Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk  

Thirty third Sunday of the Year, A – November 19, 2017.

Readings: Prov. 31:10-13,19-20,30-31; Responsorial Psalm Ps 127:1-5; 

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 & Gospel Matthew 25:14-30.

Theme: Resourceful for the Kingdom

Introduction

Friends in Christ, like a perfect marketer, Jesus tells us that terms and conditions apply concerning the kingdom of God. Our reflection titled “Resourceful for the Kingdom” shall be weaved around setting our goals and targets right – for want of a better word, we shall draw lessons about “usefulness” as it relates to the gospel (Matthew 25:14-30) narrative which relates the parable of the tenants.

Explication of the Parable of Tenants

ü  The Man who went abroad – The man in the parable is Yahweh, the God of Israel.

ü  The Servants - The servants whom the Master entrusts is property are the Israelites.

ü  The Property/Talents: The covenantal blessings which include the Ten Commandments, the Ark of the Covenant and the Passover Feast among others.

ü  The Man with the Five Talents:  The man with the five talents stands for those who were forgiven by Jesus and went ahead to recruit others for the kingdom. Here, we have people like the Samaritan woman, the women disciples, St. Paul and the other apostles.

ü  The Man with the two talents: The person with the two talents represents sinners like Mary Magdalene, Matthew the tax collector, the Good Samaritan etc.

ü  The Man with the one talent: This man with the one talent represents the Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees who kept pontificating while burying God’s gifts.

Pastoral Application

Our liturgy challenges us to use our time, talent and treasure for the glory of God. How can we achieve this?

Time: We live in time and space. Since we are finite beings, God would demand that we give account of our lives when our time here is up. As such, we must give God quality time. God expects that we give him quality in prayer, reading the scripture, and doing menial jobs in the Church like cleaning and clearing on Saturday. If God were to ask you, what did you do with the time I gave you on while you were on earth, what will be your answer? Will you say you spent it on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, taking selfies, idling away, committing immoral acts or robbing other people of their property?

Talent:  Most time we forget that all that we have and are comes from God. Your intelligence, smartness, resourcefulness, ability to sing or write; your ability to lead others and your sense of humour are all God’s gifts. It is crucial that we see our gifts as talents that God has given us to use for his honour and glory. If you know how to sing, are you in the choir? Perhaps you are a good dancer – are you a member of the church band? How about those who have the capacity to lead but would not want to be take of the Parish Council? Well, if God asks you at the end of time, what did you do with the talent I gave you, what will be your excuse?   

Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk   

Thirty Second Sunday of the Year, A – November 12, 2017.

Readings: Wisdom 6:12-16; Responsorial Psalm Ps 63:2.3-4.5-6-8(R.2b);

 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 & Gospel Matthew 25:1-13.

Theme: Of Readiness & Vigilance 

Introduction

Friends in Christ, as the Church’s Liturgical Calendar draws to a close, the theme of “Readiness and Vigilance” stares us in the face. On a Sunday like this, we recall the closing words of the today’s gospel which says: “So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13). With these words in mind, we shall approach this homily by situating the sacred text available to us in the Nigerian pastoral context. This shall be followed by appropriate spiritual lessons.

Explication of Sacred Text

In our first reading (Wisdom 6:12-16), wisdom is presented as a lady. The feminine nature of lady wisdom is expressed in three words:

1.  Brightness: Wisdom is presented as a bright light which does not grow dim - That Wisdom is God himself who permeates the hearts of men through his spirit.

2. Available: The scripture also notes that she is readily seen and found by those who look for her. That is not all; she is also quick to respond to those who want her as she makes herself known. She is available from morning to night assisting those in any kind of trouble. She could take the trouble of even sitting by the gate of your heart.

3. Approachable:  The reading stresses that Lady Wisdom is approachable as she is able to walk about seeking for those who are worthy of her. Accordingly, she graciously shows herself to them - She is also able to cut across their thoughts.  

In the second reading (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), St. Paul speaks about the eternal wisdom of what is to come. By expounding the theology of eschatology, the Pauline literature not only reminds us about the resurrection of the dead but equally states that “any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died.”  This calls for sober reflection about the way we live our lives. Wisdom demands that we not only believe in the resurrection but also live becomingly as on that day. This requires readiness and vigilance because we do not know the day or the hour when the Son of Man would come (Matthew 25:13).

