Word to the Wise
Friday, March 21, 2025 - 2nd Week of Lent - Fri
[Gen 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a and Matt 21:33-43, 45-46]Jesus said to them [the chief priests and elders of the people] "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit." [Matthew]
Jesus' words follow the parable of the tenants who seize control of a vineyard and prevent the owner from claiming his share of the harvest. He addressed the parable to the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem during his final and fatal visit. That leadership had rejected him. He quotes Psalm 118:22 to describe his relationship to them. In the parable, God is the owner and developer. The chief priests and elders of the people are the tenants. The prophets and Jesus are the agents sent to collect the harvest, but they are rejected and sometimes even killed. The early Christian community saw the quotation as a prophetic foretelling of Jesus' mission and fate.
But the gospel truth is not confined to the historical confrontation. It is meant for anyone in church leadership (or political leadership, for that matter). Leadership means stewardship, not ownership. God is the "owner" and we are all tenants. Failures in church leadership can have serious consequences for those who are followers, as the sex abuse scandals and crisis have clearly demonstrated. The recent emphasis by Pope Francis on the model of "synodality" in church leadership is meant to create responsible and responsive leadership. We are all responsible to God for our faith and the world we live in. Our designated leaders, both clergy and laity, bear a greater burden but we are all accountable. What kind of tenants are we? AMEN