A: 27th OrdTime (8 Oct 2017) - WIPING AWAY - Mt 21:33-43

Our gospel reading talks about the massacre of the 3 batches of emissaries sent by the landowner to his vineyard. The tenants, in their covetous interest of owning the vineyard, beat and killed all those who would take it away from them including the owner’s son. This evil treacherous deed is condemned in the narrative, ending with the resolve of the master of wiping these evil men away.

In a deeming parallel fashion, this is the highly publicized narrative of the Duterte Administration: in his intent of getting back the vineyard of the once glorious and peaceful sovereignty (the Philippines), the President is sending his police to the infernal lairs of drug-users, pushers, and protectors with the hope of convincing them to give back the vineyard in a peaceful manner (preliminary “Tokhang”). Sadly, the police were violently treated by these criminals. It is only out of self-defense that these men in uniform would fight back; resulting to the unfortunate killing of some of the criminals in the process. In retaliation, the President would be forced to declare something radical (e.g., Reloaded War on Drugs and Martial Law) to reclaim what is the sovereignty’s.

With this narrative, the President acts in accord with the actions of the protagonist of the Matthean Parable of the Wicked Tenants. This justifies his bloody anti-narcotics program as divinely ordained. But before arriving to this conclusion, it will be helpful to look closely at the biblical text.

After narrating the parable, Jesus asked his audience what would be the rightful response of the master of the vineyard. Verse 41 follows: “They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’” The “they” here refers to the “chief priests and elders of the people” (v.23), the interlocutors of Jesus. Clearly, the idea of annihilating these wicked tenants never came from Jesus, rather it was the proposal of the religious leaders themselves.

Conversely, Jesus responded differently: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’ (v.42)?” Jesus is anticipating here his imminent arrest and crucifixion to which he would offer no resistance; he peacefully would offer himself to death for our redemption. The day of reckoning would happen not at his lifetime but at an opportune time in the future (note the use of the future tense): “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom (v.43).”

Succinctly, the attitude of wiping away and annihilation is a hegemonic way of thinking. God’s way is a disposition of mercy and compassion, even to the point of sacrificing his very own son. It is consoling to know that the greater majority of the Filipino people has this glimmer of divine goodness. In the SWS survey from 1,200 respondents on June 23-26, 2017, 9 out of 10 Filipinos want drug suspects to be caught alive. The Philippine National Police agrees too with this common public sentiment. But this will only hold water once the 13,000+ (which they reduce to only 3,800) killed in the anti-drug operations are well accounted for.

Unfortunately, not even one is resolved while the number of daily deaths continues to rise. If the government is really serious in wiping away this menace (drugs), this should not be replaced by an evil worse one (the culture of killing). Otherwise, criminality will never be wiped away… and so are the tears that fall from every victim’s family.

- Rex Fortes, CM