The gospel (Matthew 25:1-13) which discloses the parable of the ten virgins once more brings to the fore the theme of “Readiness and Vigilance.” The 5 foolish virgins did not place a high premium on time – they thought they had all the time in the world; they were not vigilant and so the bridegroom took them unawares. They had to pay the price for their “time boku mentality.” The price was, the door was closed at them. What is more terrifying is, the Lord said: “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” 

Application to Pastoral Context/Lessons

1.  Since wisdom is bright, available and approachable to all, we must heed her call to live lives worthy of the gospel.

2. Wisdom demands that we do not allow the light of Christ grow dim in our lives.

3. Since wisdom is available from morning to night, assisting those in any kind of trouble, we must oblige her by opening the gate of our hearts.

4. Approaching wisdom or letting her approach us is key to preparing for any eventuality on our journey towards heaven.

5. We must be seen to embrace the eternal wisdom which St. Paul speaks about namely, the life of the world to come.

6. By expounding the theology of eschatology, the Pauline literature not only reminds us about the resurrection of the dead but it also stresses that we have no advantage over those who have died except if we cease the opportunity to change.

7. The parable of the ten virgins once more brings to the fore the theme of “Readiness and Vigilance” regarding our spiritual journey.

8. The price of “time boku mentality” is that the door would be closed at us when we least expect it. 

Homiletic Quotes to Remember

1. Wisdom is God himself who permeates our hearts through his spirit.

Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

 Thirty First Sunday of the Year, A – November 5, 2017.

Readings: Malachi 1:14b-2:2b; Responsorial Psalm Ps 131:1.2.3;

 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9,13 & Gospel Matthew 23:1-12.

Theme: Taking Lessons in Humility & Servant Leadership!

Introduction

Friends in Christ, our liturgy this Sunday invites us to take lessons in humility and servant leadership. We shall weave this reflection around the last paragraph of the gospel which says: “The greatest among you must be your servant” and, “anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:11&12). This homily shall highlight the linking points of the readings while attempting to draw lessons in humility and servant leadership.

What Constitutes Humility and Servant Leadership?

On the one hand, humility is an inner disposition and decision to consider others before oneself. It entails self-emptying to enrich others. On the other hand, servant leadership is self-abnegation even to the point of death for the sake of others. Servant leadership is the modeled kind of leadership epitomized by Christ. By his life and teaching, Christ was a servant leader par excellence. The dramatic washing of his disciple’s feet and the teaching that followed on Holy Thursday (John 13:1-17) has remained a metaphor for service in the Church. To be sure, servant leadership is the basis for religious or ecclesiastical governance.

This is why scholars like Ngara (2004) insist that servant leadership entails that: 

1.         The leader exercises authority on behalf of the people; 

2.         Allows participatory and sometimes collective decision making;

3.         Is accountable to the people and accepts constructive criticism;

4.         Is not self-seeking but exists to serve the people;

5.         Gets support by influencing people, not through coercion.

Therefore, humility is a necessary ingredient of servant leadership. You cannot be a servant leader without being a humble person.  

Connection of the Readings to the theme of Humility and Servant Leadership

In the first reading (Malachi 1:14b-2:2b), to drive home the message of humility, the Lord warns priests of highhandedness. He accuses them of causing many to stumble by their teaching and also destroying the Covenant of Levi. The reading fingers arrogance as responsible for making men of God to shortchange the message and give bad example or better put, cause scandal. It goes ahead to suggest humble fidelity as panacea for profaning the Covenant of Old.  

In response to the scandal which the first reading talks about, St. Paul and his companions deferred from the priests of old as the second reading (1 Thessalonians 2:7-9,13)  relates. Rather than scandalize the flock, they demonstrated humility and servant leadership to the Thessalonians. St. Paul insists that they looked after the flock like a mother feeding and looking after her own children. What is more, they were devoted and protective towards them. This they demonstrated by handing on the Word of God as well as laying down their lives for the sake of the faithful.

