Caretakers of the Vineyard

Rebecca Sheridan
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Matthew 21:33-46

    My grandparents lived on a farm in South Dakota, and when they retired from farming they decided to take up winemaking as a hobby – from growing the grapes to drinking the wine – the whole process.  South Dakota isn’t exactly known for winemaking, but they produced stuff passable to drink, I would say.  More importantly, they had fun doing it together.  One year, Rich and I happened to be visiting my grandparents on the farm when it was grape harvesting time.  They needed help, because of course my grandparents were older and not able to tend the vines as well as younger people, I suppose, and what had happened was the grape vines had grown up off the fence they were supposed to be on and somehow intertwined themselves around the apple trees next to the fence.  There were perfectly good, ripe clusters of grapes 10-12 feet high at the top of the apple trees.  So my grandpa, with his great ingenuity, convinced Rich to get in the loader and raised him up to get all of the grapes off of the tops of the trees.  Let me put it this way, Rich did not grow up doing such things in New Jersey, and thankfully, he lives to tell the tale!
    Jesus has been using parables about vineyards for a few weeks now, and today, we hear his most convicting parable about the absolute failure of the tenants to care for the landowners’ vineyard, to the point of killing his son he sends to receive the harvest.  This parable is a Good Friday story.  It brings us to our knees in judgment and in confession for the ways we have failed to care for what God has given us. If we’re really honest with ourselves and with God, we might name the gifts of God we have openly rejected or even destroyed.  Our overconsumption has harmed the Earth, our home and God’s good creation.  We hurt one another still today – war, poverty, and violence is the norm.  We see it as more benign, but it isn’t, that we neglect to spend intentional time with God in worship, prayer, and service to our neighbors.  We talk a lot about what is MINE instead of remembering that everything is actually God’s, on loan to us.  God sends his son to save us and we put him to death on a cross rather than embrace the most wonderful gift of Emmanuel, God-with-us, God in the flesh.  This is our confession, and we don’t point fingers at anyone but ourselves.
      I don’t know if you noticed, but Jesus directly echoes the words of the prophet Isaiah from chapter 5 which we have been studying in our Bible study and heard in our first reading for today, which helps us understand Jesus’ parable a little better.  Frequently throughout the Bible in both the Old and New testaments, God’s people are described as a vineyard.  God’s vineyard can mean the people of Israel, or the Christian church, or the kingdom of God.  Today’s readings contrast the ideal vineyard of the kingdom of God with the destruction and failure God’s people bring upon themselves because of their faithlessness.  Today, we hear of the love and care God has for his people, his vineyard, and the hope that they will bear good fruit:  the owner plants the vines on a fertile hill, clears the stones from their paths, and uses choice vines.  God gives us his best and wants what is best for us – but instead, God is devastated to discover rotten grapes.  God expects justice and righteousness, but instead the people cause bloodshed and abuse their power for personal gain, refusing to even recognize God or God’s gifts given for them and for their flourishing.
    Like my grandparents’ grapevines going rogue up the apple trees, we the vines in God’s vineyard do not always do what God expects to produce a fruitful harvest.  Our scripture readings this morning point us to our human failings.  We abuse or reject the gifts God wants to generously give us.  Yet, thanks be to God, there is still good news in these difficult readings for this morning.  Once again as we’ve been hearing the last few weeks, we hear Christ’s call to repent – to turn in another direction toward God, to change our minds and be fruitful.  The stone that the builders have rejected has become the cornerstone.  In Christ, there is still possibility for building up or restoring the vineyard.  Upon this rejected stone God will build up a community of faithful people to bear fruit.  Not all is lost.  Out of the rejection, denial, and betrayal of Good Friday comes Easter morning resurrection.  It is not own ability to do good or bear fruit that makes us fruitful participants in God’s vineyard, God’s kingdom once again, but Christ’s life living through us because of Christ’s resurrection.  Our Sunday School students this morning are learning the words of Jesus’ promise in John 15 – “I am the vine and those who abide in me bear much fruit.”  God gives us the gift of Jesus to be a good fruitbearing vine to nourish and strengthen us and help us grow!  Christ’s death and resurrection connects us once again to him as the vine so that we can bear good fruit – fruit of righteousness, peace, love, and mercy in the midst of still a harsh and unjust world.  Christ invites us to be connected to his lifegiving vine once again.
    My grandparents, being children of the Depression, saw good grapes growing up there amongst the apple trees, and were willing to go to some lengths to not let that fruit go to waste – at least as long as Rich was a willing grandson-in-law to help with the harvest!  Today, we give thanks to God that God is willing to go to any length, even sending his own son to be killed for our sakes.  God sends his son to be our lifegiving vine so that we might fruitfully flourish.  In turning toward God, we give thanks for the many gifts God has given us – our very selves, all that we have and the love that will not let us go.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.