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| PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD. Image via google.com |
We had our first reflection on this during the Lenten Season here.
Today let us focus on the passage at the end of the parable,
"What [then] will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others."
What we can notice is that it is stated at the end of the parable that the vineyard was not destroyed, it was only given to other tenants. The actuation of the former tenants did not diminish the importance of the vineyard. It was retained and entrusted to others whom the owner thought would already take care of it in accordance with his will.
God the Father is truly faithful to His promises. He had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-Israel that their descendants would acquire the Promised Land. He had promised David that one of his descendants would rule forever. He had promised mankind a Savior and He sent His only-begotten Son to fulfill that mission.
God made promises and made good such promises even when on the other end of the covenants established together with the promises there have been failures to fulfill by the other party. Though Israel have been unfaithful to the Old Covenant many times in their history, Lord visited them and tired to lead them as a Shepherd leads his flock. But they didn't receive Him well and only a few of them followed Him. These few Jews became the foundation of the New Israel not to supplant the old but to continue it in accordance with God's promises to their ancestors.
This New Israel faced persecutions and tribulations but it remained standing for the Son made promises too:
He promised that His Church won't be overcome even by the gates of hell [Matthew 16:18]. He also promised that He will be present with the Church until the end of the ages [Matthew 28:20]. He also promised that the Holy Spirit will be the Church's Advocate, Teacher and Guide [John 14:26].
But we also have to be faithful in keeping our baptismal promises as our part in the New Covenant which the Lord Jesus Christ has established by His blood.
God the Father is truly faithful to His promises. He had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-Israel that their descendants would acquire the Promised Land. He had promised David that one of his descendants would rule forever. He had promised mankind a Savior and He sent His only-begotten Son to fulfill that mission.
God made promises and made good such promises even when on the other end of the covenants established together with the promises there have been failures to fulfill by the other party. Though Israel have been unfaithful to the Old Covenant many times in their history, Lord visited them and tired to lead them as a Shepherd leads his flock. But they didn't receive Him well and only a few of them followed Him. These few Jews became the foundation of the New Israel not to supplant the old but to continue it in accordance with God's promises to their ancestors.
This New Israel faced persecutions and tribulations but it remained standing for the Son made promises too:
He promised that His Church won't be overcome even by the gates of hell [Matthew 16:18]. He also promised that He will be present with the Church until the end of the ages [Matthew 28:20]. He also promised that the Holy Spirit will be the Church's Advocate, Teacher and Guide [John 14:26].
But we also have to be faithful in keeping our baptismal promises as our part in the New Covenant which the Lord Jesus Christ has established by His blood.
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