reflections on Marks Gospel with the Parable of the Vineyard. Lets put this first in context. This story was directed, in Christs ministry at the religious leaders of the Hebrews. Clearly the vineyard was meant to represent the body of Gods people on earth(the Kingdom of God/ Israel, he was actually using Is 5 1-7) and the tenant farmers were the members of the Scribes and Pharisees.

When Jesus spoke of the messengers sent, he was talking about the Prophets from the Old Testament. The lives of those prophets were almost always difficult because the leaders failed to head their voices. These Servants of God, as Jesus story tells were beaten and some were killed.

The next part of the story must have shaken them a bit. While we can easily see from our perspective today that when Jesus speaks of the Son of the Owner of the Vineyard, he is speaking of himself as the Son of God, the Sanhedrin could not have had that understanding at this point. Perhaps these particular members of the Sanhedrin were thinking that Jesus was predicting the Messiah rather than identifying himself as the Messiah.

Regardless of what they were thinking, Jesus predicts that he will be put to death by these same tenants. The irony is that Jesus provides a motive that indicates that by killing him, the Sanhedrin thinks they will inherit the kingdom. By his parable, Jesus demonstrates how ridiculous that thought is.

In any case, Jesus was very clear about the response of God to the leaders of the Temple in his day. They would be cast into pit put to death! The kingdom of God was to be given to other, more worthy people.

What happens next only makes sense if we understand that Jesus is putting a huge exclamation point on his own identity in the story. He asks his audience:

Have you not read this Scripture passage:

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?

Is it any wonder they were worried about the crowds? With that quote, Jesus just as much as said that he recognized that he was rejected by the Sanhedrin and was to become the foundation of a new people, chosen by God to carry on the work of Gods Kingdom.

Now what does this story mean to us today, recognizing as we do that Jesus is the Savior and that all this parable predicted has come to pass? How do we respond as the new tenants of the vineyard? What is our portion of the harvest?

If the parable was retold in todays environment, the messengers would be the missionaries and martyrs of the Church (since we understand the Church to be the Risen Body of Christ). We know that those we reach out to will reject us as the Jews reject Christ. Like Christ we are to become the builders of something new and enduring, the Kingdom of God on earth.

It is only through our steadfast faith, constant prayer, and, as Peter says:

For this very reason,
make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,
virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control,
self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion,
devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.

It makes sense in the face of our world today. Pax