LECTIONARY MUSING
September 28, 2005
Matthew 21:33-46 (The Message)
"Here's another story. Listen closely. There was once a man, a wealthy farmer, who planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, put up a watchtower, then turned it over to the farmhands and went off on a trip. When it was time to harvest the grapes, he sent his servants back to collect his profits.
The farmhands grabbed the first servant and beat him up. The next one they murdered. They threw stones at the third but he got away. The owner tried again, sending more servants. They got the same treatment. The owner was at the end of his rope. He decided to send his son. 'Surely,' he thought, 'they will respect my son.'
But when the farmhands saw the son arrive, they rubbed their hands in greed. 'This is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all for ourselves.' They grabbed him, threw him out, and killed him.
'Now, when the owner of the vineyard arrives home from his trip, what do you think he will do to the farmhands?'
'He'll kill them-a rotten bunch, and good riddance,' they answered. 'Then he'll assign the vineyard to farmhands who will hand over the profits when it's time.'
Jesus said, 'Right-and you can read it for yourselves in your Bibles'":
The stone the masons threw out
is now the cornerstone.
This is God's work;
we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it!
"This is the way it is with you. God's kingdom will be taken back from you and handed over to a people who will live out a kingdom life. Whoever stumbles on this Stone gets shattered; whoever the Stone falls on gets smashed."
When the religious leaders heard this story, they knew it was aimed at them. They wanted to arrest Jesus and put him in jail, but, intimidated by public opinion, they held back. Most people held him to be a prophet of God.
* * * * *
Once upon a time Susan and I went on a vacation. As do many people who go on a trip, we asked a young woman in the neighborhood to look after the house. She was to take in the mail and the newspaper and water the plants. She promised us that she would perform these responsibilities. When we returned home, it was clear she had not done her jobs. The mailbox was overflowing to the point that mail was scattered by the door. Newspapers were piled on the steps. A package had been ripped open by some creature, and its contents were spilling out. The plants were bone dry. Yes, I was angry. No, I would never ask her to care for the house again. I couldn't image anyone in their right mind asking her to look after their house. We kept the present we had brought back for her as a token of our appreciation for her thoughtfulness to us. There was no evidence of thoughtfulness to appreciate.
I've heard worse stories of house sitters. One year a friend was victimized by the house sitter who had her boyfriend and mangy, flea-ridden dog set up housekeeping in his home. Did he ask her again? No. The next year new house sitter used the garage as short-term storage for old (not antique) furniture. It was full of cockroaches. And the grass was so high it looked like a wheat field. Did he ask him again? No. No sane person would.
Why do these house sitters behave this way? In every case they would say that they liked the owner of the house. At least in our case, she liked Susan! As much as they may have liked the homeowners, they didn't have of a sense of responsibility to them and their property. They may have liked the owner; they just didn't listen to the owner. Other things in their life were more important. What was more important was what they wanted to do. In my friend's case the house sitters were confused as to whose property it was. They thought it was theirs. They had mistaken stewardship for ownership.
Jesus' parable is so clear it is painful. No one didn't get it. It hit the religious leaders between the eyes. Was the vineyard owner angry? Of course. Would he ask the farmhands to sign up again? Absolutely not. No sane person would. Even the religious leaders Jesus told the story about had to admit that they wouldn't hire themselves again. That they wanted to arrest Jesus for telling the truth about them identifies them as the type of people described in the parable. They make Jesus' point. He doesn't have to prove his point; they prove it for him.
They had mistaken stewardship for ownership. When that occurs, the ones who have usurped ownership believe they have the last word. They are in charge. They can speak for the "former" owner. Sometimes they don't have to speak for the "former" owner for the "former" owner has been forgotten. They may like the "former" owner, but they aren't paying him/her any attention. What they don't own in the first place will be taken from them and given to responsible stewards who know the true owner.
The former president of Southern Methodist University was at a dinner in which the guest speaker proclaimed that in no way did SMU represent any recognizable form of Christianity. He responded, "Southern Methodist may no longer be Christian, but it is Methodist." This raises lots of interesting questions that I won't address other than to ask if it is possible to be Methodist and no longer be Wesleyan? It is, however, confusion between stewardship and ownership. It is a belief that one can transplant the owner.
This parable (which strikes me as an allegory) is not told to make us feel comfortable. After all, we are the religious leaders. It is directed to us. Is there any good news in it for a sermon? I think so.
The poor house sitters did not stop Susan and I from taking other vacations. My friend still went on his trips. Poor stewardship did not deter us from our plans. Poor stewardship does not deter God for his plans.
The stone the masons threw out
is now the cornerstone.
This is God's work;
we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it!
For those who respect the ownership of the true owner this parable is good news. The vineyard is still the owner's, and the owner will find workers who care. The kingdom of God is ultimately in God's hands, and God will have the last word. God will not be usurped.
In Christ,
John D. Keeny
District Superintendent
Dayton
South District
