Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time A

In his autobiography, the philosopher Rufus Jones mentions an event from childhood which, despite its simplicity, shed light on his life, became the cause of a change in life and affected his entire future.
That day his parents left somewhere and ordered him to stay at home and mow the lawn. But as soon as he started, his friends walked by and called him with them to fish. They urged and promised that when they returned, they would help him with the lawn. But, as every fisherman knows, it’s hard to cut time for fishing, especially when they take fish. Rufus returned home after dark. His mother was waiting for him. Quietly, without a word, she led him into his room. He knew what he deserved, so he didn’t say a word in his defense. “But then,” as he writes, “a miracle happened. My mother put me in a chair, knelt down, laid her hands on me, and began to talk to God about me. She told him her dream of what my life should look like. She portrayed me as a boy and a man who hoped would fill her hopes. She also said how I let her down. She prayed: Oh, God! Take this boy of mine and make him a boy and a man who will be deeply devoted to you. Then she leaned over, kissed me, and left me alone in silence with God. ”That day, his life changed …

Maybe someone or tomorrow will trample our hopes. Maybe it won’t be the first time … Maybe we’ll be tempted to scold him for his good. But let’s try it as Rufus’ mother. Let’s try to love at that moment …
That moment can be the beginning of his new life for the other …

The words of the people from the crowd draw our attention to this: “He will destroy the wicked without mercy and let the vineyard be rented to other winegrowers, who will give him the harvest in time” (Mt 21:41).

God Himself leads and educates “His people.” So does the Son of God, Jesus Christ in the parable of the vineyard, the vinedressers, and the harvest. To facilitate the understanding of the parable, Jesus uses images that are familiar to the listener. The image of the vineyard is already used by the prophets. The prophet Isaiah represents Israel under the vineyard (cf. Isa 5: 1-7). The winegrowers are members of a chosen nation. The householder is God and the son is the expected Messiah, the Son of God. The image of a harvester is court time. The share of the harvest is the personal needs of each person. The parable also has other features that are used in a figurative sense. The “killing of servants,” and especially the “killing of a son,” must be understood as an attack by members of the nation on the prophets, and ultimately on the death of Jesus. Another picture: “They caught him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and killed him” (Mt 21:39) is a prediction of the event surrounding Jesus’ death. Jesus speaks of the crowd himself. Jesus knows that he is sent to Israel and that this nation will cause him the greatest disgrace. By parables, Jesus speaks of the nation’s relationship to itself. Jesus said it so clearly that it would be understood by the hearers, even the Pharisees, and the chief priests. They are the ones who advise what to do with Jesus because his person’s teaching does not coincide with their teaching, life. That’s why they want to kill Jesus. Jesus knows why he came into the world and also knows what kind of death he has to complete his mission with. Jesus clearly speaks of himself as the Son of God. He says what will follow. Election of a new nation of the Treaty. He uses the words of Psalm (118: 22-23): “The stone which the builders rejected became a coal stone. This happened at the direction of the Lord; an admirable thing in our eyes ”(Mt 21:42). Jesus thus teaches each person’s personal decision.
The parable that Jesus tells contains something that transcends all human cruelty. No tenant of the vineyard will behave in this way, not even when the difficulties with the owner of the vineyard escalated into stark contrast. The parable as a story is not taken from life. Such a thing does not happen in life. It is by this impossibility that Jesus shows how senseless the attitude of the Pharisees and the scribes is. Contrary to the claim that God places on them in the mission of his Son, they behave as if they had never behaved in normal life and as no normal person behaves. By showing them the absurdity of their attitude in this way, Jesus presents unbelief as foolishness. Infidelity is not only disobedience, sin, but it is also such a great folly that one would never do in everyday life.
The parable also speaks of God’s incomprehensible goodness, which includes us. God acts as if no landlord has acted against his tenants. He shows such patience to man as is not on earth. And yet, this patient also has its limits. Jesus says, “The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation that will bring forth fruit” (Mt 21:43). This parable is Jesus’ last offer, coupled with a warning that he is indeed the last to be followed by a relentless punishment if rejected. The answer to the parable is possible in two attitudes. Either to submit, that is, conversion, abandonment of evil and sin, or it is a rebellion that crucified Jesus and continues today with a life lived in sin.

Although the hearers, including Pharisees and high priests, understood the parable, they did not do as they should. They crucified their Messiah. It is a challenge for us to act in accordance with the teachings of Christ after Christ’s resurrection.
Our God is a patient Father, a righteous Judge, but He is also rich in the grace of the Holy Spirit, which inspires us what and how to do to be saved. Yes, as long as we live, we are given the opportunity to give up the life of sin, repent, and gain merit for eternal life. The world – the vineyard is a gift that every person receives to make the most of it. Although the mind and will of man have weakened after inherited sin, God still sends His messengers today to remind each person of the purpose, meaning, and mission. We are given new opportunities to change, to leave the life of sin, and to return to our God. But sin blinds the eyes of body and soul. Every sin more and more hardens people’s hearts to God. It is no wonder that sin brings man to a state that he declares: There is no God, I do not believe in God, I live only once, I can do with life what I want, it is my …
However, we are children of God even when we behave in this way. God wants to strengthen us so that we may be saved. Therefore, the suffering of every species has its place in the world, and finally the death of every human being. God sends not only prophets to every man, but also his Son. There is enough knowledge of good and evil in every person’s life. God gives people enough signs for man to live as God wants him to live. Therefore, our every return to him is a fixation in the hope of eternal life. Every good deed was done to glorify God is also a value for which God will reward us one day. It’s time for us.

The businessman returned from the funeral of his employee. He stated in front of the woman that he was a good, hard-working, honest man. He could not sleep in the evening and think about what had led this man, the father, the husband, to commit suicide. Then he heard a voice in his heart: How many times have you not paid him what you had? How many times with a delay of several months did you pay his salary in installments? How often did you force him to work overtime, but also after Saturdays and Sundays? The businessman did not fall asleep that night.

Let’s ask ourselves: After such a night, an event, would we change our lives if we were the mentioned entrepreneur?
However, we all do business in something. We are each other’s brothers and sisters. What about the absence of love? What about our outrage at life, deeds, words, friendships, relationships? The parable of the winegrowers, who do not protect themselves not only not to give the owner of the vineyard what belongs to him, but who throw out of the vineyard also servants who had to choose the share that belonged to their master, and who even kill the only son of the vineyard owner. This parable requires us to reconsider our attitude to life, to the values ​​of life, to the salvation of the soul.
Doctors not only state that the best patients are those who want and know how to work with doctors. God rightly expects us who believe to work with Him. We are a chosen nation. We have a thousand years of experience with God’s word, and that is why we accept the parable in the goodwill of realizing it in our lives for our benefit. We know that once an hour of the harvest will come in our lives, we just don’t know when. That is why we accept the gospel and are aware of the words, “Without me, you can do nothing” (Johan 15: 5).

It’s like a man who got a few checks from a friend and the command, “Go to the bank with them.” The man did as his friend told him to do. The rich returned from the bank. Why? The bank turned his valid checks into money. God gives us equally valuable checks. These are his words from the gospel. God sends us to realize them in life. Why? That by our doing we may become for all eternity the sons and daughters of Heavenly Father, who wants to give us gifts in his kingdom.

We do not want to underestimate such a goal. We need to work on ourselves, even if we make a radical change, or open our eyes like the philosopher Rufus Jones, to see clearly the significance of our mission on earth.