Homily for Monday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle II (2)




Homily for Monday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle II

Theme: The Wicked Tenants

By: Fr. Benny Tuazon

 

Homily for Monday June 1 2020

(Mk. 12:1-12) June 1, 2020, Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard, servants, and the tenants. He cited the violence the tenants made on the servants he sent to collect the produce from the vineyard. They killed the servants. Finally, the owner sent his son thinking they would respect him. But the tenants were so greedy that they also killed him. The vineyard were merely entrusted to them. They also benefited by taking part of the produce. But they were blinded and owned the vineyard.

Many can relate to this incident. Many landowners had allowed tenants to tend their land and agreed on how the produce will be divided. While it is true that there are abusive landowners, it is also true that there are greedy tenants. They give a lot of reasons just so they could justify their not giving the share of the owners. They give reasons like: typhoon devastated the drops, pests were not controlled, animals came to eat the plants, robbers attack the produce, etc. some people are not just contented with what is due to them.
But the parable is more than the relationship between the landowner and the tenants. Jesus was depicting the relationship between God (landowner) Jesus, (son), prophets (servants), vineyard (Israel), and the tenants (Jews, Pharisees, Sadducees, and other leaders in Israel). God sent prophets but they were all killed. Jesus was sent, and was also killed. The religious leaders ran and ruled Israel on their own terms and not anymore in accordance with the spirit of the commandments of God. Jesus came to guide them and bring back the laws in the true essence. But instead of listening to Jesus, they tried to silence Him by killing Him. But the truth cannot be silenced. God’s will will prevail. Even after Jesus’ death, His message continues.

It was a lesson in openness. Of course, we have to be careful against false prophets in sheep’s clothing which Jesus was referring in Mt.7:15. Many will imitate the prophets. They will quote the Bible. They will use the name of Jesus and many other words associated with the Christian Faith. But we have the Spirit to always guide us. It speaks to us in our consciences. We have Scriptures, the written Word of God, now easily available. And we have the Church which was entrusted with the deposits of Faith and which will never compromise the Gospel.

In all of these is JESUS Christ, our Savior. His Spirit guides us. His Spirit inspired Scriptures. And He is present, in the Spirit in the Church.

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