We Are Stewards, Not Owners

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When we hear today’s Gospel, the first thing that can confuse us is the lease itself. Today, if someone leases out a farm or a vineyard, we usually think of a fixed rent: the tenant pays an agreed amount, works the land, and keeps whatever profit comes from it. But in the time of Jesus, an arrangement usually worked differently. The owner could lease the vineyard to tenants, they would work it and benefit from it, and part of the harvest would be given back to the owner as the rent. So when the landowner sends his servants to collect the produce, he is not suddenly asking for something extra. He is simply asking for the share that already belongs to him. The problem is that the tenants begin to act as though the vineyard is completely theirs. And that is where the Gospel becomes very personal. The real issue is not grapes or rent. It is this: they forgot who owned the vineyard. They were entrusted with something, but over time they began to treat it as their own. And that can happen to us too. We say, “my life, my time, my money, my gifts, my plans.” And of course, in one sense, they are ours. But faith reminds us that before they are ours, they are gifts. They have been entrusted to us by God.

So the first reflection is: Remember who the Owner is. Everything we have has been received. Our abilities, our relationships, our opportunities, even the time we have today. The second is: Use the vineyard well. God does not ask us to be passive. The tenants were meant to work, cultivate, and benefit from the vineyard. In the same way, God wants us to build, create, enjoy, serve, and make something beautiful of the life we have been given. Faith is not about being afraid to use our gifts; it is about using them well.

Third: Give God His share. Not because God needs something from us, but because returning something to God keeps our heart in the right place. That “share” may be our time in prayer, our generosity, our service, our forgiveness, our obedience, or simply our willingness to ask, “Lord, what do You want from me here?” And fourth: Do not push the Owner out of the vineyard. That is ultimately what the tenants do. They want the vineyard without the landowner. They want the gift without the giver. And that is still a temptation today: to want God’s blessings, but not His direction; His mercy, but not conversion; His gifts, but not His claim on our life.

The Gospel is not saying that God is trying to take everything away from us. It is saying the opposite. God gives us a vineyard to cultivate. He gives us something to build with, something to enjoy, something to share. But He asks us not to forget that the vineyard has a purpose. So perhaps the question for us this week is not simply, “What do I own?” but rather: “What has God entrusted to me, and what kind of fruit am I giving back?”

Prayer: Lord, help me to remember that everything I have is first a gift from You. Teach me to use well what You have entrusted to me. Keep me from living as though I am the owner of everything. Give me the grace to return to You the fruit of my life in love, generosity, faithfulness, and gratitude. Amen.

– Homily by Rev. Fr. Patrick Agbeko