As a matter of fact, they did not want to lay any burden on the people they were ministering to. That is why they had to work hard to survive. The apostles were also grateful to the Thessalonians for their eagerness in accepting the Word of God for what it is and “not some human thinking.” Apparently, the people were touched by their openness, hard work and humility as well as servant leadership. That was why the message of God began to bear fruits in their lives.

The gospel (Matthew 23:1-12) resonates with the first and second readings. In the gospel, Jesus lambasts the Scribes and Pharisees for pontificating in places of honour. He goes ahead to dislodge their pride by telling the people to obey what they say and not be guided by what they do because in his words: “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!” Jesus sums up the teaching on humility and servant leadership in the following words: “The greatest among you must be your servant” and “anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Lessons in Humility and Servant Leadership

Our liturgy challenges us to:

1.      Learn from Jesus, a leader who had vision and purpose - who walked the talk and demonstrated commitment through courage and tenacity;

2.      Ask him to help our contemporary leaders to learn from his school of humility and servant leadership;

3.      View religious or ecclesiastical governance in the light of servant leadership which is a torch that illuminates self and others in the way of humility and suffering humiliation for the sake of others;

4.       Embrace self-emptying as an exemplary style of leadership which taps from Christ’s meek nature to enrich others;

5.       Situate our priests, religious and bishops in perspective for learning from Christ who came to serve and not be served and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). 

6.      Learn from Christ, the New Adam since through pride, the gate of paradise was shut but through his blood, the gate of heaven is open to all who imitate him.

Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

Thirtieth Sunday of the Year, A – October 29, 2017: World Mission Sunday.

Readings: Ex 22:20-26; Responsorial Psalm Ps 18:2-3bc4.47.51ab(R.2136); 

1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10 & Gospel Matthew 22:34-40.

Theme: Love Conquers All!

Introduction

Friends in Christ, today the Church wants us to take some lessons in love. Our liturgy challenges us to reflect about our ultimate destiny. To start with, the Penny Catechism reveals that God the Father created the world, God the Son redeemed the world and God the Holy Spirit sanctifies the world. It goes further to stress that God created us to know him, love him, serve him in this world and be happy with him in the next. Since God is love and our ultimate destiny is in God, it then means that at the end of time, love would conquer all. Our reflection shall touch on the various types of love and the vertical and horizontal dimensions of love. With the aid of appropriate narratives, it shall present practical lessons as a handy Sunday recipe.

Various Types of Love

a). Philia: Philia is the love which exists between parents and their children, children with their parents and kids with their siblings. This stems from the natural bond that exists in a family. As a family word, philia is the brotherly or sisterly affection which unites us with one another in a unique way (Rom 12:10).

b). Eros: Erotic love stems from concupiscence of the flesh which St. Thomas Aquinas identifies in his Summa Theologica as one of the causes of sin. Aquinas makes the point that we are induced to sin through inordinate desires - The lust of the flesh includes sexual permissiveness and vain desires. The devil excites within us the concupiscence of the flesh so as to commit sin. The “lust of the flesh,” appears in two more significant passages of Scripture - the temptation of Eve in the Garden (Gen 3:1-6) and the temptation of Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 4:8-10). St. Paul warns us to “cast off the works of darkness” (Rom 13:12) and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. Paul’s warning that we should shun concupiscence of the flesh is timely.

c). Agape: This is the love of God. It is often sacrificial. As the purest love, agape is the kind of love that Christ demonstrated by the manner of life, death on the cross and his resurrection. All that Christ asks of us is: “Love one another, just as I have loved you.” (Jn.15:12). Little wonder on several occasions, Jesus would “took pity on his people” and satisfy their hunger (Matthew 14:13-21).

