Monsignor Enrique Díaz Díaz shares with Exaudi readers his reflection on the Gospel of this Sunday, October 4, 2026 ,  entitled: “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel . ” 

***

Isaiah 5:1-7: “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel”

Psalm 79: “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel”

Philippians 4:6-9: “Do good and the God of peace will be with you”

Matthew 21:33-43: “He will lease the vineyard to other tenants”

Isaiah and Matthew present us with one of the most beautiful images in the Bible: the vine, which represents God’s love, incarnate in all aspects of human existence and permeating all actions. It is true that the song of the vineyard is a song of labor, so common in rural cultures, where heartfelt verses are sung while working or at the end of the day, interweaving the sorrows and joys that labor brings. It is difficult to discern when they stop speaking of the cornfield and the vineyard and begin to speak of the beloved woman. Behind the peasant song, it is not hard to discover the revelation of a lover who sings and recounts his amorous failure, interweaving intimate expressions until the rural language becomes indistinguishable from that used in loving, and even sexual, relationships between husband and wife. At what point does this image become the story of God’s love for Israel, the people He chose? The song itself raises the issue of the Lord’s failure with his people, but this is only revealed at the end, which is the true intention of the song.

Even more serious is the parable of the murderous tenants. The promise of a love that transcends infidelity and stubbornly offers itself again and again, seeking to rekindle the lost passions of initial love, is countered by a harsh reality of rejection, of escalating violence culminating in the barbarity of the murder of the son and sole heir. Isn’t this violent narrative, where the heir is beaten, stoned, and ultimately murdered over a vineyard, an exaggeration? It sounds tragic, but our reality goes far beyond that: people are murdered for a few coins, killed for the lust for power, and kidnapped and mutilated simply because the perpetrator feels like it or because they have been offended by a glance. The entire dimension of a vineyard, of a life, which God offers us out of love and for love, has been lost, and all efforts are stifled. The lover’s plea for love becomes a reality: “I looked for justice, but there is injustice; for righteousness, but there is outrage.” Our nation is filled with mourning and tears for so many injustices perpetrated by criminals and authorities colluding in a senseless and endless war, driven by a desire for power and revenge, while the poor victims, silent and powerless, remain anonymous and forgotten. How tragic this parable told by Jesus himself has become a reality!

In the parable, there are two aspects we cannot ignore: first, it has a very clear dedication: “Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people,” addressed to the leaders and representatives of the people, both then and now. It offers a clear accusation against those responsible for failing to bear the fruits of justice and righteousness. Every person who holds any degree of authority also bears some degree of responsibility in this deplorable situation. The greater the authority, the greater the responsibility. We cannot act with indifference, passivity, or fear, for justice and the lives of the vulnerable are at stake. Enough of blaming others.

Let each one assume their role with dignity and courage, for at stake is not only personal safety, but also the risk of losing the Lord’s beloved vineyard, for which he has longed, for which he has given his life. Whoever murders a person is murdering a living Christ, but also, whoever, having the duty to protect the defenseless, fails to do so, becomes an accomplice to murder. We all have a responsibility, and we all must contribute new insights that will lead us out of this darkness.

The second aspect will be to discover how the parable contains within itself a poem of God’s marvelous spousal love for his people and for each one of us. God is the vinedresser, and his people are the vineyard to which he sings his love songs. He sings us a personal love story: God loves his people; he has a personalized love for each one of us, his vineyard. God has fallen in love with me, and my whole life is a love story. God is the passionate lover who yearns for the loving response of his beloved. God has allowed himself to be swept away by the madness of his love for me. Nature, the dawn, the rain, the sounds, a dark night—all bring me in their murmur something that resonates and echoes in my heart: “God loves me.” If I look at my own life, every moment, every corner, it will tell me how the Lord has cared for and loved me. Even in the moments when I felt most alone and abandoned, he was there sheltering me with his love, even sending his own Son, the Word of Love. How do I respond to this call of love?

The ending is breathtaking: the death of the Son, the recognition of the cornerstone, and the judgment of the authorities. All of this inevitably leads us to an awareness and a sense of responsibility for the Father’s plan. We must open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts, and commit ourselves to defending and fighting for the vineyard, for humanity, and for our own community. Our hope is based on the certainty that God is carrying out his plan. We have faith in the Kingdom of God and in utopias. We believe in the Gospel, the good news, and we are confident that we can build a vineyard where there are no cries of pain or misery, where fruits of justice, peace, and reconciliation are found. The love that God has for his vineyard, and for me personally, propels us into this adventure of caring for and taking responsibility for the community and the world we inhabit. It is everyone’s responsibility, but it is also mine. What fruits are we bearing? How are we caring for the people, the Lord’s beloved vineyard?

Good Father, who always grants us more than we deserve and desire, who in your madness of love sends your Son in search of good fruits, mercifully forgive our offenses and grant us your light to respond to your love with our love. Amen.