Jesus tells a parable about people in a vineyard who go on a killing spree. They “seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned.” “They treated (others) in the same way.” Then, “when they saw the son, they said, “Come, let us kill him.” The men kill because they believe in violence, that violence is the solution to their problem. They believe violence will save them.
Violence, but even just protest, specifically when done by laborers / union workers has been routinely judged sinful throughout history. This same judgment has been made against slaves fighting for their freedom. Such violence, random or planned, is not defended nor praised as a saving solution. It is condemned as un-Christ-like. Today’s Gospel parable of the murderers in the vineyard is used as evidence for the judgment and condemnation against rebellion violence. But the murderers in the Gospel are never identified as rebels: workers or unionists or slaves. They are identified as tenants. The tenets in the parable are actually the “the chief priests and the elders of the people.” It is these religious rulers to whom Jesus directs his parable. Jesus identifies the ruling class as murderous tenants, apropos since they will soon kill him. It is not laborers but rulers Jesus identifies as the un-Christ-like violent people who kill. Unlike laborer violence though, ruler violence and that of the killing agents they arm, soldiers and police, is not routinely judged sinful. Neither is it condemned, even by self-titled Christians. On the contrary, such Christians routinely praise the violence of soldiers and police. They assert the violence of rulers and their gunmen is good violence, it saves us. It is because killer rulers and those who collude with them have sanctified their violence as a saving solution that their violence persists as the fundamental problem across the world. No other killers have crafted their image quite like rulers, soldiers, and police. None who are so committed to violence have so coerced the public into routinely thanking them for producing it. Imagine liquor companies and their sales reps across the world owning and controlling ambulance services, especially for victims of DUI’s. Victims could thank them for saving their lives; for being heroes. After all, if it weren’t for the liquor companies how would we ever get to the hospital? Imagine tobacco companies and their ad men across the world owning and controlling hospitals, especially cancer wards. Cancer patients could thank them for saving their lives; for being heroes. After all, if it weren’t for the tobacco companies how would we ever have any hospitals? We know each group is the primary cause of the resultant violence. We know too that anyone could easily suggest other sources for securing ambulances and hospitals. Neither group is so shameless as to operate in such an exploitative manner. Yet that is precisely the bizarre circumstance with war plunderers and gun manufacturers and their primary customers, soldiers and police. All of them keep the world drowning in bloodshed and yet shamelessly operate what are supposed to be community safety organizations. After all, if it were not for weapons manufacturers and their militant users how would we ever be safe? Killer agents of the state coerce victims of violence into feelings of gratitude for them, into thanking them – even though the military and the police are among those who produce the problem. The killing system and all those they arm – soldiers, police, criminals – are the cause of violence – not its solution. They are certainly not the saviors they craft themselves to be. The violent are killing us off in myriad ways. Let us not be thanking the killers.
“Therefore, I say to you – chief priests and elders,” soldiers and police – “the kingdom of God does not belong to you and will be given to a people that will produce its fruit.”
Prayer: Spirit of Peace, may we bring peace to those grieving the loss of loved ones and to those who violently cause such loss.
Question: How have I been influenced to be grateful for a system and people who kill?
October 8, 2017 Gospel Matthew 21:33-43 Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time