Matthew 21.33-43,45-46

Today the evangelist Matthew tells us about the violent way in which God's messengers are treated, about the giving of the Kingdom of God to another people, and about the intention to arrest Jesus.

To the chief priests and the elders of the people Jesus told the parable of the murderous tenants . The landowner of a vineyard leased it to tenants and went on a journey. At vintage time, the landowner sent his servants to the tenants to receive his fruits. But the tenants treated them very violently. When the landowner sent his son, the tenants killed him to acquire his inheritance.

When asked by Jesus about what the landowner would do when he returned, the chief priests and the elders of the people responded that he would put those wretched men to a wretched death and that he would lease the vineyard to other tenants.

Then Jesus concluded by saying that the Kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to a people who would produce fruit.

To understand the parable: the landowner was God; the vineyard was the people of Israel; the tenants were the authorities of the people of Israel; the mistreated servants were the prophets; his son, the heir, was the promised Messiah; and the other tenants who would produce fruit were the disciples of the Messiah.

The chief priests and the elders of the people understood that Jesus was speaking about them and attempted to arrest him, but they were feared.

We are in Lent, preparing for the solemnity of Easter, the resurrection of Jesus. Like the ancient prophets, He will not be respected and will be treated violently by the authorities of the people of Israel, who intended to acquire what belonged to God, who did not produce fruit, who were attempting to arrest Him and hand Him over to be crucified.

On the one hand, if we intend to do God's will, we must prepare ourselves for persecution and violence. May nothing prevent us from producing the fruits that God expects of us. On the other hand, we must eliminate from our minds and hearts all ambition for power and all forms of envy, so as not to trample innocent people with our arrogance.

Lent is a time of penance and conversion. Let us examine ourselves.

Local: Springfield, MA, EUA

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