OK, now that we’re all back from our trip to the dictionary to look up the word “vintage”, we’ve found there a couple of definitions. One involves classic Old Things, such as clothing and photos, restored cars and me. But this week we’ll turn to the meaning of vintage as grapes, and their byproduct wine. Vineyards and wine production were important parts of the ancient economy, especially in what’s now Israel. Prophets made an analogy of vineyards representing the whole of Yahweh’s benevolence. But does God expect results of God’s good planting?
Isaiah 5:1-7 is the famous Song of the Vineyard: the “beloved” made a vineyard by clearing rubble and planting vines in the best growing conditions. He fenced it against marauders and dug a wine vat. BUT when harvest came, it yielded “wild” grapes: “These grapes are good for nothing. They are a grotesque mimicry of the fruit that the beloved expected: this crop mocks the efforts of God to bring forth fruit.” (Carolyn J. Sharp, in FEASTING on the WORD, A 4:125) This is an internal problem: the hedge represents divine protection from the “rest of the World”. Early proponents of Judaism’s “purity” were said to build a fence around the Torah, in order to keep it from becoming infiltrated by rabbinic interpretations in the mishna and talmud. God here swears to rip down the whole enterprise–“he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry.”
Paul’s introspective letter to the Philippians continues his musings (3:4b-14). He considers himself to have done everything right, from a Hebrew standpoint; but these virtues all become as rubbish contaminating and standing in the way of God’s expected harvest. Paul regarded his life–and all Creation–as illuminated through Christ, and not because of his former correctness. Here is a widening, a refinement of his understandings of God’s expectations. He’s not arrived, yet, but he and Wesley are going on to Perfection, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead”. We won’t even allude to that bad joke that Paul’s “pressing on” has something to do with wine making!
Matthew reports (21:22-46) that Jesus recalled the Isaiah story of the Vineyard, but added in the human caretakers who became greedy: they abused some servants and killed others, finally killing the Owner’s Son. Not only did this speak of his own approaching crucifixion, it warned the Temple powers that they would be replaced for their carelessness and bad stewardship of the Torah/Vineyard. Jesus is drawing his line within Judaism and not against the outsiders…and he similarly draws his line within the Church. This brings it right home to my 2 a.m. insomnia–What does God expect of me? of the Church of which I have some leadership??
For many years, Marie has wanted to grow grapes–but her vines have all met with some calamity. But our current house now has places more hospitable to grapes, a warm corner of the high fence and the neighbor’s garage wall. This year her three-year-old vine produced! Smallish clusters, to be sure; but next year has the promise of even bigger, even more! After long expectations, fruit at last! Pray that these learning vintners may acquire knowledge and patience to treat them right…
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
My thoughts about assigned Scripture for the upcoming weekend can be found every
Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com
My Blog 
Leave a comment