NOTES for Mat 21:33-43
33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: |
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. |
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. |
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. |
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. |
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. |
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. |
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? |
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. |
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? |
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. |
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Jesus describes a terrible chain of violence and murder. And the chief priests and the righteous Pharisees immediately recognize themselves in the murderers. Sadly, this says that they were, perhaps, more honest than we are. After all, the situation Jesus described has not gone anywhere. This is what has happened and still happens; it is the constant temptation of every believer: to decide that everything the Lord has given is MINE. We forget that we were appointed to preserve and increase God's gifts for His glory, and we begin to use them according to our own judgment. And we also consider God's vineyard, the Church, our own property.
How much we dislike those who do not know how to behave, who ask foolish questions and keep us from enjoying our time in church. How much we dislike those who express a point of view different from ours. After all, we know the truth; after all, the Lord has revealed everything to us. Now we have complete information and are self-sufficient... And right here it turns out that God is no longer needed. We ourselves know everything. We have read the Bible; we know how to organize the Church. He gave us everything needed; He entrusted His vineyard to us. Now we will deal with this vineyard ourselves. And in our confidence that we are right, without noticing it ourselves, we can begin to drive out those whom He sent into His vineyard. And it will turn out that in this vineyard there is no place for the master, the Lord...
But today's reading tells us what can be done. The Lord gives us His vineyard so that we may bear fruit for Him. And our only way to break this terrible chain of rejecting God is to be open to Him and to every person whom He sends to meet us.
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