"Caretakers of the Vineyard: Living Christ's Call in Queens and Beyond"

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Today's gospel lesson was taken from Matthew 21, 33-46.  

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Many times we listen to gospel passages—especially as we gather this first Sunday of October, following the traditional Bible readings used by churches all around the world—and we wonder: What does THIS have to do with ME? With the world and challenges that I am living in today? And why did they pick this specific story by Jesus out of all his many teachings for this time of year? Is the even Bible relevant in modern times, or is it just an old-fashioned text we are trained to listen to, but not really hear?

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But if we did a little bit and look closer at why this reading was chosen, we see a profound connection to the changing season. As summer turns to fall and the harvests are brought in, this story of a vineyard is placed right here today to mirror the harvests. Just as fields are gathered at this time of year, this parable prompts us to ask: What kind of fruit are our lives, and our communities, producing? It steps into the flow of Jesus's final weeks, matching His high-stakes confrontation with corrupt authorities, and it invites comfortable institutions and believers alike into a timeless, necessary self-examination about whether we are tending creation for the common good or guarding power for ourselves.

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The funny thing about the stories that Jesus taught is that they ARE still relevant today, thousands of years later. We humans are faced with the very same struggles as the folks back when Jesus walked the earth and Rome ruled the world. In this parable told to us by Matthew, we can see how it hits home—touching on the abuse of institutional power, the accountability of our leaders and government, and the heavy tension between the rulers of the world and God's call for justice. In 2000 years the players have changed but the story is the same.

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In the bible, the tale hinges on a fundamental misunderstanding. The workers begin to think they own the vineyard instead of realizing they are just the caretakers. This mirrors how leaders and governing bodies often treat public trust, resources, and authority as private property. Instead of managing things for the common good, they exploit them for self-enrichment. We can see this happening today too —as public lands are sold off for AI centers, when the poor taxpayers are squeezed as the rich get richer, and when leaders use their power to line their own pockets instead of taking care of the fruit on the vine.

In Jesus’s story, when the landowner sends messengers to check on things, the workers respond with violence and rejection. Even here, we can see parallels to our lives today when corrupt systems react defensively against whistleblowers, journalists, and independent voices who demand accountability or point out when things are broken or off tract.

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Later Jesus then quotes an old Scripture about the stone rejected by the builders becoming the chief cornerstone. This points to a recurring pattern: the marginalized ideas, the overlooked grassroots movements, and the people that established systems dismiss or discard often end up being the exact catalysts we need to reshape culture and build something better.

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The core question of the parable—"What will the owner of the vineyard do to those workers?"—speaks to our everyday anxieties about unfair systems and the eventual reality of collapse. Whether applied to corrupt political regimes or powerful monopolies, history shows that systems built on exploitation eventually face a reckoning, ceding their authority to new leadership.

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At its heart, this parable is a timeless warning against pride in high places. It reminds us that the benefit of all people—owner and worker alike—is what should always be the guiding factor. When power becomes self-preserving rather than fruit-bearing, it sows the seeds of its own downfall.

To some folks in our pews, this eventual upheaval against the status quo can feel unsettling. But Jesus reminds us that in God’s eyes, it is the people and the common good that must always come first. When power forgets that - things naturally change.  For those who feel the heavy hand of oppression today, whose livelihoods are squeezed, and whose daily survival is made harder by those in power—this parable offers a deep well of hope. 

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It is a reminder that injustice is not the final word, and that the natural, good order of God's justice will always prevail.

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So how do we bring Jesus’s parable home and use it in our daily lives? 

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Of course, Jesus’s message isn't just about politicians in Washington or rulers in far-off capitals. It is about US, you and me, right here on the streets of Woodhaven, in our own neighborhoods, and in our own backyards.

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If we are truly going to learn from Jesus’s story, we have to look at our own daily choices. 

We are ALL caretakers of God’s creation. How do we treat the gifts we've been given? Do we act like we own everything around us, hoarding our time, our comfort, or our resources? Or do we realize that everything we have is lent to us by the Creator, meant to be shared?

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Living a truly good and Christlike existence means striving toward that greater good every single day. It means opening our eyes to our fellow man—checking in on the neighbor who is struggling, support those who are sad or lonely, lift up those who feel stepped on by society, and refusing to look away from suffering. 

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It means rolling up our sleeves to protect the earth and ALL her children—tending to the land, the air, and the water just as faithfully as a good gardener tends the vines.  

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When we choose kindness over selfishness, when we stand up for the vulnerable instead of guarding our own comfort, and when we care for God's creation with love and respect, we stop acting like selfish workers and start bearing the good, sweet fruit that the Master of the vineyard is asking for.

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Message for Sunday, Sept 20

Ginny Ackermann