WICKED FARMERS OF THE VINEYARD - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Homily for the 27^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Based on Mt 21:33-43(Gospel), Is 5:1-7(First Reading) and Ph 4:6-9(Second Reading)

From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”

WICKED FARMERS  OF THE VINEYARD

“The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Mt 21:43)

The Gospel for this 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (CycleA) is taken from Mt 21:33-43 under the title: “Parable of the wicked husbandmen^g”. Footnote ^g says“More exactly an ‘allegory’ because every detail of the story has its own significance: the proprietor is God; the vineyard the Chosen People, Israel, cf. Is. 5:1+; the servants the prophets; the son Jesus Christ, put to death outside the walls of Jerusalem; the murderous farmers the faithless Jews; the nation to which the vineyard will be entrusted, the pagans.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mk 12:1-12 - He went on to speak to them in parables, ‘A man planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug out a trough for the winepress and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad (v. 1).  When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce from the vineyard (v. 2). But they seized the man, thrashed him and sent him away empty-handed (v. 3). Next he sent another servant to them; him they beat about the head and treated shamefully (v. 4). And he sent another and they killed him; then a number of others, and they thrashed some and killed the rest (v. 5). He had still someone left: his beloved son. He sent him to them last of all. “They will respect my son” he said (v. 6).  But those tenants said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours (v. 7).” So they seized him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard (v. 8). Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and make an end of the tenants and give the vineyard to others (v. 9). Have you not read this text of scripture:  It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone (v. 10). This was the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see? (v. 11). And they would have liked to arrest him, because they realized that the parable was aimed at them, but they were afraid of the crowds. So they left him alone and went away (v. 12).

2.       Lk 20:9-19 - And he went on to tell the people these parables: ‘A man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenants, and went abroad for long while (v. 9).  When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get his share of the produce of the vineyard from them.  But the tenants thrashed him, and sent him away empty-handed (v. 10). But he persevered and sent a second servant; they thrashed him too and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed (v. 11). He still persevered and sent a third; they wounded this one also, and threw him out (v. 12).  The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What am I to do? I will send them my dear son. Perhaps they will respect him” (v. 13).   But when the tenants saw him they put their heads together. “This is the heir,” they said “let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours (v. 14).” So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? (v. 15). He will come and make an end of these tenants and give the vineyard to others. Hearing this they said, ‘God forbid!’ (v. 16). But he looked hard at them and said, Then what does this text of scripture mean:  It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone (v. 17). Anyone who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces; anyone it falls on will be crushed (v. 18). But for their fear of the people, the scribes and the chief priests would have liked to lay hands on him that very moment, because they realized that this parable was aimed at them (v. 19).

3.       Jn 8:37 - I know that you are descended from Abraham; but in spite of that you want to kill me because nothing I say has penetrated into you.

Verse 33 says: ‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad.

Parallel text is Is 5:1-7 that says: Let me sing to my friend the song of his love^b for his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside (v. 1).He dug the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted choice vines^c in it. In the middle he built a tower, he dug a press there too. He expected it to yield grapes, but sour grapes were all that it gave (v. 2). And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I ask you to judge between my vineyard and me (v. 3).What could I have done for my vineyard that I have not done? I expected it to yield grapes. Why did it yield sour grapes instead (v. 4)? Very well, I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge for it to be grazed on, and knock down its wall for it to be trampled on (v. 5). I will lay it waste, unpruned, undug; overgrown by the briar and the thorn. I will command the clouds to rain no rain on it (v. 6). Yes, the vineyard of Yahweh Sabaoth is the House of Israel, and the men of Judah that chosen plant. He expected justice, but found bloodshed, integrity, but only a cry of distress (v. 7).Footnote ^bsays“‘of his love’ corr.: ‘of my friend’ Hebr.”; and Footnote ^c  says“In Hebr. ‘of soreq’, probably a vine of fine quality red grapes.

Verse 34 says: When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce.

