Breaking Open the Word

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Matthew 21:33-43

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

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SPEAKER_00 0:01

Good morning, brothers and sisters. Father Ron here, breaking open the word. Thank you for being with me. A great line in one of my favorite movies of all time, always in the top five, Lord of the Rings. There is a um uh situation in the movie when a wise wizard, Gandalf, is his name, tells another character who is overwhelmed with his burden and struggle in life. Gandalf tells him this great line. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. All we have to decide is what we're gonna do with what we've been given. What a great line. And that brings us to the gospel today. Jesus gives us an image for that life in this gospel. It's a vineyard. That's the image. So in the gospel, as you've read, the landowner, which is God, the landowner entrusts the vineyard to tenants, you and me, who are meant to tend the land, to cultivate, to nurture it until it bears fruit in his name. That's our life. And the gospel ends with the reminder that the landowner, he's going to return for his share of the bounty. The land, it's freely, graciously given to us, but with the expectation there will be growth and abundance. And so the landowner sends his servants to inspect the harvest, but they're beaten and driven away by the tenants. And so at last the owner sends his son, surely they'll respect him, and the tenants kill him as well. Clearly, those tenants of the vineyard were determined to keep the landowner away. But why? Right? I mean, why? What were they afraid of? The gospel, it doesn't say why. But for me, friends, I think it comes down to one of two scenarios that explains it. Either the first, the tenants who received the vineyard, they didn't do anything with what they were given. They were complacent in life, they were getting by, living mediocre lives, and in the end, there was really no harvest to show. And so they rejected the servants and the son out of embarrassment or fear. That's the first maybe scenario, why they rejected. The second one is maybe they did work the land and had a huge and bountiful harvest to show, but then decided to keep it all for themselves. They became selfish with what they were given and drove the servants away. Complacency and did nothing, or they wanted it all for themselves. Friends, our gospel today invites us then to take a step back from the land that God has graciously bestowed upon you, the vineyard of your own life, and then ask the question of the wise Gandalf: what am I doing with what I've been given? Your days, your talents, your relationships, your faith, your retirement, your finances, none of it is random. God has entrusted it to you, and He hopes for a harvest that can bless your life and nourish others beside. And so what are you doing with it? Are you coasting and just getting by? Are you sharing the harvest with others as God shared the land with you from which it came? And you know, I've asked myself this, that question, preparing for this reflection. What am I doing? And you know what my answer is? I'm doing quite a bit. And I'm doing nothing at all. That's it, really truly. There are times like complacency where I haven't done a whole lot, where I've settled for coasting and just getting by. You know, I I say the prayers, but I don't let them reach my heart. I get the spiritual book, but I don't make the time to read it. I pray for my friend who is suffering, but I don't make the effort to call or stop by. I've just kind of let life steal my thunder, my joy, my investment. Yeah, I can see complacence in me, but at other times I'm engaged and I see the fruits of my efforts and the hard work that I put in, but fail to recognize they're not just mine. I hold my time and comfort sometimes a little too tightly, selfishly, enjoying the bounty of life for me, rather than giving it away. But friends, that is why the landowner, our wonderful God, sends his son. Jesus is always at our gate of the vineyard, wanting to step in, wanting to help us in the harvest, to breathe his spirit within us, to ignite our hearts out of complacency, you know, to nourish us with his body and blood, that we continue to work the land and transform it into life. So, friends, this week, join me in choosing one way to cultivate this beautiful vineyard of life that you've been given so that it bears more fruit. Whether you've grown complacent in just getting by, or maybe find yourself more selfish of the bounty, let's ask the Holy Spirit of God to set a fire under us. Whatever you do, choose something. But whatever you do, it doesn't have to be grand. So, you know what I'm gonna do? I'll share it. What I'm gonna do, I've already decided. And this week, the book that I've had and been waiting to read and haven't been, The Life of Christ by blessed now Fulton Sheen. So I've had it a while, I've been wanting to read it, but this week I'm reading it. Setting Netflix aside and giving myself to this. That's what I'm gonna do. What are you gonna do with the time that you've been given? So let's throw down some fertilizer this week, get out the hose, start digging one thing you'll commit yourself to this week, so that when the sun comes, and he will, he may find us with open hands, grateful for the life we've been given and ready to share its bounty. Amen indeed. Thank you for being with me, friends. May God now hold you and bless you in the vineyard of your life, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Have a beautiful day, and we'll see you tomorrow.