Friday of the Second Week of Lent
(Genesis 37:3-4.12-13a.17b-28a; Matthew 21:33-43;45-46)
Today’s gospel signals a change in direction for the season
of Lent. Its “parable” is very much an allegory,
a one-for-one representation of the players in a historical event. Rather than promote Lenten discipline, the
allegory looks forward to Christ’s coming passion, resurrection, and ascension.
In the allegory the landowner is God the Father, who established
the Kingdom of Israel, represented by the vineyard. The tenants are Jewish leaders, who exploit their
positions by not leading the people to holiness. When the owner sends his servants, who are
the prophets in salvation history, the tenants mistreat and even kill them. Finally, the vineyard owner sends his only son,
that is Jesus, Son of God. The vicious
tenants kill him also in attempt to acquire the owner’s legacy. Finally, the owner takes the land from the
original tenants and gives it to others.
These are the members of the Church, the New Israel.
As members of the Church, we must not think that the rules God
establishes for the Jewish leaders do not apply to us. We too are expected to help one another (of
course, this goes double for bishops and priests) to attain holiness. We do this by encouraging prayer and upright
living among one another. We also seek
to improve the lives of those living at the margins so that they too may prosper. Finally, we reach out to the people of other faith
traditions to tell them of our Father’s love in Jesus Christ.
