The many parables of Jesus served to challenge his audience, especially when their treatment of others jeopardized their participation in the kingdom of God. The parable of the vineyard is no exception. This story indicts the chief priests and Pharisees for their unjust and cruel treatment of the prophets who came before Jesus. The parable also reveals their murderous intentions toward Jesus. For that reason, the parable ends with a prediction of their ultimate doom.
The failure of the Pharisees was that they did not remain faithful to the one true God. Instead, they embraced the false god of power and control. Their illusion resulted in care for the vineyard being given to others. Today, we realize this responsibility belongs to all those who live in the Spirit of Christ. Care for the vineyard, that is, care for all of God’s children, is a task for us today as much as it was for those who followed Jesus during his time on earth.
Since the kingdom of God is not a place in time and space, but the end result of living out the dual principle of love for God and neighbor, Jesus renews his call to follow his way for all generations. His call remains relevant due to the persistent temptation to reject the true God and follow a false god. The colossal number of false gods vying for our devotion in today’s milieu makes the call to follow Jesus even more compelling.
In a sense, Jesus calls us to be his prophets. A prophet is one who bears witness. Thus, we are all called to be a prophet of Christ today by virtue of our baptism. Through baptism, Jesus calls each of us in a special way to bring his message of love and mercy to those around us. This is the motivation for his instruction to “…make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:18-20). Each of us answers that call in our own unique way. In all cases, however, our answer is a sacrament of service that brings the saving presence of Christ to others.
The Holy Spirit works through our service to awaken faith born of an encounter with Christ. We give witness to Christ as his prophets by loving others in his name. In turn, we can be sure of receiving the promise Jesus made when he said: “Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father” (Mt 10:32). This is our calling. Our prayer this Lenten season is for the Holy Spirit to help us make good on our calling to be a prophet for Christ.
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