Homily For Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 8th October, 2023

Readings: Is. 5:1-7, Ps. 80, Phil 4:6-9. Matt. 21:33-43

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

AS TENANTS IN GOD’S VINEYARD WHAT IS OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE THINGS HE ENTRUSTED TO US?

 

In this world, we are like tenants, who are living in an apartment that is entrusted to us to manage by a generous landlord, who has gone on a long-distance journey. We do not know when he will come back, we do not know his plan for the apartment. But one thing is certain, he wants us to be fruitful and to give a proper account of what he has entrusted to us whenever he comes back.

 

Sadly, because of the comfort and freedom we are enjoying, we have forgotten who we are, we have forgotten that we are nothing but a common tenant. Worst still, some are now claiming to be the landlord maltreating other fellow tenants and acquiring the whole property for themselves at the expense of others. And they are doing everything to ensure that the true landlord does not return.

 

This ugly attitude of humanity is what prophet Isaiah in our first reading is talking about in the song concerning the vineyard of the Lord, which has failed to bear good fruits despite the efforts the Lord has made to ensure that it is fruitful. This same issue is what Jesus is also addressing in our Gospel passage today in the great parable of the vineyard owner, who planted a vineyard, fenced it around, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When season for fruit drew near he sent his servants to collect his produce from the tenants whom he had entrusted with the care of his vineyard.

 

 But the tenants were now wicked, greedy and selfish, for they desired to keep everything they gained to themselves. Hence, they persecuted and killed the servants sent to them. The tenants also killed the son of the vineyard owner, whom the owner sent to them thinking that the tenants would respect his son. In the end, the vineyard owner came down himself and dealt with all those wicked tenants, punishing them all for their wickedness and the evil things which they had committed out of greed and ego. They lost everything and were punished justly by the owner.

 

This parable describes the relationship between God and humanity and how humanity has been summoned for a trial. Here, the owner of the vineyard is God, the servants represent the prophets who constantly rebuked the people and reminded them about their being tenants in the Lord’s vineyard. While the son represents Jesus Himself, who is the Son of God sent into the world to save humanity, but was rejected and killed. Also, the vineyard represents the world and all its resources which do not belong to us but to God, while the wicked tenants represent the ugly attitudes of humanity towards these resources entrusted to us by God.

 

Dear friends, our world, our nation, our societies, our families, and our lives as individuals are on a trial before God, for God has presented his case against us today, summoning our blessed land and mountains to act as judge between Him and the people of this generation, by reminding us how He has blessed us with so many resource, skills, good weather and people. But we have failed to be fruitful, we have misused the Lord’s gifts and resources, we have neglected his message, we have committed and are still committing a lot of evil and murder, yet we are still crying, seeking solutions and signs from God.

 

Today as tenants in God’s vineyard, we are called to change our ugly attitudes. We are called to turn away from greed, corruption, pride and ego. If not, we will likely end up like those wicked tenants who acted with such evil against their fellow men and even against the son of their master and were justly punished and the kingdom of God being taken away from them and given to those who will be fruitful. Therefore, what God requires from us today is to do justice, to love kindly and to walk humbly with him for our good and the good of others.

 

Little wonder, St. Paul in our second reading tells us not to worry; but if there is anything we need, we should pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving. He also encouraged us to fill our minds with everything true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise, we should keep doing them. Knowing that, it was the stone rejected by the builders that has become the cornerstone.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, oftentimes we have failed to be good and fruitful tenants in your vineyard despite all you have offered us. Help us today, to make a radical decision that will change our ugly selfish, greedy and corrupt attitudes, in order to embrace more loving and caring attitude that will make us more fruitful in your vineyard. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday, I wish you God's favour and blessings.