Bearing Fruit

(Sermon can be heard by clicking on the title)

Gate Pa- 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings:

Psalm:                                 Psalm 19                                                                     

First Reading:                    Exodus 20:1-4,7-9,12-20               

Second Reading:              Phil 3:4-14                                     

Gospel:                                Matthew 21:33-46                        

What I want to say:

This gospel reading needs to be read both in context of the gospel, where it comes in the story and what comes before and after it, and in the context of the time. When read in this way I wonder that the chief priests and elders, the Jerusalem leadership heard as Jesus told this parable, until Jesus makes it very clear what he thinks of them. And I wonder where we now stand in the story, and what proper care of the vineyard looks like for us, and what we as tenant farmers are to give back to the one who owns all the land? Are we good fruit?

What I want to happen:

I want people to reflect on the last questions, and to grow both in their understanding of scripture, and in what it means to be a missional community living incarnationally in our local community.

The Sermon

     1.       Introduction:

Last week we heard and focussed on Jerusalem leaderships question to Jesus

‘By what authority do you do these things?

or – whose yoke are you teaching?

Come after Jesus

                returned to Jerusalem for last time (palm Sunday)

                expelled dealers from temple

                gone Bethany for night

                returned next morning, and after finding fig tree he’d gone to had no fruit

                                he cursed it – for not having fruit

                enters temple – conversation we are in middle of begins

in response question

Jesus – asks first where Johns baptism came from – chose not answer

told story two sons – one whom said no to working in vineyard and then does

                others says yes, and then doesn’t

then tells this week’s parable

next week is parable wedding feast

all that is in response to question

‘By what authority do you do these things?

     2.       Parable of the wicked tenants

number of layers to this story

like an onion – or parfait if your donkey (Shrek reference)

all layers influence how chief priests and elders

                and Matthews community

                heard story

Jesus has habit telling story sucked people in

point where feeling comfortable with what said

flips it over

This story like that

so what are the layers that suck people in?

      a.       situation itself is a common one –one many hearers participating in

                                both tenant farmers

                                and land owners

                many those chief priests and elders had acquired land over last half century from small landowners

                could not pay with Roman or temple tax

                forced sell land to wealthy Jerusalem aristocracy to pay off debts

                now works on their former land as tenants

                beholden to these chief priests and elders among others

                one reasons why Jerusalem leadership hated by rural population

                resented what had happened

                longed land to be returned

                knew if they tried something like what happening – not paid what owed

                                now land owners hire people violently evict them and put in place new tenants

seen it happen

gives edge to reply offered to Jesus by chief priests and elders to his question about what will happen to tenants after son killed

                these people acted dishonourably

                                shamefully

                not fulfilled their honour bound commitments

                brought shame on families

ð  we know how to deal with such people

                brought more shame in killing son

                deserve violent end

      b.       – story alludes to Isaiah 5 – well know love story

about vineyard planted and cared for, but fruit is bad

unlike that vineyard – fruit is good

                those looking after it are bad.

allusion to house Israel and Judah in particular

failure bear fruit – be a blessing as God intended

      c.       – use  vineyards also a common way talking about Israel’s history

                                vineyard Israel

                                tenants – oppression under procession Imperial regimes

Egypt

Babylon

Persia

Greeks

Rome

      4.       Stumbling Blocks

I wonder what chief priests and elders hearing at this point

not seem worried

engaged – situation know well

                while troubling revolutionary allusions

maybe puzzled by behaviour tenants,

                or generosity of land owner

seems pretty straight forward

seem offer response readily

                maybe little hint worry

      5.       The Twist

Jesus has history using these kinds stories in unpredictable ways

does so again

Uses Psalm 118: 22-23

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.
²³ This is the Lord’s doing,
    and it is wonderful to see.

uses it suggest that he – Jesus is the cornerstone that is being rejected

this cornerstone will be their undoing

in essence – uses it turn them into the bad tenants – hadn’t seen that one coming

“because you yield no fruit, all will be taken away from you and given to those who will”

remember that fig tree?

     6.       Danger, danger, danger.

for chief priests and elders, indulging Pharisees –

                told this is the end – from then on plot end Jesus

                do so very quickly

all this can leaves us feeling pretty smug

as Mathews community could well have felt as well.

so much easier on this side of these events

when you know the stories

so easy see what is coming and to feel like we are on the winners side

at this point hear robot of Lost is Space spinning around going danger, danger, danger Will Robinson

I wonder

                where we now stand in the story,

                and what proper care of the vineyard looks like for us,

                and what we as tenant farmers are to give back to the one who owns all the land?

                Are we good fruit?