Is 5:1-7; Phil 4:6-9;
Mt 21:33-43
Today’s Bible readings remind me of the story of the cookie
thief. A woman at the airport waiting to catch her flight bought herself a bag
of cookies, settled in a chair in the airport lounge and began to read her
book. Suddenly she noticed the man beside her helping himself to her cookies.
Not wanting to make a scene, she read on, ate cookies, and watched the clock.
As the daring “cookie thief” kept on eating the cookies she got more irritated
and said to herself, “If I wasn't so nice, I’d blacken his eye!” She wanted to
move the cookies to her other side but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one was left, she
wondered what he would do.
Then with a smile on his face and a nervous laugh, he took
the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half, and he ate the
other. She snatched it from him and thought, “Oh brother, this guy has some
nerve, and he’s also so rude, why, he didn't even show any gratitude!” She
sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and
headed for the gate, refusing to look at the ungrateful “thief.” She boarded
the plane and sank in her seat, reached in her bag to get a book to read and
forget about the incident. Next to her book was her bag – of her cookies.
The cookies they ate in the lounge were his not hers. She
had been the thief not him. Is it not the same we hear in today’s parable. The parable
tells us how the tenants attempt to steal the vineyard from the landowner
As we reflect on the parable, like a mirror, we can see our own reflection in this story. The
wicked tenants are us! God has been gracious to us in many ways. His love and
kindness was unlimited. God gave us a
wonderful life and placed us in the lushest vineyard in the world. Look at everything we have. God has blessed us
essentially in this beautiful vineyard with food, clothing, shelter, meaningful
work, family, friends, church, and community.
Here is the crux of the issue. Like the wicked tenants in
the parable, we very often cut God out of the spectrum of our life and declare
ourselves that we are on our own and we have nothing to do with God for all the
resources and blessings we enjoy in our life. We forget the fact that we are just tenants or stewards
There are people here today who are tempted to give God
short shrift in their lives -- tempted to give God an hour on Sunday morning
and call it good -- tempted to ignore God's call to love their neighbor and to
serve those in need -- tempted to believe God's promises, but to ignore God's
claims on their lives.
Robert Newell was driving along an isolated road one night
when his car suddenly stopped running. He was stranded. Then the lights of
another car approached, pulled alongside, and stopped. After exchanging
pleasantries, the other motorist pulled a rope from his trunk and towed
Newell's car several miles to the nearest garage. Newell tried to give money to
the man, but he refused it. Newell then said, "Well, I must in some way
return your kindness." The stranger replied, "If you really want to
show your gratitude, buy a rope and always carry it in your car."
God is like that. He has put us in the vineyard, and invites
us to enjoy its fruits--but he wants us pass the blessings on--to live
righteously, to care about each other, and to bear witness to our faith. God's
emphasis on fruit-bearing is not unlike the motorist saying, "If you
really want to show your gratitude, buy a rope and always carry it in your
car."
"Alas for those who
never sing, but die with all their music in them" (Oliver Wendell Holmes).
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