Surrendering the Vineyard

This passage from the Letter to the Philippians is lovely, isn’t it? It is nice to think about things that are honorable and just, pure and lovely and gracious. I appreciate the invitation to have no anxiety at all. I do fall prey to anxiety, and I would love it if the peace of Christ could go ahead and guard my heart so that I wouldn’t feel like that anymore.

And yet, when I’m feeling anxious, it’s hard to shift my thinking to focus on what’s pure and lovely and gracious. That does not come naturally to me, and the idea that I can think my way out of difficult feelings sounds a lot like the toxic positivity going around these days. Like, if I just think positive, I can avoid the things that cause me distress or dismay. I can make a case for diverting my thoughts when they’re spiraling with anxiety that’s not grounded in reality, I’ll give it that. Interrupting rumination can be a helpful strategy. However, if something’s going on in my life that’s really hard, just thinking positively won’t resolve the struggle. Anxiety, as well as anger, sadness, and fear, may not feel comfortable, but just like any other emotion, they let me know what’s happening inside me, and that’s good information. I’m not sure I can avoid negativity by thinking my way out of it. That seems more like a bypass than a resolution.

And while I’m chewing on this, I’m also thinking of the story in the gospel passage from Matthew, which is wild! This is the story Jesus tells the scribes and pharisees about the landowner who leases his vineyard to tenants. When it’s time to harvest, he sends his servants to collect the grapes, and the tenants kill them. What? He eventually sends his son to collect, and the tenants kill him, too, thinking that, with him out of the way, they’ll inherit the property. What? So, the landlord destroys them for their wickedness, and he rents to better tenants who will offer the fruits of their harvest like they’re supposed to.

See? I’m telling you, the story is wild. Why would the tenants expect to inherit? Tenants don’t inherit – they just pay rent. There could be some justice issues with tenant farming, I guess, but the tenants still don’t get to kill people. Also, as a tenant myself, I know that my landlord does not have the right to destroy me if things in the house don’t go well.

Now, I’m not a scholar who understands the ins and outs of the culture surrounding the story, so it could be that I am missing some of the intricacies here. However, I think I’m pretty clear about Jesus’s point. I mean, he says it bluntly in that last line: “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit." Jesus’s own religious authorities think they’re in charge, but they’re not; they’re only tenants in God’s vineyard. Because they’re not recognizing who Jesus is in their midst, and because of how they’re treating him, they’re pretty sucky tenants in God’s vineyard. And we know how things go, right? The “tenants” kill the son of God in order to try to take what they think is theirs. I mean, they don’t see it that way, but the writer of this gospel, who also knows the end of the story, probably does.

What do you make of this? And how in the world does this wild story go with the pretty reading from Philippians about thinking nice thoughts? These evil tenants cannot just think positive and be better, and the landowner isn’t going to solve his tenant problem with good thoughts either. And Jesus is telling this story for shock value, not to inspire lovely thoughts.

Maybe there’s something else about this reading from Philippians that goes a little deeper. Although it seems at first like the passage is about thinking positive thoughts, I wonder if it’s really about surrender. That’s what’s going to help to bring the peace of God. It’s not just the positive thoughts I share with God; it’s my needs and wants as well. God’s not asking me to replace my negative thoughts with positive ones but rather to share all of it with God. Surrendering all that’s within me centers me in God and reminds me that God is always present – even when I’m anxious. Knowing God is with me does help with anxiety. It’s not a cure for anxiety in a clinical sense, but it can ease the day-to-day anxiety that kind of grinds into me.

The evil tenants in Jesus’s story are being asked to surrender the fruits of their harvest over to the landlord, but they’re never going to do that. They’re fixated on their desire to have control of the vineyard. And I think it’s safe to say that the religious authorities of Jesus’s day are not about surrendering to God either. They’re about control too – holding fast to rules and regulations. They think that by getting rid of Jesus, they can have the vineyard back, which is pretty outlandish when God clearly has other plans.

The thread in all this, even underneath this wild story, is simple – surrender. “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” We open our whole selves to God and offer God everything we have. “Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen.” Stay faithful. Stop trying to control every outcome, or, in other words, stop plotting the takeover of the vineyard. Stay focused on God, not mere positive thinking, but the mystery of God which is beyond comprehension. Maybe peace doesn't come from thinking positive thoughts. Maybe it comes from surrendering all that's within me to God. May it be so. Amen.

For Reflection:

• How do you cope with anxiety or any other difficult emotion?

• What’s it like when you try to surrender to God? What helps you to surrender?

• How is God with you in all this?

Sister Leslie Keener, CDP is the director of God Space, a vibrant spirituality ministry building community in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. A Sister of Divine Providence, she holds a Master’s in Ministry and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreats from Creighton University. Sister Leslie guides retreats, offers spiritual direction, and nurtures vocations within her community. Passionate about helping people encounter God in everyday life, she delights in the Virtue of Simplicity, meaningful conversations, dancing, and spicy food along the way.