Matthew 21:33-end

Another Parable

Jesus said, “Listen to another parable…” (Matthew 21:33)

The parable before this is the story of the two sons (21:28-32), which is about the difference between those who say they are doing God’s will and those who just get on and do it. The context here is the same – Jesus has ridden into Jerusalem on the day we call Palm Sunday. (21:1ff). He has cleansed the Temple (v12ff) by driving out those who were buying and selling, and turning over the tables of the moneychangers. He has cursed an unfruitful fig tree (vv18ff) – an acted parable of the unfruitfulness of God’s people.

The religious leaders question his authority (vv23ff), but Jesus runs rings around them. By the end of today’s story, those religious leaders will want to arrest Jesus, as soon as they get the chance (v46) because they realize that he is talking about them (v45).

So what exactly is it that Jesus has said that gets them so riled up?

The Story of the Vineyard

He tells them the story of a vineyard. Immediately, his hearers know that this is a story about the people of God. In Isaiah (5:1-7) we hear the story of a vineyard: the owner did everything he could to make his vineyard fruitful. But when he tasted the grapes, they were sour. What’s a viticulturist to do? A landowner can’t afford to have unfruitful land. The story in Isaiah is about an unfruitful people. What is God to do with an unfruitful people?

In Jesus’ story, it’s not that the land is unfruitful – it produces a good harvest – but that the tenants who are looking after the land are unwilling to give its produce to its rightful owner. When the owner sends his agents to collect what is his, they get beaten, stoned and killed. He sends a second time and the same thing happens.

Then the landowner has a brilliant idea: I’ll send my son. They’ll respect him!

Spoiler alert: the son is thrown out of the vineyard and killed. By the end of the week, Jesus will be thrown out of Jerusalem and put to death on a cross.

Rather than respect the owner’s son, it occurs to them that the son is the heir to his father’s estate. If he is out of the picture, then, when the landowner dies they will be able to claim the land for their own, because there is no one else who will make the claim. It works a bit like squatters’ rights.

You may have come across a motorist who drives like they own the road. You might be that person. These tenants are acting like they own the place. They have forgotten that they are responsible to the landowner and that the harvest belongs not to them but to him.

The chief priests and the Pharisees realized that Jesus was talking about them: they act like Jerusalem, with its Temple, belongs to them. It doesn’t. It belongs to God and they are responsible to God for what they do with it.

‘Like you Own the Place’

Some church people act as if the church belongs to them. Some clergy are rather too fond of talking about ‘my church’. If you ever hear me say that, please correct me. Remind me that it’s ‘our church’. Or, even better, if it’s not too pious, that it is God’s church. The church exists to bear fruit; fruit that is given to God. That won’t happen if we think of the church as our own personal property. When we approach it saying, “What I want from church is this, this and this…” The vicar is not allowed to say that. And neither is anyone else.

Bearing Good Fruit

What would it mean for this church to bear fruit? What would it look like for us to be fruitful?

Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit:

the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
(Galatians 5:22,23)

That’s not what religion is about: religion often ends up being about our attempts to manipulate God and exert power over others.

Jesus spoke about trees producing fruit: a good tree produces good fruit, a bad tree, bad fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). How do you tell whether someone is godly? By looking at the fruit that their life produces.

What would it look life for this church to be fruitful? To be a church that is known, not for its architecture, its music or its liturgy, but for its love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Justice and Mercy

When Jesus tells the religious leaders this story of the tenants who think they own the vineyard, he asks, what will the owner do? They reply, He will put those wretches to a miserable death. That’s what they would expect.

But what does Jesus do in resurrection? Does he exact vengeance on those who crucified him? No, he offers them love and forgiveness.

There is a warning of judgement here – the stone that is rejected crushes those on whom it falls (v44). Those who persist in rejecting God’s love will eventually get want they have asked for. But God’s modus operandi is love and forgiveness.

Those who know that they are loved will want to live fruitful lives. Not because we fear God’s wrath but because that is the only appropriate response to God’s love.

Let’s have a fruitful week!