The vineyard is a favorite image of God’s people in both the Old and New Testaments. It brings out the closeness of the Lord to His people, the way He is prepared to work with them to produce fruit, his long-term investment in their success. But things can go wrong. If the vineyard is not well cared for, if it is neglected, it will not produce good fruit. If those who are in charge keep the produce for their own use, pretending it is their own and not God’s, then disaster will ensue and the vineyard will be taken away from them. We have inherited the Lord’s vineyard. As we hear this parable we may find ourselves asking the question: “How are we to look after this gift to us?†St. Paul, in today’s extract from his letter to the Philippians, bids us ask God for anything we need in prayer and thanksgiving, and God’s peace will guard our hearts and thoughts.
We are all called to care for the vineyard of the Lord, to build up God’s kingdom in the world and to help it to bear fruit. Each one of us has a calling and a responsibility to work towards that end. There’s a sense too in which God has given each of us a unique vineyard or garden to cultivate in our own lives: in our life of faith and prayer, and in our relationships with the people we know and among whom we live, our families, friends and colleagues. We are all responsible for the well-being of our vineyards. Just as there is no one way of cultivating a vineyard, so as we go through life we will find that we make some choices that work, others that fail. But even in difficult times, when faith seems weak and relationships are challenging, we can remember that nothing is irredeemable. Vines are a hardy crop and benefit from growing on stony ground and being vigorously, if carefully, pruned. And they tend to grow better when cooperation and goodwill are ivnolved in cultivating abd caring for them. And perhaps the same is true of us. Above all, let’s always remember the passion the Lord has for His vineyard. We are never alone in our endeavours. The Lord is always there with us, encouraging us and working alongside us as we bring to fruition the unique gift of our lives.