Vertical and Horizontal Dimensions of Love

Beloved in Christ, if we zero in on the aforementioned types of love, they can be surmised under vertical and horizontal love as taught by Christ in the gospel (Matthew 22:34-40): “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself.” He further stressed: “On these two commandments hang the whole law and the Prophets also.”  What then is the implication of this teaching?

a). Vertical Dimension of Love: Loving God with all our hearts, souls and minds translates into the vertical dimension of love. This also relates to agape which we spoke about earlier. It is crucial for us to understand that it is in him that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). As such, as individuals and members of the Church, we must not let anything like death, life, angels, rulers, things present, things to come, powers, height, depth and anything else in creation, come between us and the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:35-39).

b). Horizontal Dimension of Love:  Philial love fulfills the demands of the love of nieghbour which our liturgy challenges us to embrace. The popular parable of the Good Samaritan discloses to us who our nieghbour is – Rather than get stuck on the lethal radar of erotic love, we are challenged to demonstrate real and active love to our family, friends as well as our foes. In Amoris Laetitia or The Joy of Love -  Pope Francis’ is Apostolic Exhortation on the beauty, joy and love of marriage and the family, the Holy Father reminds us that God is throwing an open invitation to us to develop an unwavering capacity for love because our world is hungry for love, joy, peace, justice, spirituality, sincerity, fidelity and moral upliftment.

Appropriate Moving Narratives

An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. He and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education. They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.

The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque at the soonest possible. “No,” said Paderewski. “This is not acceptable.” He tore up the cheque, returned the $1600 and told the two boys: “Here’s the $1600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left”. The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.

It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being. Why should he help two people he did not even know? We all come across situations like these in our lives. And most of us only think “If I help them, what would happen to me?” The truly great people think, “If I don’t help them, what will happen to them?” They don’t do it expecting something in return. They do it because they feel it’s the right thing to do.

Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were more than 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them. Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help. The head there was a man called Herbert Hoover — who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to feed the starving Polish people.

A calamity was averted. Paderewski was relieved. He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, “You shouldn’t be thanking me Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college. I was one of them.” This story which I culled from Propel Steps (2017) is a true life story that happened in 1892 at Stanford University.

Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

Twenty Ninth Sunday of the Year, A – October 22, 2017: World Mission Sunday.

Readings: Isaiah 45:1,4-6; Responsorial Psalm Ps 95:1,3-5,7-10; 

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 & Gospel Matthew 22:15-21.

Theme: Of Caesar and God on Mission Sunday and Beyond!

Introduction

Beloved in Christ, today is World Mission Sunday. Our reflection shall highlight the major points of the theme for the 2017 World Mission Sunday: “Mission at the heart of the Christian faith” which the Holy Father, Pope Francis chose. Incidentally, our gospel reading (Matthew 22:15-21) presents us with the timeless metaphor of “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what we belongs to God.”  We shall also attempt the biblical understanding of the Caesar metaphor, contemporary application and highlight the responsibilities of Christians to the State. However, we shall reflect on some takeaways from the pope’s message.

Ten takeaways from Pope Francis’ World Mission Sunday Message

In his opening remarks, the pope reiterated that “The Church is missionary by nature.” He particularly noted that mission is the transformative power of the Gospel of Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Other highlights of the message include:

1. Jesus invites us to follow him with confidence and courage as he directs the Church’s mission to all men and women of good will through the transformative power of the Gospel.

2. Jesus who constantly takes flesh in every human situation invites us to preach the Gospel which is a vital and effective word that accomplishes the existential transformation of all God’s sons and daughters.

3. Through the Gospel, the risen Christ lives with us so we may welcome him with faith and love in order to experience his transforming power which makes the whole creation fruitful.

4. Through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist, Jesus who is the Gospel, continually offers himself and constantly invites us to receive him with religious faith so as to share his life by an active participation in the paschal mystery of his death and resurrection.

5. We are called to imitate Christ who continues his mission as the Good Samaritan who cares for the bleeding wounds of humanity and allows the gospel to help us overcome narrowness, conflict, racism and tribalism towards promoting reconciliation and fraternity among all.

6. The mission of the Church impels us to undertake a constant pilgrimage across the various deserts of life so as to face challenging experiences such as hunger and thirst for truth and justice which reminds us that we are exiles journeying towards our final home.

7. Mission reminds us that the Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, is nonetheless a humble instrument and mediation of the Kingdom.

8. Since young people are the hope of mission, we must involve them in the shared missionary responsibility which needs their rich imagination and creativity.

9. World Mission Day which is promoted by the Society of the Propagation of the Faith is a wonderful opportunity that facilitates the missionary heart of Christian communities to join in prayer, communion and generous service in responding to the large and pressing needs of evangelization.

