Who are the Wicked Tenants today?

The great story of the Divine action in the Hebrew tradition is the deliverance from Egypt. Today the text from Genesis in the Roman Catholic Lectionary sets the stage for the migration of the Hebrew people to Egypt. The youngest son of Israel, Joseph, is favoured by his father and is victimized by his jealous brothers. The psalmist summarizes the change of fortune of Joseph in Egypt where, at the proper time he is put in charge of the household of the king. Matthew records Jesus telling of a parable about wicked tenants of the “vineyard” who fail to produce the fruit expected by the owner and who eventually kill the owner’s son. The Pharisees who listen understand that the parable is aimed at how the religious authorities of Israel have “kept the Promise” to be the People of God and to bring others into the family of God. The declaration of the crowd, affirmed by Jesus that the kingdom of God must be taken from the wicked tenants and given to those who would bring the fruit of the Kingdom spoken in public by one proclaimed as a ‘prophet’ must have shaken them. Today, those who form the Body of Christ, have the same mission to expose the wicked tenants who hold the control which attempts to limit the spread of the fruits of living in the Kingdom where the indwelling Spirit motivates the faithful tenant.