Matthew 21:33-46

Stewards of Grace

            You’ll never hear a financial planner tell you that all you need to do to prepare for retirement is to go and rob a bank. You might get a lot of money out of it, but you can’t get around the fact that it’s not yours. Same thing with teachers. You won’t hear them advise you to just copy someone else’s work. That is, we all understand that there are more extreme (and illegal) ways to get what we want, yet we know not to use them because it wouldn’t actually work. In our society, we have a pretty firm grip on the reality of personal property. This extends beyond tangible things too. Theft of intellectual property is considered a crime too, that is, using someone else’s ideas and claiming them as your own. In a paper, if you’re going to use someone else’s ideas, you have to quote them and give them the credit. If you’re going to use someone else’s property, you have to return it when you’re done… and in similar condition to how you got it. Yes, I know, this isn’t rocket science. These are things we learn at a young age. So, why do we not apply those same principles with God? Does God not own things? Are there not ideas that come from God alone? Where is his credit? This is why we talk about the Christian life as that of being stewards. We’re caretakers, not owners. What we have and own doesn’t actually belong to us. We’re simply taking care of them until their rightful owner comes back to claim them again. 

            For in our Gospel lesson today, Jesus tells us a parable about people who think they can take the shortcut, the fast-track to getting what they want. Only problem is… it wasn’t theirs to begin with. For the real property owner will be returning soon to claim what is his. Thus, shall we learn today:

RETURN TO THE LORD THE FRUIT OF HIS LABOR!

I.

            There really are two responses which need to be considered in our reading, and they’re not what you think. For we know the parable is pretty straight forward. We’ve read enough other parables to understand the common imagery. This is perhaps why the Pharisees have the reaction they do. As we read, “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them,” Matthew 21:45. They knew the story. They knew the details. It wasn’t hard to piece them together. For anyone who hears that story would understand that the tenants were behaving illogically. It makes no sense for people who are entrusted with the care of a vineyard to believe it suddenly would become theirs if they killed the right people. But that’s the point. It’s supposed to be illogical. It’s supposed to draw attention to the bizarre behavior of these tenants. They’re the ones who have behaved so wickedly by killing the messengers whom God has sent. Yes, this entire parable is simply a rehashing of Israel’s own wicked history, particularly the abuse she faced at the hands of leaders.

            So, what about us? What is the message to us? You’re not a religious leader in Israel, are you? No. Thus, let us understand that the parable isn’t necessarily about us. Our story is still being written. However, let us also understand that we share a similar role to that of the tenants and Pharisees. That is, every person alive has been given the role of steward. We’ve been given charge over the gifts of God, for everything we have comes from God. Our life, our career, our money, our talents, our goods, and so on all belong to God. While we’re alive on this earth, we’re meant to be caretakers of them. Yet, how often do we act like we’re our own masters? We’re reluctant to return to God the things we owe him: our thanks and praise for all the good things God has bestowed upon us. In this way, we too kill the messengers. We too try to claim God’s things as our own, believing we alone are in charge of our own life. Thus, this is the warning to us as well, “When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

II.

            All God wants then is the fruit. He wants the reward of his vineyard. And he’s willing to do anything necessary to get it. For you know what they say, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, but expecting a different result. God has sent prophets and messengers to his people. And every time, God’s people would harass them, beat them, and kill them. And every time, God hoped that they would listen. But, when this proved futile, God had one final plan. “Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son,” Matthew 21:37. God gave us his Son to call us back, to return the fruit of his vineyard. Only, he knew exactly what was going to happen this time. And he planned on it. For all the wickedness of man put Jesus to death on the cross. Jesus died just like the prophets and messengers. Only his death was different. His death was the nourishment his vineyard needed. His blood would be poured out to water his precious vineyard so that we, his Church, would bear great fruit! Yes, God sent his Son to call back the tenants, that is the religious leaders. But he sent his Son for his vineyard, for you and me.

            This is what it means to be a steward of the gifts of God. Just as God has bought us with the precious blood of Jesus, we’re to return to him our time, talents, gifts, and especially our thanks and praise! We, the vineyard, are to keep bearing the fruits of faith, doing the good works which God has established for us to do. As Paul writes in Ephesians, “ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them,” Ephesians 2:10. And what are these works? These are the works which flow naturally from faith. To seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8)! For the ultimate fruit which our Lord seeks is the salvation of your souls. He desires above all else to be Your God and that you be his child. This is why Christ died, and this is the fruit our Lord seeks. He has made Christ the cornerstone of our faith, the one rejected by men, but chosen by God. Chosen to be the solid foundation upon which our lives are built. For it is marvelous in our eyes! 

            So, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us not count our lives as our own, but rather, as good stewards, let us return them to God for the sake of Christ. He who bought us with his precious blood shall even more heap his bounteous goodness upon us both now and forevermore! In Jesus’ name! Amen!