Today’s lectionary reading
is the parable which has often been termed the parable of the Wicked Tenants.
It is a difficult parable to understand, full of violence and hatred.
Quite simply the story is of
a person who bought land, fenced it, built a winepress and a watchtower. Thus,
the owner created a safe environment for the workers. The vineyard was leased
to tenants and the owner left, possibly to continue his business exploits
elsewhere.
I would imagine that is
quite a normal way of conducting business. It is a model that happens all the
time in big business. Owners have multiple investments, they put managers in to
run them and scoop up the profits as a return on their investments. Perhaps,
one could critique this model of business and talk about enormous profits made
while workers toil for a pittance. It is certainly worth considering when this
parable is explored.
I have, in the past, enjoyed
a book by Peter Mayle, it is autobiographical about a year spent in Provence,
France. The style is a little bit too patriarchal for my taste nevertheless it
is an interesting read. In one of the chapters Mayle talks about his venture
into wine-making, although like the owner in the parable today he does little
hands-on work. His property in Provence has six acres of vines. In the book, he
describes the system used in the region which is known as metayage. The owner pays all the capital costs, of new stock, fertilizer,
etc. While the farmer does the actual work, planting, spraying, pruning,
harvesting. When the grapes are converted to wine the farmer takes two-thirds
of the profits while the owner takes the remaining third. This system came to
mind as I read this parable.
When reading parables, I
resist the temptation to assign roles to the characters. I believe that is always
always a mistake. I think one should read them simply as a story told to make a point.
If one assigns roles then the characters often exhibit characteristics that are
unfavourable. In this parable, the landowner has sometimes been equated to God.
If that reasoning is followed then in this parable God is portrayed as vengeful
and one who will cause suffering. (“. . . will put the wretches to a miserable
death” 21:41).
Is that an image of God that
is acceptable? It is certainly an Old Testament image, but the gospels and
epistles have tended to change the interpretation of the image of God from a violent defender to a
loving parent, a view which has increased in contemporary times. If God is put into
the role of landowner then the violent image is affirmed.
In addition, roles would
have to be assigned to the tenants, the servants and the son. The most common
interpretation would see the tenants as the Jewish people (Sadducees,
Pharisees), the servants as prophets and the son as Jesus. I would also want to
reject this. I dislike the Anti-Semitic emphasis this would bring.
So, that leaves me with a
story that has no winners, only losers. The landowner lost profits and a son. The
servants and the son lost their lives. The tenants lost their vineyard (at, least
that is hinted at, 21:41). No solution is given in the parable, there is no real
ending.
I don’t have any great
interpretation or profound thoughts. Much of it just leaves me feeling it is an
unpleasant and disturbing parable.
Perhaps from the tenants
point of view I could explore themes of possible exploitation, injustice, unrest
which results in anger and violence in their desire for change. From the
landowner’s view-point there could also be feelings of injustice, of being used,
taken for granted, dishonoured, great loss and ultimately wanting to turn to
violence.
I suspect each of us have shared several of those feelings at some point in our lives. At those times, hopefully,
most of the time ,violence is not the result. Other ways of dealing with those
feelings have been pursued.
Perhaps, this is simply a
story to illustrate that a time of change is coming, reflecting the unrest in
society. And change always comes from those who see injustice and are bold
enough to stand against it. It has happened with every generation. Hopefully, as
this story is read it will show the futility of trying to bring change through
violence. With violence there are no winners, only losers.
Photo: Cornell Plantations, October 2016, (J.F-G)
