The Risks of Leasing in the Kingdom of God

The gospel lesson this week in the Revised Common Lectionary contains a parable where God is likened unto a landowner who leases a vinyard to tenants. When the time comes for the tenants to pay the landowner for leasing the vinyard, the landowner sends servants to collect the money, but the servants are killed by the lessees. The landowner then proceeds to send more servants, who are also killed by the lessees. Finally, the landowner sends his son, but the servants kill the son as well.

Jesus' listeners would have been very familiar with the context of this parable. It was common for rich landowners who owned land in remote locations to lease the land to tenants who lived and worked the land locally. The tenants, in turn, paid a yearly portion of the land's yield to the owner. It was understood and expected that the tenants would be very respectful and courteous to the owner and the owner's agents. Similarly, if the tenants did not have enough money to pay the yearly tribute, it would be expected that they would have begged and pleaded for leniency.

In light of these expectations, the behavior of all parties in this parable is highly surprising and shocking. The tenants not only fail to pay the landowner, but actually kill the landowner's agents and then proceed to kill the landowners son. Their apparent motive (i.e. to take the son's inheritance) is ridiculous since the son has not obtained his inheritance yet. Even more surprisingly, the owner does not exact vengeance against the tenants but keeps sending the servants and then later his son despite the results.

This parable is an obvious critique of the religious leaders of Jesus' day. As those who were given the responsibility of leading Israel in its covenant relationship with God, the religious leaders had lots of responsibility. But rather than being good tenants, they were doing lots of damage to God's Kingdom.

As baptized disciples who have entered into covenant with God and who have accepted the responsibility of living as God's people, we have been given enormous responsibility. God gives us a place in God's Kingdom. We are called to act wisely and to live according to the example of Christ. That means, as tenants, to spend our time doing good and not evil. Like the tenants in the parable, we have the capacity to do enormous harm to others. But we also have the opportunity to do tremendous good as well.