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In Scripture, heaven and the reign of God are often described as a banquet. We know that the first miracle Jesus performed making wine was at a wedding banquet. This image would have had particular meaning in the ancient world. Food preservation was difficult because refrigeration did not exist. People generally ate what was available.

Perhaps the parable speaks to what happens when we become so busy that we fail to recognize the Spirit working in our lives and communities. The king invites people to a celebration that would feed them physically, emotionally, and socially. Yet they walk away. Could something similar happen in our own lives?

We may be invited into experiences that nourish our bodies, our relationships, and our spiritual lives. But because we are busy, distracted, or preoccupied, we may fail to recognize or value the invitation. We may walk away from possibilities that could help us grow.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who plants a vineyard, leases it to tenants, and then sends servants to collect the harvest. The tenants beat, stone, and kill the servants. Finally, the landowner sends his son, saying, “They will respect my son.” Instead, the tenants kill him as well, hoping to take possession of the inheritance.

Matthew’s Gospel presents the parable as a warning that the kingdom of God will be entrusted to a people who produce its fruits. This interpretation has sometimes been used to suggest that God rejected the Jewish people and replaced them with Christians. Such a reading is dangerous and fails to respect the Jewish roots of Jesus, his disciples, and the Christian faith.

Rather than using this parable to condemn another people, we should allow it to challenge every religious community—including our own. The question is not, “Who are the wicked tenants?” The question is, “How have we treated what God has entrusted to us?”

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There is little room for misunderstandings in this parable. I am sure the Pharisees and Scribes who heard this story for the first time must have bristled in annoyance as they knew Jesus was referring to them. This parable speaks to us today as well.

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I have often asked this question, If your faith became illegal, would there be enough evidence for your neighbor’s to convict you? This question is adapted from a question asked by John Wooden, a deeply religious basketball coach in 1997. This question highlights the deeper question about how much our faith impacts our daily life choices. I am reminded of this question when I reflect on the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. This parable challenges our understanding of justice and mercy. It is a challenging parable. We may find ourselves more sympathetic to the workers who had worked all day and less so to those who only worked for an hour. I am reminded of the parable of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32. I have given workshops on forgiveness and have used this parable to describe God’s forgiveness. I have noticed however that many people are more sympathetic to the eldest son, the responsible one, the one who stayed home and worked in his father’s fields than the son receiving his father’s merciful forgiveness.

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In today’s Gospel Peter asks a question to Jesus, how many times does one forgive someone? Excellent question, to paraphrase Peter, Jesus is asked about the limits of forgiveness. Jesus poetically points out that forgiveness is limitless to anyone following him. This answer is not surprising; as Jesus frequently spoke about forgiveness. One of the last statements he made before his death on the cross is the prayer, “forgive them father for they do not know what they are doing”! Forgiveness in various forms is found in all major religions. Christianity is no different. I have spoken about forgiveness in this podcast. I invite my listeners to check out the editions on April 20, 2026, November 9, 2025, and February 16, 2025, for insights on forgiveness.

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This week’s Gospel reminds me of the letters of St. Paul to the Corinthians where he is addressing the different factions. Jesus realized that when two or more people get together there will be disagreements and in some cases conflict. Misunderstandings and different perspectives will impact all communities regardless of how unified or religious they are. Despite his frequent calls for peace, Jesus knew his followers would need to know how to deal with conflict.

So many of the teachings of Jesus speak about how the expression of our faith is impacted by how we treat people. One of my favorite examples of this is the teaching from Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” We basically relate to God through our interactions with others.

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The most significant line in this Gospel is Jesus saying, “Get behind me, Satan”. In the past when I have preached on this Gospel, I’ve always understood this passage as Jesus directing this comment to Peter, thus indicating that while Peter recognized Jesus as the Messiah, he did not fully understand the mission. I am now wondering if Jesus was making this comment to himself. I wonder if Jesus had a brief moment of wanting to believe Peter and not have to suffer the fate he knew would be his. Let me share with you why I think this.

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It must have been frustrating for Jesus when people failed to recognize who he was. Some thought he was a prophet who had returned from the dead.

Jesus was making a very direct point: people in the past had responded more positively to the prophets than his own generation was responding to him. Even John the Baptist had to make clear that he was not the Messiah, but that someone greater than himself was to come.

Images of God are important to our spiritual lives, but every image has its limitations. No single image can fully contain the mystery of God. So I invite you to reflect on your own image of God.

What do you expect God to be like? How do you expect God to act? Is there room for growth in your understanding?

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