When Faith & Responsibility Hit a Nerve: The Defensive People of the Passion | Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast (S3E23)
Feb 22, 2026
Summary
What happens when faith confronts us with responsibility we’d rather avoid? We get defensive – just like the priests of Jesus’ time. That’s what Revs. Trudy and Brittany discuss this first episode in our Lenten Series: The People of the Passion. They start with Matthew 21:33-45, the Parable of the Tenants. Often read as a story about religious leaders rejecting Jesus, the parable is more layered – and more uncomfortable – than we tend to admit.
Detail
What happens when faith confronts us with responsibility we’d rather avoid? We get defensive – just like the priests of Jesus’ time.
That’s what Revs. Trudy and Brittany discuss this first episode in our Lenten Series: The People of the Passion. They start with Matthew 21:33-45, the Parable of the Tenants. Often read as a story about religious leaders rejecting Jesus, the parable is more layered – and more uncomfortable – than we tend to admit.
Why does Jesus tell such a violent story? Why does the landowner keep extending grace? And why do the religious leaders get so defensive? Perhaps the answer to the questions is because the parable isn’t about Jesus defending his authority – it’s about us.
Join the female pastors of First UMC of San Diego as they wrestle with:
- Why we should resist easy interpretation of Biblical parables
- The power dynamics between empire, authority, and faith
- Why grace feels unreasonable – and how to maintain hope when we struggle to extend it to others
- What defensiveness reveals about who we serve
Lent invites us to honest self-examination. This week we ask:
- What makes you question authority?
- How can you question authority in ways that reflect God’s nonviolence and benevolence?
- How do you not become defensive when you’re being held accountable?
Join us as we consider whether we are living as grateful tenants or defensive ones. Continue the conversation by reflecting with someone you trust, or connecting with the Perspectives community online through Patreon and in person at the weekly Convergence Discussion Group.
Limited on time? Jump ahead to these pivotal moments.
Timestamps:
00:00 Opening Question – “Who Do Our Actions Serve?”
01:12 Reading Matthew 21:33-45
03:10 The Violence & Logic of the Parable – Why This Story Feels Strange
06:00 Authority, Empire, and Anti-Semitic Misreadings
08:48 The Defensive Heart – When Accountability Hits a Nerve
15:31 Who Is Your Authority? Faith vs. Empire
22:30 Lenten Reflection & Final Questions
