A vineyard with all its yielding was given on rent, in the parable of the Land owner, which Jesus of Nazareth spoke as recorded in the gospel of Mathew:21.33-46.
When the harvest time came, the land owner sent his slaves to receive the produce(v34) and the vine-growers took his slaves, bet one and killed another and stoned a third. Th landowner sent a larger group of slaves and the vine-growers did the same to them. The landowner then sent his son. Seeing him, the wine-growers said, 'This is their heir, come let us kill him and seize his inheritance' (v39). That was what hey did. The ugly scene ended with Jesus mentioning that the vineyard would be taken away from the wretched keepers and would be given to new vine-growers( v.41).
The possessive and acquisitive culture of humankind is at the heart of this parable. Although it was contextually referring to what the Jewish leaders were planning to do to Jesus, it is pregnant with a larger meaning for us.
The vineyard is a physical space and is a land which gives a produce. Therefore it is a material wealth and a source of prosperity.
The inheritance referred to in v 38 refers to the son being the heir of the vineyard. In resolving to kill the son, the vine-growers were to destroy the lineage and historicity of the landowner. It is one thing to take away the land and it is yet another ting to destroy the legacy of the landowner. The landowner trusted the wine-growers, which stands out in this parable, which is a noble act of thoughtfulness. The wine growers were not satisfied by what was given to them. They aspired for more wrongfully and violently.
This to me is the cross road at which we are as a humanity. Which of us is truly content with what is given to us. It could be five talent, two talent or one talent! This is a subtle trap that we fall into. In exercising our skills to be creative and productive we acquire the deceptive spirit of covetousness. This spirit is, 'let me have all that I can get and plan to get something more from others somehow'! Somehow the inheritance that belongs to someone else seems more satisfying than what is ours!
We see this between nations; political parties, communities and families. We set our eyes on getting what others possess or achieved.
The new political dispensation in india has been engaged in reducing the significance and seminal influence of the post independent political leaders and usurp their heritage by underplaying it, criticising it and negating it. This has created a legitimacy to be envious of others and project oneself even by destroying the heritage that has built the nation.
The parable ended with a warning, '..the kingdom of God would be taken away from you..'(v 43).
There is no future for those whose inner orientation is to acquire, possess and usurp the heritage that is not theirs for personal prosperity!
What then is the message for us to live with!
To live consciously knowing that we are given to use and enjoy the benefits of other's labour is a calling! It is for us to live responsively and gratefully and enlarge the gifts we can bequeath to people after us!
To so live knowing that we and others are members in the family of humanity is what this generation can embrace as a new reality through the experience we go through now with COVED 19!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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