We are not far from the end of the liturgical year.  With seven weeks to go, the Liturgy of the Word nudges us gently toward larger thoughts about “ends.”  This Sunday’s Gospel is served as a gentle warning in that regard.  In the parable this week, once again, Jesus is talking to the Jewish leadership – chief priests and the elders of the people.  The vineyard is Israel, the landowner is God.  The tenants are those entrusted to look after the vineyard – perhaps in this case they are the religious leaders.  The servants are the prophets of God, sent to collect the fruit of the harvest.  The son of the landowner is Jesus himself, sent to proclaim the good news of God but instead was killed by the jealousy and selfishness of the tenants.  When the landowner comes, those wicked tenants will be brought to a wretched end.  

Jesus concludes the parable with a warning that “the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”  In its proper context, the parable tells the history of Israel as God’s vineyard and how she refuses to hand back the produce owed to God when Jesus comes to collect them.  In fact, they have not produced good fruit.  In the first reading we hear that after all the love God put into planting his vineyard, he expected good fruit.  The vineyard is located on a fertile hillside and choice vines are planted, but it did not yield good grapes, instead sour grapes were all that it produced.   

The Kingdom of God has been given to us through Jesus Christ.  The vineyard is leased out to us, and we are expected to bear good fruit.  We do not own the kingdom, we are only tenants, stewards of the Kingdom of God.  The kingdom is not given to us to be kept for ourselves but to bear fruit for all.  Those of us in the Church have been given the gift of faith in Christ.  Our faith is given to us for our sake but also for others.  Our life of faith must bear good fruit, otherwise it will be leased out to other tenants.  

The Synod on Synodality happening in Rome, is an important step in the life of the Church.  The Church comes together to discern how we can walk together in a way that bears good fruit – the fruit of a more inclusive, welcoming, and loving Church that is modelled on the example of Christ.  Good fruit does not just appear from nowhere, it takes hard and attentive labouring.  The work of the Synod will be hard labouring in which listening is the key.  Before the Synod Retreat a few days ago, Pope Francis prayed that the Synod will be a moment of listening instead of polarisation.  That can be our prayer for the Synod too.  That we will truly listen to one another’s experiences and commit ourselves to walk together and not take our own road.  May the Synod bear good fruit for all.  

By Deacon Tien Tran

Published 6 October 2023