Homily Reflections

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Isaiah 5:1-7 II: Philipians 4:6-9

Gospel
Matthew 21:33-43

33 "Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country.
34 When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit;
35 and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them.
37 Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'
38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.'
39 And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."
42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it."

Interesting Details

• Context: This is another section in the confrontation between the Jewish leaders and Jesus, not long before Jesus' passion and death.
• (v.33) The vineyard is Israel. The owner is God. The tenants are the political and religious leaders. The servants are the prophets. The son is Jesus. The other, second set of tenants are the church.
• The hedge keeps animals away. The winepress has two uneven basins lined with rocks and sealed with plaster; grapes are thrown into the more shallow basin and stepped on, so the juice would flow into the deeper basin where it starts to ferment. The tower is used for both guarding and shelter.
• The peasants, or tenants, often had a hard time. They have to pay social dues, religious tithes, and taxes, amounting up to 40% of their crop. Another 20% is needed to feed the family and livestock. They need to trade some more for other necessities. So there is little left even before paying rent. (Pilch).
• (v.38) The tenants erroneously assumed that the father has died, so they killed the son to get the land and avoid the rent.

One Main Point

Bad religious and political leaders, who refuse to do the will of God, will be punished and replaced

Reflections

1. Has the Lord given me a part of the vineyard? What can I do to produce fruits in that part?
2. Do I bear fruits for the Lord? What fruits do I bear?
3. How do I treat the prophets and the Son of God?