The spiritual fruits

Then he began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not even read this scripture:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord's doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes' ? "

And they sought to lay hands on him, but feared the multitude, for they knew he had spoken the parable against them. So they left him and went away.

- Mark 12:1-12

In Monday's reading, we were given the story of the fig tree that was fruitless - and when it was viewed the next day, it had completely withered even from the roots. In today's reading, Jesus tells the parable of "the Wicked Vinedressers," aimed at the leadership of the temple. From yesterday's reading, we recall that Jesus is now being quizzed by the chief priests, scribes and the elders of the temple. They have asked him by what authority he performed the cleansing of the temple. Jesus' response turned the tables on his inquisitors, by suggesting they answer his question about the authority of John the Baptist. Because the leadership is afraid of the crowds who feel that John the Baptist was a prophet, they could not answer Jesus. In today's reading, this scene continues to unfold. Jesus' response to their questioning of his authority, and the leadership's failure to answer Jesus' question, continues as follows:

Then he began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some." Jesus gives us a setting that is clear to the leadership in the temple. The vineyard is Israel, and the vinedressers are the leadership. The servants are the prophets who have come throughout the history of Israel, and suffered rejection, stoning and death.

Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not even read this scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes' ? " Jesus plainly refers to himself here. As Messiah, in this image of the son of the vineyard owner, Jesus portrays himself as the last in a long line of those who have to come speak for God to the people, to remind the leadership of what is expected as stewards of this nation. The message is about spiritual fruitfulness - just as in the image of the withered fig tree. The passage quoted is from Psalm 118. Jesus is making a clear reference to the loss of their stewardship, and condemning the leaders of the temple.

And they sought to lay hands on him, but feared the multitude, for they knew he had spoken the parable against them. So they left him and went away. My study bible notes that, "the religious leaders plainly understand Jesus' criticism and would have him arrested, but they feared the multitude and a possible insurrection. The leaders in Jerusalem were often viewed by the people as collaborators with the Romans, seeking to maintain their positions. Therefore the people tended to favor popular charismatic figures such as Jesus." The people's favor of figures such as John the Baptist and Jesus also reflects on the story of the vinedressers. Those who are sent by the "owner" of the vineyard also speak for the people, and their care. The leadership, we note here, fails to arrest Jesus as they wish to. As we discussed in yesterday's commentary, it is still "not yet his time" or "his hour" and, in Mark's gospel, Jesus has yet to do more teaching in Jerusalem before the events of his Passion take place.

So, let us focus today on fruitfulness and what this means in spiritual terms to us as Christians. What does it mean to you to be spiritually fruitful? Certainly the image here is first of all of vinedressers - the leadership - seeking only their own welfare, and forgetting about the aims and ownership of the one from whom they have only leased this vineyard. Proper worship, centered on God, is to be our appropriate reverent attitude that produces the correct spiritual fruit. Instead, these vinedressers are only interested in using this property for their own good. The implication here is one of exploitation, corruption, and false leadership. The ones who come in the name of the Lord of the vineyard are cast away, stoned, and killed. So, in some sense, this parable is a similar teaching to the one in which Jesus teaches us to beware of false leadership, of "wolves in sheep's clothing." It is a teaching against those in spiritual leadership whose duty is to God, but who fail to do their duty properly, to care for their property as good stewards, and to produce the kind of fruit spiritual teaching instructs. This parable also tells us of the importance of having true spiritual eyes and ears. Individually, servants are sent to represent the Lord of the property, even the son himself is sent. But they are cast away and killed by the vinedressers; they are small, outnumbered, powerless. Do we have spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear those who speak prophetically? those who appear powerless, and yet speak in His Name, and with the love of the Lord? These are important questions, and clearly Christ is saying here that the leadership of Israel has failed in all of these respects. Jesus' cleansing of the temple - turning over the tables of the moneychangers and the dove sellers - is a condemnation of the corruption in the temple, the self-serving commercialism that usurps the place of producing spiritual fruit.

How do we, then, keep these words in mind today? Have you experienced leadership that only serves its own good, and fails to act as good stewards? What is spiritual fruit? Is it not heeding the teachings of love, with God as the center of our focus, and the fruits we have been taught that Christ desires of us? Stewardship of the flock - good tending of the vines - requires a proper worshipful reverence of what is to be served. The Church is not in the world as "owner" - it is not the center of our worship. Rather the church is spiritual steward of God's creation, and God - and the spiritual teachings we learn from scripture - is to be the central focus of all activity, God's desired fruitfulness the goal. Let us consider what it is to be fruitful, to bear fruit - and what it is to heed the voices of the prophets and of the Son. Are we still focused on this cornerstone? What do we stand to lose when we fail to bear fruit, or to understand what that fruit is and where it comes from? Our focus must never leave out the fruits of the Spirit, and the new forms of holiness that are ever-creative. We are expected to bear spiritual fruit in this world, where we are only stewards. Jesus came, he said, "for the life of the world." Let us remember what it is to be good stewards, and that good leadership is not to be corrupt, not to serve itself, but God's creation. God's people will always need to be nurtured, and served, by good stewardship, and by good spiritual fruit. This requires humility, and so many of the recent lessons in the readings have been for the disciples to learn the value of humility as servants of all. How do we produce that fruit?