Parallel text is Mt 22:3 that says:He sent his servants to call those who were invited, but they would not come.

Verses 35-37 say: But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them the same way.Finally he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son’ he said.

Parallel text of verse 35 Mt 22:6 is that says:and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them.

Verse 38 says: But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Jn 3:16-17 - Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not be lost but may have eternal life (v. 16).   For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved (v. 17).

2.       1 Jn 4:9 - God’s love for us was revealed when God sent into the world his only Son so that we could have life through him…

3.       Ga 3:16 - Now the promises were addressed to Abraham and to his descendants - notice, in passing, that the scripture does not use a plural word as if there were several descendants, it uses the singular: to his posterity,^g which is Christ. Footnote ^g says“Lit. ‘it does not say “And to posterities” as if there were several people, but “And to your posterity” as if there were one.’ The use in scripture of the collective capable of indicating an individual enables Paul to illustrate his argument with a verbal pun.”

4.       Ga 4:7… and it is this that makes you a son, you are not a slave anymore;   and if God has made you a son then he has made you an heir…

5.       Heb 1:2…in our time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son, the Son that he has appointed to inherit everyhting^a and through whom he made everything that there is.^b Footnote ^a says “To be a son implies having the right to inherit cf. Mt 21:38, Ga 4:7. Here, however, God is credited with the handing over of the whole creation because the inheritance in question is messianic and eschatological.”; and Footnote ^bsays“Lit. the ‘aeons’, Hebraism for the whole creation.”

Verses 38, 40 and 41 say: So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these tenants?’They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives’.

Parallel text is Heb 13:12 that says: …and so Jesus too suffered outside the gate to sanctify the people with his own blood.^d Footnote ^d says “On the day of Atonement the high priest went into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it with the blood of animals that had been killed, and the bodies of these animals were burnt outside the camp. This prefigured how Jesus Christ as expiatory victim was to be killed outside the walls of Jerusalem. The lesson drawn from this is that Christians should break with Judaism and think of themselves as exiles from the world.”

Verse 42 says: Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read the scriptures: It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone. This was the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see?

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Ps 118:22-23 - It was the stone rejected by the builders proved to be the keystone (v.22); this is Yahweh’s doing and it is wonderful to see.^h Footnote ^h says “The Temple is rebuilt, cf. Hg 1:9; Zc 1:16. The ‘keystone’ (or ‘crowning stone’), cf. Jr 51:26, that may become ‘a stone of stumbling’, is a messianic theme, Is 8:14; 28:16; Zc 3:9; 4:7, applied to Jesus Christ, Mt 21:42p; Ac 4:11; Rm 9:33; 1 P 2:4f, cf. Ep 2:20; 1 Co 3:11.”

2.       Dn 2:45…just as you saw the stone untouched by the hand break from the mountain and shatter iron, bronze, earthenware, silver and gold. The great God has shown the king what is to take place. The dream is true, the interpretation exact.’

3.       Ac 2:33 - Now raised to the heights by God’s right hand,^s he has received from the father the Holy Spirit, who was promised,^t and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit. Footnote ^s says “Words borrowed from Ps. 118 (v.16 LXX ‘The right hand of the Lord has raised me up’) used in their preaching by the apostles who took it to be messianic: Ac 4:11, 1 P 2:7, Mt 21:9p,42p, 23:39, Lk 13:35, Jn 12:13, Heb 13:6. But it is possible to translate. ‘ Having raised up to the right hand of God’ and to see in this an introduction to the quotation (v.34) of Ps. 110); which is another name of Apostolic preaching: Mt. 22:44p,26:64p, Mk 16:19, Ac 7:55,56, Rm 8:34, 1Co. 15:25, Ep. 1:20 Col. 3:1, Heb. 1:3,13, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2, 1 P.3:22.”; and Footnote ^tsays“According to the prophets, the gif of the Spirit would characterize  the messianic era, Ex. 36:27+. Peter explains the miracle his bearers have witnessed as the ‘pouring out’ of this spirit, foretold in Jl 3:1-2 by the risen Christ.”

