Killing Jesus

27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

[ Matthew 21: 33-43 ]

   The parable and us.

A parable is a short story based on a familiar life experience, used by Jesus, to teach God’s truth. As we listen to Jesus’ parable, we are drawn into the story. The story is like a mirror held up to us - we see ourselves in the story; we are in the story.

The parables of Jesus is our story; we are in the story.

   Bad fruits.

The first reading this Sunday [Is 5: 1-7] painstakingly describes how God tended to His vineyard: He dug the soil, cleared it of stones, planted choice vines in it, built a tower, dug a press, and expected it to yield good grapes. However, despite God’s love, care and tenderness, only bad, rotten and sour grapes were produced.

What fruits are we bearing for God's sake?

   Evil tenants.

Echoing the first reading, Jesus tells the parable of the same vineyard: this time, the focus is not on the bad, rotten and sour fruits, but rather the focus is on the tenants.

God loved His vineyard: He leased out His vineyard to the tenants, trusting that the tenants would be good and honest stewards who would help Him to collect His produce. Instead, the wicked tenants plundered God’s produce and even planned to take over the vineyard. God sent His servants, but the tenants disregarded them and even killed them. God, in the fullness of time, sent His only begotten Son, not to judge the world, but to save the world [Jn 12:47]. However, the tenants had no respect even for God’s only begotten Son, they seized Him, threw Him out of His own vineyard and killed Him.

   We are the evil tenants.

   “Who killed Jesus?” we may ask.

   “Surely not me!”

Such is our human response to God's mercy:
“This is the Heir. Come on, let us kill Him and take over the inheritance!” [Mt 21: 38]

On Good Friday 1998, Pope John Paul II meditated on the First Station of the Cross with these words about who bore responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus:

   “Oh no, not the Jewish people…, not the crowd which will always prefer Barabbas…, not them, but all of us, each one of us, because we are all murderers of love.”

Reflecting further, let us examine our own hearts:

   1) I am God’s choice vine. What fruits am I bearing?

   2) I am God’s tenant in His vineyard. What kind of tenant am I?

   3) We are all murderers of love. How have I “killed” Jesus?

Let our fervent prayer be:

   “Lord Jesus Christ, let my heart always welcome Your love!”

Let us also pray that God’s justice, peace, truth and love may prevail in Malaysia, Ukraine, Sri Lanka and Nicaragua.

   [Note: This Gospel reflection was first published on Porta Fidei, Gospel Reflection, 4 Oct 2020.]