In this week’s lectionary passage from the book of Isaiah, the prophet laments the strained relationship between God and the people of Israel. God is clearly venting here, using the imagery of a vineyard to vividly illustrate everything he has done for us. Isaiah lists all the labor that God has put into cultivating the field -- yet despite his best efforts, the people are only yielding wild grapes unfit for God’s wineskin. In exasperation, God threatens to quit working the field and let it grow over with weeds and thorns.