Food for Thought
This is the second week in our three week series on Jesus’ parables against the religious leaders. Last week they challenged his authority and he told them the parable of the two sons. This week he tells them a parable about a vineyard that had been leased to some tenants. When the owner came to collect what belonged to him the tenants became greedy and murderous. They abused his servants and murdered his son.
Jesus is tapping into a deep and ancient metaphor in the mind of the religious leaders. Our readings offer a sample of it. Isaiah compares the nation of Israel to a vineyard. God planted Israel so that it would produce the good grapes of justice and righteousness. Instead it produced bloodshed and the cries of the oppressed. God warns that the hedge of protection will be removed from the vineyard and it will be ravaged. The Psalmist cries out to God from the ravaged vineyard. “Restore us, O God of hosts!”
Jesus quotes Psalm 118 in the Gospel reading. This is the same Psalm that the people had just sung when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. They shouted “Hosanna! Save us!” Jesus is claiming that he is the victor that the Psalmists are requesting. He will restore the vineyard.
The religious leaders have failed in their duties to tend the vineyard. They have allowed the grapes to be wild and have abused their power and the people are suffering. They have bowed down to the Empire and use the methods of fear and extortion to oppress the people. They have fallen into the perennial trap of power that has corrupted every generation of leadership in Israel (and the Church as well).
Jesus warns the leaders that “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produce its fruit.” The Apostle Paul desperately wants to be in that group. He warns his friends in Philippi to not succumb to the false teachers around them, but to be like him and give up everything in order to follow Christ.
Paul knows that he cannot do this in his own strength. He has been saved by the grace of God and the faithfulness of Jesus Christ the Lord. He says, “not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”
This week is an opportunity for those of us in leadership to do a heart check. How are we stewarding the positional power we have been given? Are we tending the vineyard to produce a culture of justice, mercy, righteousness, and love? Are we tapping into our own strength, or are we submitting in humility and asking God to do the work of justice and righteousness through us in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit?
Remember, dear leader, the Christ Jesus has made you his own. Be the beloved this week and treat everyone as such.
Food for Thought
The Narrative Lectionary jumps from the middle of Joseph’s story last week, to the parting of the Red Sea this week. Let’s fill in the gaps (Use the images in Exodus to tell the story):
- Joseph’s family settles in the land of Goshen in the northern part of Egypt. All seems well. Genesis fades to black.
- Exodus fades up from black 400 years later and things have dramatically changed. Joseph’s family–the children of Israel, or Hebrews—have been enslaved by the Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
- The Pharaoh is afraid that the people will grow too numerous and start a rebellion, so he kills all the baby boys.
- Moses is spared when his mother sets him in a basket and he floats on the Nile river to the feet of the Pharaoh’s daughter.
- She raises Moses as her own son in the Pharaoh’s house.
- Moses kills a slavedriver for abusing the Hebrew slaves and then runs for his life.
- He spends forty years—a fugitive—working as a shepherd in Midian.
- Moses encounters God in a burning bush and is sent back to Egypt to confront Pharaoh and deliver the people.
- 10 plagues.
- The Passover story happens. The death angel sweeps through the land and kills every first born son in a house that is not covered in the blood of the lamb.
- Pharaoh’s son dies and he releases the slaves.
- Pharaoh changes his mind and sends his army to retrieve the people as the are about to exit the country.
- The people are pinned between the army and the Red Sea.
This is were our story picks up.
The spirit of God is leading the people in the form of a pillar of cloud. God tells Moses to raise his staff and the waters part. The people walked into freedom and the waters drown the army. The people were saved.
How often do we find ourselves in seemingly hopeless situations and we think it would be better to die? May we take hope and courage from this story. God is with us. God is for us. May we trust in God’s faithfulness. May we remember that God has worked through the waters of our baptism to save us from Sin and Death. Let us be of good courage.
Every week I compile all the visual resources on cartoonistbible.com for the lectionary readings on both the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary. Get them in your inbox every Monday morning.