4.       Ac 4:11 - This is the stone rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone.

5.       Is 28:16 - That is why the Lord Yahweh says this: See how I lay in Zion a stone of witness, a precious cornerstone,  a foundation stone: The believer shall not stumble.

6.       1 P 2:4-8 - He is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him (v. 4) so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ had made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house (v. 5). As scripture says: See how I lay in Zion a precious cornerstone that I have chosen and the man who rests his trust on it will not be disappointed (v. 6).That means that for you who are believers, it is precious; but for unbelievers, the stone rejected by the builders has proved to be the keystone (v. 7), a stone to stumble over, a rock to bring men down. They stumble over it because they do not believe in the word; it was the fate in store for them^a (v. 8).Footnote ^asays“Lit. ‘to this indeed they were appointed’. By rejecting the Good News the K\Jews have lost their prerogatives which have been transferred to Christians, 3:9. The OT quotations in vv. 6-10 reflect the need of the earliest Christians to find scriptural explanations for the unbelief of Israel.”

Verse 43 says:I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.’^h Footnote ^h says “Add. V. 44 ‘He who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces: anyone it falls on will be crushed’, probably a gloss taken from Lk 20:18.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Ac 13:5 - They landed in Salamis and proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews^e. John acted as their assistant. Footnote ^e says“Paul’s regular policy, 17:2, is to approach the Jews first, cf. 13:14; 14:1; 16:13; 7:10,17;  18:4,19; 19:8; 28:17,23, on the principle that the Jews have first claim, see 3:26; 13:46; Rm 1:16; 2:9-10; Mt 7:27, only after refusal does Paul turn to the pagans, cf. Ac 13:46; 18:6; 28:28.

2.       Rm 11:11 -Let me put another question then: have the Jews forever, or have they just stumbled?^c Obviously they have not fallen forever: their fall, though, has saved the pagans^d in a way the Jews may now well emulate. Footnote ^c says“Lit ‘have they stumbled so as to fall (without hope of rising)?’”; and Footnote ^d says “The present unbelief of the Jews is only a false step which God has permitted with a view to the conversion of the pagans, 9:22; 11:12,19,25,30, and ultimately the Jews themselves; for their own good God will make them ‘jealous’, 10:19, of the pagans.”

The First Reading is taken from   Is 5:1-7 under the title: “The song of the vineyard^a”.

Verse 1 says: Let me sing to my friend the song of his love^b for his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. Footnote  ^bsays “‘of his love’ corr.: ‘of my friend’ Hebr.”

Parallel textsare:

1.       Is 3:14 - Yahweh calls to judgment the elders and the princes of his people: ‘You are the ones who destroy the vineyard and conceal what you have stolen from the poor.

2.       Is 27:2-5 - The vineyard of Yahweh.^b That day, sing to the delightful^c vineyard (v. 2)! I, Yahweh, am its keeper; every moment I water it for fear its leaves should fall;^d night and day I watch over it (v. 3). I am angry no longer. If thorns and briars come I will declare war on them, I will burn them every one (v. 4). Or if they would shelter under my protection, let them make their peace with me, let them make their peace with me (v. 5).Footnote ^b says “Israel. This poem is a pendant to Is. 5:1-7”; Footnote ^c says “‘delightful’ corr.; ‘of wine’ Hebr.”; and Footnote ^d says “‘for fear its leaves should fall’ corr.; ‘lest anyone harm it’ Hebr.”

