Sermon preached at St. Alban's, Spirit Lake, on March 25, 2007
(Year C, Fifth Sunday in Lent, BCP Lectionary)
by the Rev. Carl D. Mann

Texts:   Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:8-14
Luke 20:9-19

The late John Lennon of Beatles fame once said something to the effect that a hit song was a hit song no matter what. One could perform it fast or perform it slow, one could arrange it any way he or she wanted and it would still be a hit. Speaking for my generation, there were many great songs that sounded new to me that I later found out were covers of old blues or hill country tunes. Sometimes the newer version was better in my opinion but other times the original was so good that it seemed to be the height of sacrilege to imitate it. But either way, the song was a hit and spoke to me.

Well, that’s kind of what Jesus is doing in today’s Gospel. Jesus has taken a familiar song from the Prophet Isaiah, and has rearranged it into a parable. And even though there wasn’t a hit parade or a top forties list in those days, the scribes and chief priests know their scripture well enough to recognize the tune, and they get the message.

Jesus is using imagery from the fifth chapter of Isaiah called the Song of the Vineyard. In this song, Isaiah is describing a vineyard belonging to his beloved, which has been planted on a very fertile hill with choice vines. A watchtower has been built in the midst of the vineyard as well as a wine vat because this vineyard is expected to yield the juiciest of grapes. But instead it produces only wild grapes, which are sour to the taste. Lamenting all of the work that he has put into the vineyard, the owner is going to remove the hedge that surrounds the vineyard leaving it exposed to be devoured and trampled down. He will no longer prune the vines or hoe the dirt, allowing the briars and thorns to grow up in it, and he will divert its source of water so that it will wither away.

Not a very cheery song, is it? It’s an allegory about the future destruction of Israel. Here’s what it means. The northern kingdom has already been annexed by Assyria. The beloved is the Lord and the vineyard is the House of Israel. The choice vines are the people of Judah who worship within the walls of Jerusalem on Mt. Zion. The watchtower is the Temple and the wine vat is the altar of sacrifice. From His Chosen People, The Lord expects justice, which is the faithful application of God’s will to daily living, and righteousness, which is the living, active relationship between man and God wherein man is spiritually and morally acceptable to God. Justice and righteousness should be the natural outcome of the covenant just as sweet wine should be the produce of choice grapes but instead the Lord only perceives the bloodshed of violence and hears the cries of the oppressed. So Isaiah prophesies that the walls of the city will be destroyed and the inhabitants laid to waste.

Now prior to today’s Gospel, Jesus has entered into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and received as a king. He has cleared the Temple of the offending moneychangers and animal sellers. And the scribes and the chief priests have just asked him by what authority is he doing the things that he is doing.

Instead of answering them directly, Jesus begins to sing a song in the form of a parable that sounds very recognizable. It sounds like the ole vineyard blues from Isaiah but he kicks it up a notch, and gives it a little twist. Now the vineyard has been let out to tenants and this time the vines produce good grapes. So the owner sends a servant to collect his share of the crop for rent but the tenants rough him up and send him away with nothing to show for his troubles expect some bruises. The owner sends another servant to collect and the tenants beat him and treat him in a shameful manner, and he goes back empty handed. A third servant is sent but he is traumatically injured and literally thrown out. So the owner decides to send his beloved son thinking that the tenants will surely give him the same respect as they would to the owner. But the tenants make the brainless assumption that if they kill the heir to the vineyard then maybe somehow they will become the rightful heirs in his place. If this happens, Jesus prophesies that the owner will come and evict the tenants and let out the vineyard to others.

Now when the scribes and the chief priests hear this parable, all of the imagery from the original song of Isaiah comes to mind. In their minds, they picture exactly what a vineyard looks like complete with a protective hedge, a watchtower, and a wine vat with a press. And they know exactly what each symbol means in relation to the original Isaiah story. But there is a variation to the theme, and as they listen they also realize that Jesus has placed them in the role of the tenants, holding them responsible for the outcome. And worse yet, they hear Jesus assuming the dual role of the beloved son. Not only is Jesus saying that he is the rightful heir to the owner of the vineyard, which makes him the Son of God but he is also the rightful heir to the prophets, and has come to finish their work, which is to challenge Israel to fulfill her duties as set forth in the covenant: honor and obey God, bear the fruit of justice in daily life, and reveal the light of God’s grace to the rest of the world.

But the worst part of the parable for them is, that they now know, that Jesus knows, that they, the scribes and chief priests, want him dead! As they fall prey to this temptation, they become vexed by the truth, and unwittingly fulfill the role of the tenants. The vision of Jesus’ death blinds them to the judgment that they have passed on themselves.

Or let’s change metaphors just as Jesus did and put it another way. Jesus goes on to tell them by quoting Psalm 118 that, “The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.” As the chosen construction workers of the kingdom of God on earth, the scribes and the chief priests are going to ignore and cast aside the one stone that they desperately need to unite the walls of the covenant.

The leaders of 1st century Judaism were attempting to build peace by appeasing the occupying Roman government at the expense of their own people, and Jesus didn’t fit into that plan. What they thought they saw in Jesus was a man who was going to disassemble that peace by provoking the people to revolt against Rome. So together with Rome, they killed him. But God’s plan of salvation will not be thwarted by the rebellious acts of humanity. God, the Father through Jesus, the crucified Son, and by the power of His Holy Spirit built the Church anyway. Using the Cross as His square, and a plumb line in His hand, He laid the foundation of the Church with the prophets and apostles, using the blood of the Cross and martyrs for mortar. Then placing the people of God as living stones in endless courses, he raised the walls straight and true toward the heavens, making them all subject under Jesus Christ at the head of the corner.

Because of our humanity, we have experienced some problems in the building up of the Church through the centuries. We are experiencing some right now in our lifetime. But if we obey the Head Architect and Contractor, the Church will continue to grow. I would ask you to take home today’s Collect and stick it to the refrigerator door or some other visibly accessible place because it is a blueprint for our salvation and a constant reminder of who it is that is in control. Read it often and sift through it slowly, carefully detecting the gems of Truth much as you would if panning for gold. Let it be a song in your heart, and memorize the lyrics so that you will always recognize it regardless of the tune. For there are many songs, and many variations of a theme but there is only one Truth.

Let us pray: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen