Bearing Good Fruits
Twenty-seventh Sunday - Year A
Isaiah 5: 1-7; Philippians 4: 6-9; Matthew 21: 33-43
God's favorite song (Is. 5:1) is about a nation He has chosen to be his treasured possession (Ex. 19:5). To them, He revealed his name, freed them from slavery in Egypt, made a covenant with them, gave the law, and brought them to a land of milk and honey. Could he do for them more than he did (Is. 5:4)? The Bible testifies that he did more.
Jesus 'continues' the parable of Isaiah revealing to us God's plan of salvation. The election of Israel symbolized by the vineyard (Matt. 21:33) was the first stage in this plan. The next stage - sending the servants - was the time of the Law and Prophets (Matt. 21:34-36). The third stage - the sending of the Son - refers to the mystery of the Incarnation and Redemption (Matt. 21:37-38). Finally, the fourth stage - the giving of the vineyard to a nation that will produce fruit - is the time of the Church (Matt. 21:43).
After planting the vineyard the landowner leased it to the tenants and went abroad (Matt. 21:33). God's physical absence in the world is a challenge to the person of faith: "they say to me all the day long, 'Where is your God?'" (Ps. 42:4). On the other hand, for "the fools" it is a confirmation that God does not exist and everything is allowed: "they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good" (Ps. 14:1; cf. Matt. 21:35-39). The landowner, however, reminds them about his presence. Since the time of Moses, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets, and in these last days, he spoke to us through His Son (Heb. 1:1-2).
"They will respect my son," said the owner (Matt. 21:37), but the tenants said: “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance” (Matt. 21:38). These two statements show the difference between God's goodness and man's sinfulness. God desires our conversion (Ezek. 18:23) but "the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Gen. 8:21; 6:5; cf. Matt. 12:34-35; Mark 7:21-22). "But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (Rom. 5:20). God has overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21). The beloved Son of God, crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem, is risen!
God asks the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the people of Judah why his vineyard yielded wild grapes (Is. 5:4). Jesus asks the leaders of the people what the owner will do to the tenants after he comes back (Matt. 21:40). These questions confront listeners with their sinfulness and call them to repentance. The psalmist understood it well. Seeing the desolation of the vineyard (Is. 5:5-6), he prays "turn again, O God of hosts! (...); have regard for this vine," (Ps. 80:14) and then promises, "we will no more withdraw from you" ( Ps. 80:19).
"The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits" (Matt. 21:43). The final act in God's plan of salvation before Christ's return in glory belongs to the Church - the chosen vineyard that gathers believers from both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus entrusted this vineyard to his apostles and their successors. They care for us by explaining the Christian doctrine and through their saintly way of life. On the other hand, we bear the fruits by putting into practice what we have received from them and by imitating their holy life (Phil. 4:9).
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6). Jesus' call to bear fruit may fill us with fear - we are aware of how prone we are to sin. But we trust that the one who chose us to "go and bear fruit" (John 15:16) has the power to accomplish it within us. At the same time, we cooperate with His grace, rejecting evil and focusing on what is good (Phil. 4:8). “To achieve its goal, every human task must find support in prayer” (St. John Paul II).