ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Tokonaki ‘Okatopa 28, 2023

Mishpat and Murder

Ko e Fakamaau mo e Fakamalohi

ISAIAH 5:7

FOR THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD OF HOSTS IS THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, AND THE MEN OF JUDAH ARE HIS PLEASANT PLANTING; AND HE LOOKED FOR JUSTICE, BUT BEHOLD, BLOODSHED; FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT BEHOLD, AN OUTCRY!

‘AISEA 5:7

He ko e ngoue vaine ‘a Sihova Sāpaoti ko e fale ‘o ‘Isileli ia, pea ko e tangata Siuta ko ‘ene ma‘ala mamana: pea ‘i he‘ene ‘amanaki ki he fakalao, uoi! ko e faluku pē; na‘a ne ‘amanaki ki he faitotonu, kae uoke! Ko e tangi kaila ē.

He koe goue vaine ‘a Jihova ‘o e gaahi kau tau, ko e fale ‘o ‘Isileli ia, bea ko e kau tagata ‘o Juta, ko ‘ene ‘akau toulekeleka: bea na’a ne ‘amanaki ki he fakamāu, ka e vakai koe fakamalohi; ki he ma’oni’oni, kae vakai ko e tagi. (Paaki ‘a Uesi)

There must have been an audible gasp from the Jerusalem crowd. There stood Isaiah, preaching. He'd reeled in his listeners by singing a song of a vineyard, the Lord's vineyard. God worked his fingers to the bone for this vineyard. Cleared away the stones. Planted choice vines. Then he waited. Finally, harvest time arrived. And this vineyard, for which the Lord had gone above and beyond, what was its fruit? What did God harvest? He looked for mishpat, but behold, mispach! He looked for Izedaqah, but behold, tze 'aqah! No translation can do justice to this masterful pairing of rhymes. He looked for the correcting of wrongs (mishpat [justice]] and found only wrongdoing (mispach (bloodshed]). He looked for what was right (tzedaqah [righteousness]) and found only the cries of those who had been wronged (tze 'aqah [outery]).

The vineyard parables of Jesus grow from the literary soil of this one-only Christ adds a postscript. Rather than destroying his vineyard, he hands it over to those who will produce its fruit (Matt. 21:43). By the Gospel, he calls and gathers servants through whom the Spirit works faith, hope, love, justice, and righteousness in the world.

Defend your vineyard, O Lord, from all enemies, and produce in us fruits in keeping with repentance.