Parable of the Bad Tenants or Wicked Husbandmen
For the third time, in the weekly Gospel, Jesus responds to the chief priests and elders of the people in regard to their questioning by whose authority He was active within the Temple precincts. In the first of those instances, Jesus posed a counter-question to them on the authority of John’s baptism, which those leaders failed to answer directly because of their fear of John’s public reputation (Mt 21:23-27). Then, in the subsequent week, Jesus told a parable about the Willing vs. the Unwilling Sons (Mt 21:28-32) as an explanation that directly challenged those holy men’s understanding of God’s activity in the world. Finally, comes this week’s Gospel wherein Jesus recalled and reframed Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard.
Originally, the prophet made clear that the vineyard was a metaphor for the “house of Israel, the people of Judah”. And, in Isaiah’s song, God was the caretaker of this vineyard. Despite careful attention from the vinedresser, the vineyard produced only “rotten grapes.” The vineyard’s failure to produce better fruit forced the owner to remove his attentiveness to its care and protection. If the land was unable to produce with proper care, what would it do without it?
In Jesus’ parable, the vineyard’s produce was fine, but those caring for the vineyard were the weak point. Thus, the problem was not with the vineyard’s crop of grapes, but with the tenants themselves. These were extremely violent tenant farmers, harming and slaughtering the various groups of slaves sent by the landowner. The rationale for their brutality and murderous ways was stated explicitly when the son visited: “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance” (Mt 21:38).
On the surface, the landowner’s decision to send his son in light of the tragedy that befell his earlier servants seemed unwise, but he thought “They will respect my son” (Mt 21:37). But, Jesus’ parable did not highlight this act as foolish; this was not the parable of the foolish landowner. Rather, in a culture governed by honor and shame, the landowner’s decision to send his son as emissary was appropriate since, culturally speaking, in that environment, he could expect proper respect for his appointed heir, which did not happen.
Matthew 21:42 & Psalm 118
Verse 42 in the Gospel cites Psalm 118:22–23. Many writers of the New Testament used that same psalm to sum up their understanding of Jesus’ death as part and parcel of His role as the Messiah. It is notable that the Hebrew word for “son” (Heb. בן or Ben) is almost identical with the Hebrew word for “stone” (Heb. ‘eben) which, arguably, that similarity generated seeing Jesus as a stone. Since the Synoptics state Jesus said this in the Temple, this likely reflects the evangelists’ view of Jesus as replacing the function of the Temple, bringing God’s presence to humanity. The parable notes that the cornerstone is the key piece of a building, whereas another architectural design that could be used is the arch. On top of the arch is the “keystone” which is the main wedge-shaped stone right at the top apex of the arch that holds the whole structure together.
C.S. Lewis said it better than anyone else in regard to the uniqueness of faith in Christ. “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance, the only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” Too easily overlooked is the fact that faith in Christ is not simply a set of moral teachings. Almost all religions have such an emphasis as is the case with the Golden Rule, so most of any religious moral system is fairly similar. Nor is faith in Christ merely the cultural tradition of this or that group of people, though it certainly has become that for too many nominal Christians. Instead, the Christian faith focuses on the Person of Jesus Christ and the claim that Jesus is God incarnate.
If Psalm 118 is post-exilic in origin, as several commentators believe, then the builders analogy is a reference to the position of Israel among the Gentile nations who previously had enslaved Israel and destroyed the Temple. The psalmist speaks of the king, and by extension of the nation, as being finally victorious after a difficult struggle, “All the nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They surrounded me on every side, but in the Lord’s name I cut them off… The joyful shout of deliverance is heard in the tents of the righteous” (Ps 118:10,15). If understood as hailing from the post-exilic context, this could refer to the Maccabean rulers who overthrew Greek rule and also conquered several other neighboring nations, or it could refer to an earlier generation, just after the completion of the Second Temple. In either case, the reference to the builders is directed at Israel’s leaders and the stone refers to its core, which was rejected because of its corruption but now is restored to godliness.
The Expositors Bible Commentary notes, “They [the priestly chorus] set forth the great truth made manifest by restored Israel’s presence in the rebuilt Temple. The metaphor is suggested by the incidents connected with the rebuilding. The ‘stone’ is obviously Israel, weak, contemptible, but now once more laid as the very foundation stone of God’s house in the world…There had been abundant faintheartedness among even the restored exiles. The nations around had scoffed at these so-called feeble Jews, and the scoffs had not been without echoes in Israel itself. Chiefly, the men of position and influence, who ought to have strengthened drooping courage, had been infected with the tendency to rate low the nation’s power, and to think that their enterprise was destined to disaster. But now the Temple is built, and the worshippers stand in it.” This explanation puts the psalm in historical context and is consistent with its tone of joyous thanksgiving and praise after the king’s victorious battles. The builders rejected the “stone” which had become corrupt by worshiping foreign gods and failing to uphold the teaching of the prophets. The nation was enslaved by the Babylonians, but now the temple is rebuilt and those who conquered Israel are defeated. The psalmist concludes with an invitation to celebrate within the rebuilt Temple.
Saint John Cassian (360-435) wrote, “To penetrate to the very heart and marrow of the heavenly words, and to contemplate their hidden and deep mysteries with the heart’s gaze purified, can be acquired neither through human science nor through profane culture, but only by purity of soul…” and “If you wish to attain to true knowledge of the Scriptures, hasten to acquire first an unshakeable humility of heart. That alone will lead you, not to the knowledge that puffs up, but to that which enlightens, by the perfecting of love” (John Cassian. Conferences, XIV,9 (SC 54))
Nature and dignity 