The Faithful Steward (LK 20:9-18)

14. "This is the heir. Let's kill him so that the inheritance will be ours," the tenants said to one another when they saw him.

A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to some farmers, then went away for a long time. When the harvest season came, he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. He then sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

Then the owner of the vineyard said, "What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him." But when the tenants saw him, they plotted together and said, "This is the heir. Let's kill him so that the inheritance will be ours." So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

This parable is a metaphor for how the Jewish leaders rejected and killed Jesus, the Son of God.

God created the world and entrusted it to us. He wanted us to cultivate and care for it, living together in harmony. We are not the owners but the stewards, responsible for faithfully carrying out the tasks entrusted to us. Yet we often act as if we own what has been given to us, trying to be the masters rather than the caretakers. This is where the problem lies.

♧ Righteous and gracious God, help us to truly understand our role as stewards and to faithfully fulfill our responsibilities. Holy Spirit, empower us to be strong and courageous. Amen.