The Parable of the Wicked Tenants teaches us a lot about God and how God relates to us. First we see the PROVIDENCE of God. “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower.” (MARK 12: 1a). Before God entrusts a responsibility to you, He makes provision for all that you will need in carrying out the responsibility.
“Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.” (MARK 12: 1b). This shows God’s TRUST in us. God does not stand looking over our shoulders, policing us to make sure we do the right thing. God leaves the job to us and goes on vacation to a far country, so to say. God trusts that we will do the right thing. Unfortunately many of us don’t. The story also highlights God’s PATIENCE with us. God sends messenger after messenger to the rebellious managers who would not render to God what is His due. With each messenger, God provides another chance for us to put an end to rebellion and do the right thing. Finally there comes a last chance. God plays His last card and sends His only Son. If we miss this last chance, then we’ve missed it. In the end we see God’s JUDGMENT in which rebellious humanity lose their very lives, and their privileges are transferred to others who are more promising. The picture is that of a provident, trusting, patient, but also just God.
From this we can learn a lot about ourselves and how we stand in relation to God. First we see human PRIVILEGE. Like the managers of the vineyard, everything we have is a privilege and not a merit. This is what we mean when we say that everything is God’s grace. Grace is unmerited favour. Another word for this is privilege. Life itself is a privilege which can be taken away from any of us at any moment. Privilege comes, however, with RESPONSIBILITY. We are ultimately responsible and accountable to God for the way we use or abuse our God-given privileges. God has given us all that we need to make a judicious use of all our privileges, yet we retain the ability to abuse them. This is called FREEDOM. The Parable of the Wicked Tenants is a parable on the misuse of human freedom. Let us today pray for the wisdom and the courage never to abuse our privileges but rather to make a judicious use of all the privileges and opportunities that God gives us. (FR. MUNACHI E. EZWOGU)