Gospel: Parable of the Wicked Tenants

Today marks the Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the Gospel Reading will be proclaimed according to St Matthew (tap here for the complete Mass readings from USCCB).

Today's Gospel follows directly after last Sunday's reading in which Jesus was questioned by Jewish religious leaders about the source of his teaching authority. After refusing to answer their questions, Jesus tells the parable of the two sons, and then proceed to criticize the priests and elders for their lack of belief in St John the Baptist.

In today's Gospel, Jesus once again speaks to the priests and elders with a parable. In this parable, the landowner leases his vineyard to tenants and sends his servants to collect the portion of the harvest that the tenants owe to him. Several times the servants are sent to collect payment, and each time they are beaten and some of them are even killed by the tenants. Finally, the landowner sends his son to collect his rent. The tenants, believing that they will inherent the vineyard if the landowner dies without an heir, plot together and kill the landowner's son.

After telling the parable, Jesus questions the chief priests and elders about what the landowner will do to the wicked tenants. They all agree that the landowner will kill the evil tenants and give the land to new tenants who will pay the rent.

In telling the parable, Jesus is clearly drawing upon Isaiah 5:1-7, which is today's first reading and one that the priests and elders would have known. Jesus doesn't, therefore, have to explain the symbolism of the parable; the Pharisees would have understood that the vineyard represenred Israel, the landowner represented God, the servants represented the prophets, and the bad tenants represented the Jewish religious leaders. Yet Jesus nonetheless explains the meaning of the parable for his audience: the Kingdom of God will be taken from the unbelieving and will be given to the faithful. The chief priests and elders have condemned themselves with their answer to Jesus' question.

Today's Gospel has a parallel in Mark 12:1-12 as well. There are some notable differences, however. In St Matthew's version, the religious leaders condemned themselves; in St Mark's Gospel, Jesus answers his own question. St Matthew names the religious leaders as the Pharisees and chief priests. Clearly, this Gospel shows the tension that was mounting between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders who thought that his message was dangerous. St Matthew's Gospel was written about 70 years after Jesus' death and reflects the conflicts and tensions found in the Christian community from whom St Matthew was writing. Many biblical scholars also believe that the tension between St Matthew's community and their Jewish neighbors can also be heard in today's reading.

This Gospel reminds us of the importance of listening to God's word. God speaks to us in many ways -- through scripture, through our Church tradition, in our Church's teaching, and through modern-day prophets. Are we attentive and receptive to God's word to us through these messengers in the guise of our Saints?

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