Fruit of the kingdom
by Pauline Simonsen
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The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit (Matthew 21:43).
My husband and I like wine. Sometimes we muse about owning a vineyard. How amazing it would be to raise the vines, tend the grapes, harvest, press and vat the new wine and wait as it matures, tasting and checking development until it’s time to begin blending a new vintage. What a nerve-racking, exciting and creative process that would be! We visit wineries and chat with the winemakers, hearing how they love and tend their vines. We’ve grieved when a favourite winery has gone out of business, and we wonder how the winemaker must feel, seeing their long-tended vines taken by others who may not care for them.
So, I appreciate the heart of the landowner in Jesus’ parable, who plants his vineyard, equips it carefully, but then must leave it in the hands of tenants to care for it as he goes away. His vineyard remains in his heart, though, because he sends agents to collect the produce.
But tragedy ensues. Two lots of messengers are attacked and killed. Astonishingly, he doesn’t have the tenants arrested. He extends grace. Crazy! Eventually, he sends his own son, figuring the tenants will listen to him.
We know what happens. Those wretched, wicked tenants kill the son, somehow thinking that they’ll get the property. But now, the vineyard owner will come himself. What will the grief-stricken father/owner do? ‘Kill those wretches!’, we all shout.
Jesus tells the parable to Israel’s religious leaders, and they realise Jesus is casting them as ‘those wretches’. They have the care of God’s beloved vineyard, Israel, and what have they done? Rejected and killed his prophets because they wanted to control the people themselves. Jesus knows they have rejected and will kill him, the Son. And finally, judgement will come to them because God loves his vineyard, his people. His Son dies for them!
Where are you and I in this story? A beloved vine branch? A messenger sent by the Owner? A grasping tenant, wanting to ‘own’ and direct the vineyard of Jesus’ church? Perhaps we’ve been each of these at different times in our lives.
Thank God he has brought us into his vineyard, the kingdom of his Son, in our baptism! Thank God his grace covers us, always! Now Jesus stands before us asking, ‘How will you respond to me, the vine? Will you let me produce the fruit of the kingdom in your life today?’
Lord God, have mercy on us when we covet your vineyard. Keep us faithful and obedient to your Son, the cornerstone, the vine. Produce your good fruit in our lives today. Amen.
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