This weekend is all about vineyards in the Word of God. Each reading, with the exception of St. Paul, uses a vineyard as the backdrop for teaching us about God. Regardless of whether or not you like wine or prefer beer, the Scriptures pack a punch on several different levels.
The first perspective we might consider is historical. When Jesus tells his story about the vineyard, he is speaking directly to the People of God. The vineyard represents the Chosen People and God is the landowner. Jesus stresses all the good things God has done to get the vineyard prepared; not only did he plant the vines in the various covenants he made with Israel, he also protected it through numerous miracles and the different kings, judges and leaders he sent to aid Israel. All the hard work has been done by God. He asks his people to take care of the relationship he has built with them and harvest the produce which is represented in the fulfillment of his promises, the Incarnation. (Despite his generosity, God can’t seem to get his share of the vintage.) When God sends the prophets to remind his people of what they owe him (namely loyalty and praise), they beat, kill, and chase away his messengers. Anticipating his own death, Jesus says the landowner finally sends his son, hoping it will be enough to set the the vineyard in order. However, the tenants are so hardened they even kill the son, thinking this will allow them to keep the vineyard for themselves. Incredibly, when Jesus asks how the landowner should treat his rebellious tenants, his audience, the same people who will soon call for Jesus to be crucified, reply that the evildoers of the story should be put to a wretched death and their share be given to a new person. As things turn out, the tenants of the vineyard, the Chosen People, lose their exclusive claim to God’s vineyard and he opens it up to new tenants, anyone who believes in his resurrected Son, Jesus Christ.
The second perspective of these parables is spiritual. In this view, God is still the landowner but now the vineyard is the Church, the new Israel. Once again, God has done all the hard work of preparing the Church to bear tremendous fruit. He has founded it through the sacrifice of his Son on the cross, watered it with the grace of the sacraments, protected it throughout the centuries with the Gift of the Holy Spirit and the leadership of the apostles represented in the teaching of the magisterium. Finally, he has constantly provided saintly men and women to keep the vineyard in shape and remind the tenants to give him his due of praise, glory, and worship throughout the ages. The open question that remains when we consider the parable in this way is this: Are we doing our part to make sure the Catholic Church is bearing good fruit for the Lord? As Catholics, are we making a holy impact on society? Are we helping to ensure that God gets what is his from the universe he created? Namely love, respect, and adoration? Do we share freely of our gifts with the Church as a sign of appreciation for what God has done for us? Not to be too harsh on ourselves, but judging by the level of hatred, division, and violence in our world right now, perhaps we in the Church have been thinking too much about our own share rather than God’s!
The third, and frankly, most challenging perspective to look at the parable of the vineyard is personal. Each one of us is God’s vineyard and he has invested tremendously in every person. He created us with his own hands in our mother’s womb, gave us an eternal soul that reflected himself, made sure we are protected by a guardian angel, and bestowed a personality and talents that were unique to each and every person. After doing all this, he gave us free will and let us be born into the world to enjoy his goodness and the gifts he gave so freely. Throughout the life of every person, God sends messengers and caretakers to watch over us: teachers, priests, parents, friends, and neighbors, to make sure our vineyard doesn’t get destroyed. Once again, God is the one who does the hard work and then, instead of being a control freak, like we tend to be, he steps back to let the vineyard have a chance to grow and bear fruit. All he asks in return is that the vineyard be fruitful and a share of its production be given back to him.
What does this mean on a personal level? Have we in fact produced the good fruit of justice, mercy, and love? Do we at times forget that we are only tenants of our lives, bodies, and souls? Do we instead imagine ourselves as owners and do as we please? Do we tend to store up more of its fruit than we could possibly use while others die of starvation and need? Do we act with violence against our fellow human beings with anger, gossip, judgement, unforgiveness, or impurity, failing to see each person as a son or daughter of God?
Throughout the ages, both in Scripture and in pious practice, Christians have avoided these dangers with something called the tithe. In tithing, the first fruits of our time, talent, and treasure are given back to God and we live on the rest. This custom has endured over the ages, from the Old testament to now, because it ensures God receives his proper due from the gifts he showers upon us. The concept is simple: look at the blessings in your life and ask if God is receiving a portion of the best of your time, your personal talents and also your material goods. Do we try and return something of everything he has given us or do we try and hoard them for ourselves? Do we give to God first or do we instead take care of our own desires and give God whatever is leftover, if anything is at all?
The lesson of the vineyard is clear; God has been generous with us and we need to acknowledge that generosity by giving back some of the best of what we have and who we are. The greatness of God rests in the fact that he will use what we give him, not for himself, but to bless others and enrich our lives even further. Let’s make sure we give God his share first; good things will follow!