3.       Ps 80:8-18 - There was a vine:^e you uprooted it from Egypt; to plant it, you drove out other nations (v. 8), you cleared a space where it could grow, it took root and filled the whole country (v. 9). It covered the mountains with its shade, the cedars of God^f with its branches (v. 10), its tendrils extended to the sea, its offshoot all the way to the river (v. 11)^g Why have you destroyed its fences? Now anyone can go and steal its grapes (v. 12), the forest boar can ravage it and wild animals eat it (v. 13). Please, Yahweh Sabaoth, relent! Look down from heaven, look at this vine, visit it (v. 14), protect what your own right hand has planted^h (v. 15). They threw it on the fire like dung^,i but one look of reproof from you and they will be doomed (v. 16). May your hand protect the man at your right, the son of man who has been authorized by you^j (v. 17). We shall never turn from you again; our life renewed, we shall invoke your name (v. 18).Footnote^esays“Allegory frequent in the prophets, cf. Is 5:1+.”; Footnote ^fsays“Or ‘the branches were cedars o God’ (i.e. the highest of cedars, cf. 36:6; 68:15).”; Footnote ^gsays“The Euphrates.”; Footnote ^hsays“Hebr. adds ‘and on the son you authorized’ (lit. ‘strengthened’) anticipated of 17b.”;Footnote ⁱsays“Line corr.”; Footnote ^jsays“Probably allusion to Zerubbabel, Hg 1:1; Ezr 3:2, rather than to Benjamin (‘son of the right hand’), Amaziah (‘Yahweh is trusty’) cf. 25:5, or Israel (cf. Ex 4:22).”

4.       Jr 2:21 - Yet I had planted you, a choice vine,  a shoot of soundest stock. How is it you become a degenerate plant,^o you bastard Vine? Footnote^o says “‘a degenerate plant’ conj.”

5.       Jr 5:10 - Scale her terraces! Destroy! Make^g an end of her! Strip off her branches, Yahweh does not own them.Footnote^g says“‘Make’ corr.; ‘Do not make’ Hebr., cf. 4:27+. The Greek continues ‘spare her branches, for Yahweh owns them’.”

6.       Jr 6:9 -“Yahweh Sabaoth says this: Glean, glean,^f as a vine is gleaned, what is left^g of Israel; like a grape-picker pass your hand again over the branches!”’Footnote^f says “Following Greek. Yahweh instructs Jeremiah to collect a few who will listen to him. Vv. 10-11 express the prophet’s discouragement; Yahweh’s answer follows.” and Footnote ^g says “Here, as in 8:3, the expression is still not technical. It becomes so in 23:3; 31:7 (there translated ‘remnant’), indicating the faithful Israel, heir to the blessings to come, cf. Is 4:3+.”

7.       Jr 8:13 -“I would like to go harvesting there, ^g says Yahweh. But there are no grapes on the vine, no figs on the fig tree: even the leaves are withered. This is because I have brought them ravagers to ravage them.”^h Footnote^g says “Following Greek, Hebr. “I shall consume them completely’.”; and Footnote ^hsays“This line (corr.) and the preceding are absent from Greek.”

8.       Jr 12:10 - Many shepherds have laid my vineyard waste, have trampled down my inheritance, reducing my pleasant inheritance to a deserted wilderness.

9.       Ezk 15:1-8 - Parable of the vine. The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows (v. 1): ‘Son of man’ how is the wood of the vine better than wood from the branch of a forest tree? Do people use its wood to carve it into something? Do they make a peg out of it, and hang things on it? There it is, thrown on the fire for fuel. The fire burns off both ends; the middle is charred; is it fit for carving now?^a While it was intact, it was impossible to carve; burned and charred, will it be now fit for carving? Therefore, the Lord Yahweh says this: As the wood of the vine among the forest trees, which I have thrown on the fire for fuel, so have I treated the citizens of the Jerusalem. I have turned my face against them. They have escaped the fire, but the fire will devour them yet. And you will learn that I am Yahweh, when I turn my face against them. I mean to reduce the country to desert, to punish their faithlessness to me –it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks.’ Footnote^a says “If the comparison is to be urged, Israel has been deprived of the territory of Samaria in 720 and of Judah in 597. Jerusalem itself (the ‘middle’) is no longer ‘intact’ since it has already suffered siege and deportation.”

