Scripture Reflection - October 4, 2026

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Isaiah 5:1-7 - 2 Philippians 4:6-9   - Matthew 21:33-43

In today’s parable, we learn of a landowner who has planted a vineyard, leased it to tenants, and gone to another country to await the expected yield. He trusts that his tenants will respect his land and everything connected with it, but the tenants beat, stoned and killed the servants he sent to collect his produce. And then, God (the landowner) sent his son. He too was rejected, despised, and ultimately killed through the greed and avarice of hateful and venomous human beings. This, of course, is a metaphorical analysis of what was meant to be a perfect prelude to the crucifixion and death of this world’s savior Jesus, the Christ.

The vine-farmer is God, and the vineyard is the people of God. The tenants who eventually turn on the vineyard’s owner were clearly the religious leaders of the day, and the moment that connection is made, it is no longer difficult to see why, in the end, there was so much consternation on their part when they expected to be treated with deference. Jesus was clearly stating that the vineyard tenants were on the wrong side of history, of salvation history. Jesus sought to bring wholeness to a broken world, providing glimpses into what he calls “the kingdom of heaven,” but the restoration of God’s creation so often meets opposition from those who have a vested interest in sustaining a broken world. Long ago, the parable’s tenants had rejected every premise that the landowner had based his life upon. The tenants in Christ’s time were equal opponents, the very priests and elders who sought his destruction. The parable about tenants and the landowner highlights personal and collective greed and the rejection of the legitimacy of Christ’s Gospel (Good News); unfortunately, in every age, the roots of rejection have manifested themselves and marred the sanctity of human life.

As in other parables, Jesus is teaching us through worldly realities what it means and what it costs to be his disciples. We are his tenants, the stewards of God’s vineyard. He has done everything to make it a place of rich growth, of exceptional quality. He has made it safe, productive, and creative and, as with everything else, he wishes only to share it. He wants us to be heirs to his kingdom. That’s why we as Christians must understand ourselves to be stewards of God’s creation, rather than owners. Our world, our life, our salvation are grace; everything is gift. If ever Christ’s hearers had doubted his claim to be more than just another prophet, more than just another rabbi, more than just a great teacher, this parable should surely have corrected them.

The tenants of the vineyard’s owner represent all the prophets and teachers sent by God to the people of Israel before the coming of Christ. They stand as witness to the whole history of God’s attempt to bring his people back into faithful union with him through his loving call to repentance. How patient is God’s care for us, but even such patience will not transform hardened, selfish hearts. God expected the tenants to care for his vineyard and to provide a bountiful harvest upon his return, and he was denied the ownership of his believers.

And so, the gospel continues to speak to us. It is a mandate that we are now entrusted with God’s vineyard, and he expects us to be good stewards. So often, we delude ourselves into believing that it all belongs to us, yet we are only stewards of the landowner who continues in patience to save us, even after sending his Son to die that we might gain eternal life. Do we take it for granted that God’s patience will be endless, and that we will not be held accountable for our indifference and our insensitivity, our selfishness, and pride? We must decide what is essential; what brings us true and lasting joy. Do we count our days in prayerful gratitude for God’s presence in our life? Our security in this uncertain, fragile, and wavering world comes from God and only God, nothing less. This scripture reminds us that Jesus is, without question, our pearl of great price. It is he who brings us incomparable joy, and it is our supreme treasure to be called “the children of God.” 

We cannot leave this reflection without focusing for a moment on how the scripture ends. When Jesus asks what the owner will do, he does not speak of revenge or retribution. His ending reply is from Psalm 118. It speaks of the stone rejected by the builders becoming the “cornerstone.”  “From lowly and humble beginnings, Jesus would end up being the rejected one whom God would raise up to be the most impressive of all biblical figures. The carpenter’s son from the backwaters of the Roman Empire would turn out to be the cosmic King.”

“May we know him as the loving vinedresser who has taken great care with us, even as we so often turn astray, not bearing the fruit that is best for us or the world. May we not be content with being defined by the ways of the world, our cultural and societal badges of membership; choosing instead to know Christ in the power of his resurrection, sharing in his sufferings. And may we be scandalized by God’s welcoming grace so that it is overwhelming in our eyes.”

Sr. Anne Daniel Young, OP