10. We are urged to carry out our mission with Mary, Mother of Evangelization who is always ready to help us say “Yes” to the will of God in our lives.

Background to Understanding the Caesar Metaphor

The two major characters who confronted Jesus in the gospel were the Pharisees and the Herodians. While the Pharisees opposed the idea of paying taxes to the Romans, they nonetheless did so to avoid trouble with their political masters. The Herodians who were members of the Herod’s party were Jews who supported the payment of taxes to Rome.  This background means that the question of whether to pay taxes to Caesar or not had political implications. Beyond the trap they had set for Jesus, the pertinent question was meant to clear the air concerning the relations between the Church and the State. 

By replying “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” Jesus wanted them to understand that they had missed the mark because both Caesar and his image belong to God. By implication, both divine and political power are God’s. Jesus’ answer set the benchmark for living in a civil society while being committed to one’s faith. It also clarifies whether a Christian is supposed to be active in politics or not. We shall briefly emphasize its contemporary application.

Contemporary Application

1. Responsibilities of Christians to the State

According to Evangelii Nuntiandi, number 70, “Lay people, whose particular vocation places them in the midst of the world and in charge of the most varied temporal tasks, must for this very reason exercise a very special form of evangelization. Their primary and immediate task is not to establish and develop the ecclesial community — this is the specific role of the pastors — but to put to use every Christian and evangelical possibility latent but already present and active in the affairs of the world. Their own field of evangelization activity is the vast and complicated world of politics, society and economics, but also the world of culture, of the sciences and the arts, of international life, of the mass media…” 

Just as Christ was anointed by the Father as Priest, King and Prophet, all the baptised share in the Priestly, Kingly and Prophetic mission of Christ – Therefore, empowered by the Common Priesthood of Christ, Christians have the following responsibilities to the state:

Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

Twenty Eight Sunday of the Year, A – October 15, 2017

Readings: Isaiah 25:6-10; Responsorial Psalm Ps 22:1-6;

 Phil 4:12-14,19-20 & Gospel Matthew 22:1-14.

Theme: Weave Your Wedding Garment Now!

Introduction

Friends in Christ, today Jesus presents us with a “window parable.” Last week we quoted Mark Link (2006) as saying that a window parable is a simple story which teaches about God or God’s kingdom. As verbal windows, they enable us to get insights into God or God’s kingdom. Since we alluded to the fact that these parables often begin with “the kingdom of God is like,” in today’s gospel (Matthew 22:1-14), Jesus presents us with another “window parable” which has that kind of beginning - That is, the parable of the wedding feast.

Background

 We shall attempt what each character in the text stands for while giving the meaning of the various issues raised in the parable:

ü  Story teller: Jesus;

ü  Audience: Chief priests and elders of the people;

ü  The king: God;

ü  The king’s servants: The prophets;

ü  The first people who refused to turn up for the wedding: The chief priests, elders of the people and the Israelites;

ü  The banquet invitation: The Old Passover as a prelude to the New and Everlasting Covenant Christ enacted with his blood in the Holy Eucharist;

ü  Reasons of not turning up at the banquet: Three reasons for failure to honour the invitation are:

1.      Apathy: We are told that those who refused to turn up did so because they were not interested; the wedding feast was not just in their agenda.

2.      Mundane interests: Others were busy with mundane interests that is why some went to the farm and others, their business. What was more crucial to them was what would profit them not the wedding feast of the son of some king.

3.      Sheer wickedness: The apathy and busy-nature of their schedules would culminate in seizing the king’s servants so as to maltreat and kill them – A case of sheer insensitivity and cruelty.  

ü  The second people who honoured the invitation: Because the feast was ready and those who were initially invited failed to show up, those who were brought from the byways are gentile nations.

ü  The man without the wedding garment: It would appear that since the invitation was open, every Tom, Dick and Harry could show up. Well, the story teller proves us wrong. The story ends with punishment for the man who did not wear the wedding garment. The wedding clothe is a symbol of integrity and holiness.