10.   Ezk 17:3-10 - Say, “The Lord Yahweh says this: A large eagle,^a with huge wings and a wide span,  covered with speckled feathers, came to Lebanon. He took hold of the top of the cedar, plucked of the top branch, carried it off the top branch, carried it off to the land of merchants, and set it down in the city of shopkeepers. Then he carried off a seeding vine, and planted it in fertile soil; by the side of a wide stream, as a border he set it.^b The seedling grew, and turned into a vine, not tall but well spread out; its branches grew up towards the eagle, its roots grew down. It turned into a vine; it sent out streams put out sprays. There was another large eagle,^c with a huge wings and thickly feathered. And now the vine twisted its roots toward him, stretched its branches toward him away from the bed where it was planted for him to water them. It was in a fertile field, by the side of a wide stream, that the vine had been planted, to grow shoots, bear fruit and become a noble vine.” Say, “The Lord Yahweh says this: Will this vine thrive?^d Will not the eagle break it roots, and snap up the fruit, so that all the new leaves will wither they shoot? It will take no effort and no strong nation to pull it up by the roots. It is planted there; will it thrive? Will not shrivel when the east wind blows? It will wither on the soil where it was growing.” ’  Footnote ^a says “Nebuchadnessar who in 597, having deported Jehoiachim, put Zedekiah on the throne, cf. vv. 12f.”; Footnote ^b says “‘cedar’ corr.’ ‘of the land’ Hebr. Before ‘by the side of’ Hebr. inserts ‘take’, absent from Greek.”; Footnote ^c says “‘another large eagle’ corr. Following versions’ ‘one large eagle’ Hebr. This eagle is Egypt, on whose help Zedekiah was always disposed to rely for support against Babylon, cf. v. 15.”; and Footnote ^d says “‘Will (this vine) thrive?’ some MSS; ‘(It) will thrive’ Text. Rec.”

11.   Ezk 19:10-14 -“Your mother was like a vine^g planted beside the water, fruitful and leafy, because the water flowed so full. It will put out strong branches that turned to royal scepters; they reached up, reached so high they touched the clouds;^h men admired them for their height and their thick foliage. But it was rooted up and thrown on the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; it was broken up; its strong branch withered away;^I fire consumed it all. Now it has been transplanted into the desert, the waterless country of drought; fire was come out of its stem, consumed its branches and fruit. No more strong branch for her, no more kingly scepter.”Footnote^g says “‘like’ Targ. A second allegory: the vine is the nation, once prosperous and now shortly to be destroyed”; Footnote ^h says “‘clouds’ corr.; ‘ropes’ Hebr.”; and Footnote ⁱ says “‘was broken up’ and ‘withered away’; Greek.”

12.   Ho 10:1 -Israel was a luxuriant vine  yielding plenty of fruit.^a The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; the richer his land became, the richer he made the sacred stones.Footnote^a says “‘yielding plenty of’ corr.; ‘setting for him’ Hebr.”

13.   Jl 1:7 - It has laid waste my vines and torn my fig trees to pieces; it has stripped them clean and cut them down,^c their branches have turned white.Footnote^c says “Text corr.”

14.   Na 2:3 - Yes, Yahweh is restoring the vineyard^b of Jacob and the vineyard of Israel. Fur the plundered has plundered them, they had broken off their branches.Footnote^b says “‘vineyard’ corr.: ‘magnificence’ Hebr.”

Verse 2 says: He dug the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted choice vines^c in it. In the middle he built a tower, he dug a press there too. He expected it to yield grapes, but sour grapes were all that it gave.Footnote  ^csays“In Hebr. ‘of soreq’, probably a vine of fine quality red grapes.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 21:18-19+;33-34 - As he was returning to the city in the early morning, he felt hungry (v. 18). Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it, and found nothing on it but leaves. And he said to it, “May no never fruit again’; and at that instant the fig tree withered^d (v. 19). ‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad (v. 33).When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce (v. 34).Footnote^dsays“‘It was not the season for figs’, Mk says. Jesus wished to perform a symbolic action, cf. Jr 8:13+, in which the fig tree represents Israel punished for its fruitlessness.”

