God the Gardener

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflecting on the Word

By Dr. Karla J. Bellinger

On this day of honor for St. Francis of Assisi, the prophet Isaiah  describes how much God the gardener cherishes the vineyard—such care, such choice vines the divine hand has planted! That image  naturally turns my thoughts to my relationship with my garden.  I too get attached to my plants. I start my lavender and tomatoes  from seed. I place them into soil that I have composted and manured.  But my attachment is only a semblance of the devotion that God has  for the human vineyard. 

Last summer when I came back from vacation, the bunnies had chewed all my pole beans at ground level. The deer had chomped  the tops off the sunflowers. Oh, I was exasperated. Imagine the angst  when the stone fence around your vineyard is allowed to crumble  so that wild beasts trample and eat all your grapevines. When you  deeply care about something, you are more deeply hurt when it is  not cared for. 

Jesus’ parable mirrors the Old Testament prophets’ solemn  warnings to the leaders of Israel. The “Great-I-Am” is looking for  fruit. But there is no fruit. God’s distress is with caregivers who do  not give care. Leadership means to cherish and tend the vineyard, to  do everything necessary to bring it to fruition.

As we read this series of vineyard parables in Matthew, we might  question whether God is very “nice.” We hear death and destruction,  the wrath of the landowner and handing the stewardship to another— Jesus’ ending is not “nice.” Though American culture places a high  value on “niceness,” there is no “nice” in the Bible. God is merciful.  God is kind. God also wants justice. God intends for this vineyard  to be treated right. Woe to those who do not. 

Consider/Discuss 

  • We throw our whole heart into many things in life—gardens, children,  relationships, parish, school, job, business, and so on. What does it feel like  when something we care about yields “rotten grapes”? What role does (or  doesn’t) “righteous indignation” play in the Christian life? 
  • In my early days of gardening, I was too “nice” to thin overgrown  perennials and throw out diseased tomatoes. As a result, the whole garden  suffered. What are the challenges to “just letting things go”? How do we  balance that with pruning for the “greater good”? 

Living and Praying with the Word 

Lord our God, you are true. You are honorable. You are good.  Thank you for caring for each of us and all of us so deeply. In  whatever role you give us in life, send us your grace to discern how  we are to lead and care for those whom you entrust to us. Help us to  listen carefully to your warnings and not be so self-assured that we  do not hear your correction. Not to us, but to you, is the glory when  our efforts bear good fruit.

Living the Word logo

Copyright © 2021, 2020, 2019, 2012, 2011, 2010 World Library Publications, a div. of GIA Publications, Inc. www.giamusic.com
All rights reserved. Used by permission.