The new banquet prefigured by the celebration of the Holy Eucharist here on earth should give us a glimpse of what would happen at the wedding feast of the lamb – Not everyone who goes to Church receives Holy Communion; sadly, not all who receive the Eucharist may be in the state of grace. Apparently, if we do no change, what happened to the man without the dress would be our portion – God forbid!

In Jewish culture, pre and post wedding activities are similar to that of many cultures in Africa. Since we are narrowing our reflection on wedding invitations and wedding garments, it is important for us to understand that wedding invitations were sent twice as the gospel suggests. Usually, the parents of the bride and groom would send the first invitation about three to four months off front. It is when the date is approaching that a reminder is sent. Sometimes those who get the first invitation may not get the second one.

It is heartbreaking for anyone who gets the second initiation to turn it down since the second one is usually is more definite and circulates among cronies and close associates whom we often describe as VIPs. Considering the person who sends the invitation, the kind of high-profile wedding that it is and the money involved, failing to show up of smacks of not only disrespect but ingratitude for failing to show up at a feast which you were considered a VIP. 

Contemporary Application of the Gospel

 In narrowing down the gospel to present day realities, we must realize that: 

ü  Like the chief priests, elders of the people and the Israelites, Jesus is addressing this parable to us too.

ü  Just as the people of Israel failed to ensure a smooth transition from the Passover of Old to the New and Everlasting Covenant inaugurated by Christ, we too are sometimes complacent in embracing the Holy Eucharist with all the blessings that it portends for us.

ü  Like the chief priests and the elders of the people, we too are guilty of apathy because we often refuse to turn up for Mass or Church Service because we are not just interested - the wedding feast is not just on our agenda. 

Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

                                  Twenty Seventh Sunday of the Year, A – October 8, 2017

Readings: Isaiah 5:1-7; Responsorial Psalm Ps 80:8.11.12-13.14.17b.18-19(R.Is 5:7a);

 Phil 4:6-9 & Gospel Matthew 21:33-43.

Theme: Guarding the Lord’s Vineyard

Introduction

Beloved in Christ, our gospel reading (Matthew 21:33-43) presents us with the parable of the Vineyard Owner. A parable has been defined as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Mark Link (2006) distinguishes between Window Parables and Mirror Parables. The former means simple stories which teach about God or God’s kingdom. They are verbal windows through which we get insights into God or his kingdom. These parables often begin with “the kingdom of God is like.” An example of a window parable is the story of the Lost Sheep.

The latter are stories that act as verbal mirrors which give insights into ourselves. Jesus always uses mirror parables to let his audience identify themselves in what he teaches. Accordingly, today’s parable of the Vineyard Owner is a mirror parable. 

Situating the Gospel around Old Testament Context

ü  The vineyard owner: The Vineyard Owner is God;

ü  The vineyard: The vineyard is the people of Israel’;

ü  The tenants: The tenants are the leaders of Israel;

ü  The first group of slaves: The first group of slaves sent by the owner are the early prophets God sent to Israel;

ü  The second group of slaves: These are the later prophets God sent to Israel;

ü  The owner’s son: The owner’s son who was killed is Jesus;

ü  The first leasing of the vineyard: This refers to the Old Covenant (Link, 2006).

As Isaiah says in the first reading (Isaiah 5:1-7), despite what God did for Israel, he got bloodshed and a cry of distress instead of justice and integrity. Israel, the Lord’s Vineyard did not bear fruits. He expected grapes from them but only got sour grapes.

Contemporary Application of the Gospel

We shall now attempt a contemporary understanding of the parable:

ü  The new tenant farmers: The new tenant farmers to whom the owner leases the vineyard are the apostles of Jesus who also double as the new leaders of Israel;

ü  The second leasing of the vineyard: This refers to the New Covenant (Link, 2006);

ü  The gentiles: Gentiles are those responsible for forming the New Israel.

Implication for Gentiles

As children of the New and Everlasting Covenant established by Christ, God has leased his vineyard to us. What this implies is that we are called to guard the Lord’s Vineyard. The second leasing has implications for contemporary Christians who by the virtue of their baptism have entered into a covenantal relationship with God. As custodians of the kingdom, we are challenged to manure and nurture the Lord’s Vineyard.