2.       Mk 12:1 - He went on to speak to them in parables, ‘A man planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug out a trough for the winepress and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad.

3.       Jn 15:1-2 - I am the vine^a and my Father is the vinedresser.Footnote ^asays“On the vine image, cf. Jr 2:21; Is. 5:1+. In the synoptic, Jesus uses the vine as a symbol of the kingdom of God, Mt 20:1-8; 21:28-31, 33-41 and p, and ‘the fruit of the vine’ becomes the Eucharistic sacrament of the New Covenant, Mt 26:29p. Here he calls himself the true vine whose fruit, the true Israel, will not disappoint God’s expectation.”

Verse3 says: And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I ask you to judge between my vineyard and me.

Parallel text is Mi 6:1-5 that says: Yahweh puts his people ion trial^a. Now listen to what Yahweh is saying: Stand up and let the case begin in the hearing of the mountains and let the hills hear what you say (v. 1).^b Listen, you mountains, to Yahweh’s accusation, give ear,^c you foundations of the earth, for Yahweh is accusing his people, pleading against Israel (v. 2): My people, what have i done to you, how have I been a burden to you? Answer me (v. 3)^d. I brought you out of the land of Egypt, I rescued you from the house of slavery; I sent Moses to lead you, with Aaron and Miriam (v. 4). My people, remember: what did Balak plot, the king of Moab? What did Balaam answer, that son of Beor?...from Shittim to Gilgal, for you know the rightness of the ways of Yahweh (v. 5).^eFootnote ^asays“After Yahweh’s accusation in which he recalls his goodness to Israel, vv. 3-5, his repentant worshipper enquires what his God demands of him, vv.6-7. The prophet replies, v. 8.”;Footnote^bsays“The mountains are God’s favorite place of meeting with his people (Sinai, Nebo, Ebal and Gerizim, Zion, Carmel, etc.). They are changeless witnesses, often personified, Gn 49:26; 2 S 1:21; Ezk 35-36; Ps 68:15-16, etc.”;Footnote^csays“‘give ear’ corr.: ‘and the deeps (?)’ Hebr.“; Footnote^dsays “‘have I been a burden to you’ (heleethika) and ‘I brought you up’ (heelithika) are similar in sound. Yahweh is about to remind the people, who claim that he has abandoned them, of his past kindness. The text is used in the Improperia of the Good Friday liturgy.”;  Footnote^esays“There is a lacuna in the Hebr. text. The reference is to the crossing of the Jordan. ‘you to know’ versions; ‘knowledge of’ Hebr. The ‘rightness of the ways’ (lit. ‘uprightness’) of Yahweh are the climacteric events of sacred history by which Yahweh showed his loyalty to the people he had chosen. Since the covenant itself was the issue of a divine initiative, this ‘uprightness’ (‘righteousness’, ‘justice’) is freely given.”

Verse 4 says: What could I have done for my vineyard that I have not done? I expected it to yield grapes. Why did it yield sour grapes instead?

Parallel text is Jr 2:4-7 that says:Listen to the word of Yahweh, House of Jacob, and all you families of the House of Israel (v. 4). Thus says Yahweh, ‘What shortcoming did your fathers find in me that led them to desert me? Vanity they pursued, vanity they became (v. 5)^c They never said, ‘Where is Yahweh, who brought us out of the land of Egypt and led us through the wilderness, through a land arid and scored, a land of drought and darkness,^d a land where no one passes, and no man lives (v. 6)” I brought you to a fertile country to enjoy its produce and good things; but no sooner had you entered than you defiled my land, and made my heritage detestable (v. 7).Footnote ^c says“‘Vanity’ is used as false gods. ‘Those shall be like them who make them’, Ps 115:8.Footnote^dsays“‘darkness’ corr.; ‘the shadow of death’ Hebr.”

says

Verse 5 says: Very well, I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge for it to be grazed on, and knock down its wall for it to be trampled on.

