I think any competent person would ask a similar question to the landowner in Jesus’ parable of the wicked tenants. His decision to send his son, after the other, previous messengers were captured and put to death, seems illogical and bizarre. Why such a risk? Did the landowner really think his most beloved would be treated better than his servants? Why didn’t he simply give up on the vineyard and play it safe?
Bearing in mind that the landowner represents God in this parable, we could ask a similar question to the Lord Himself. If He kept attempting to form a covenant with His people, and they continued to be unfaithful, why did He not move on? What profit was there for Him? Why send His Son, after the harsh way that ancient Israel treated His prophets in the Old Testament?
Thankfully, God does not operate in an overly selfish, cautious, and utilitarian way. Rather, the motivation for God sending His Son into our world—a world entrusted to us as stewards from the beginning of creation—with the knowledge that He would be put to death, was love. Perhaps this was the only way for us to recognize our sinfulness and turn to Him for mercy. Perfect Truth, Perfect Goodness, Perfect Beauty took on our human flesh. In response, selfish and sinful as we are, we refused to embrace this Love. Our Lord asked us to drink the cup He was to drink, and we thought it better to spit it out and indulge in our own desires and pleasures.
And yet, each Lent, we get an opportunity to look at the cross again and remind ourselves of our inadequacies, of the fact that Jesus drank the cup of suffering for us so that we could be reconciled to Him. Are we cognizant of this each Lent, or are we more focused on our resolutions that fill our cups of pride and self-accomplishment? While our penances and works of mercy can certainly be fruitful, they must be done from an inner attitude of mercy, which comes from the realization that someone—God Himself—was merciful to us first, wicked tenants as we were.
Yes, when we sin, we are the wicked tenants. We abuse the inherent goodness of the gifts God has given each of us. But rather than abandon us, our Lord will continue sending His Son over and over again, regardless of our response, because He is radically in love with us. He is offering us His cup to drink this Lent, a cup full of the blood He generously poured out on the cross, the blood of reconciliation and forgiveness. Never fear to draw near and drink this life-giving blood.