Parallel text is Ho 2:14that says:I will lay her vines and fig trees waste, those of which she used to say, ‘These are the pay my lovers gave me’; I am going to make them into thickets for the wild beasts to ravage.

Verses 6 and 7 say: I will lay it waste, unpruned, undug; overgrown by the briar and the thorn. I will command the clouds to rain no rain on it.Yes, the vineyard of Yahweh Sabaoth is the House of Israel, and the men of Judah that chosen plant. He expected justice, but found bloodshed, integrity, but only a cry of distress.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Is 32:13…for the soil of my people where thorns and briars grow, for all the happy houses, for the gay city.

2.       2 S 1:21mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain on you; treacherous fields, for there the hero’s shield was dishonoured! The shield of Saul was anointed not with oil…

The Second Reading is taken from Ph 4:6-9.

Verse 6 says: There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving,

Parallel text of verse is Mt 6:25-34 that says: Trust in Providence: ‘That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. Surely. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing! (v. 25). Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? (v. 26). Can any of you, for all his worrying, add one single cubit to his span of life? (v. 27). And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin (v. 28); yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these (v. 29).  Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you men of little faith? (v. 30). So do not worry; do not say, ‘What are we to eat? How are we to be clothes?’ (v. 31). It is the pagans who set their hearts into these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all (v. 32). Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well (v. 33). So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (v. 34).

Footnote  says

Verses 7 and 8 say: And that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts,^b in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honor,^c and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise.Footnote  ^b says“Var. ‘your bodies’.”; and Footnote^csays“Add. ‘everything there is of knowledge’, or ‘of discipline’ (Vulg.).”

Parallel texts of verse 7 are:

1.       Jn 14:27- Peace^s I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.Footnote^s says“The customary Jewish greeting and farewell, cf. Lk. 10:5p; it means soundness of body but came to be used of the  perfect happiness and the deliverance which the Messiah would bring. All this Jesus gives.”

2.       Col 3:15 - And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful

Verse 9 says: Keep doing all the things that you learnt from me and have been taught by me and have heard or seen that I do. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       1 Th 2:13 - Another reason why we constantly  thank God for you is that as soon as you heard the message you accepted it for what it really is, God’s message^d and not some human thinking; and it is still^e a living power among you who believe it.Footnote^dsays “A brief summary of the apostolic tradition: message is first ‘received’, 4:1; 2 Th 3:6; 1 Co 15:1; Ga 1:9; Ph 4:9; Col. 2:6; or ‘heard’, Rm 10:17+; Ep 1:13; Ac 15:7, etc. It then penetrates the mind or heart, Rm 10:8-10, where, if it is welcomed,, 1:6; 2 Th 2:10; 2 Co 11:4; Ac 8:16, etc. Mk 4:20, it proves that the hearer acknowledges that God has been speaking through his missionary, 4:1f; 2 Co 3:5; 15:3.”; and  Footnote  ^e says“Or ‘has become’; God acts through his message that has been welcomed by the believer, cf. 1:8, 2 Th 3:1.”

2.       2 Th 3:7 - You know how you are supposed to imitate us;^b now we were not idle when we were with you.Footnote^b says“By imitating Paul , 1 Co 4:16; Ga 4:12; Ph 3:17, Christians will be imitating Christ, 1 Th 1:6; Ph 2:5; cf Mt 16:24; 1 P 2:21; 1 Jn 2:6; who is the one that Paul is imitating, 1 Co 11:1. Christians must also imitate God, Ep 5:1 (cf. Mt 5:48), and they must imitate each other, 1 Th 1:7; 2:14; Heb 6:12. Behind this community of life is the idea of a model of doctrine, Rm 6:17, that has been received by tradition, v. 6: 1 Co 11:2+; 1 Th 2:13++. The leaders who transmit the doctrine must themselves  be ‘models’ v. 9; Ph 3:17; 1 Tm 1:16; 4:12; Tt 2:7;  1 P 5:3; whose faith and life are to be imitated, Heb 13:7.”