33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. 38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them.
Biblical parables reveal hidden truths concerning the Kingdom of God. Judgment, behavior, and/or Biblical principles. An interesting thing about the Parables that Christ taught is the fact that what He often seeks to reveal is hidden. What might seem to be the obvious is not necessarily what Christ is saying.
What is the meaning of the Parable of the Vineyard/of the tenants?
Question: "What is the meaning of the Parable of the Vineyard?"
The Parable of the Vineyard appears in three of the gospels (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19), with Matthew’s account being the most complete.
To get the context of what is happening, we need to look at Matthew 21:23-27:
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
While He is teaching, the chief priest and elders confront Him, wanting to know by what authority He is teaching. Not allowing them to control the conversation, Jesus answers the question by first asking a question 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
What Jesus told them is that John the Baptist and Himself received their authority from the same source.
This exchange causes the leaders to become angry and puts them in opposition to Jesus. Jesus then further frustrates the priests by telling two parables: the first one is the Parable of the Two Sons, and the second is the Parable of the Vineyard, sometimes called the Parable of the Wicked Tenants.
In the Parable of the Two sons, Jesus tells the priests that they have claimed to accept the message from God, but they have failed to live up to it by being obedient.
Outwardly, they are devout, religious people and appear to be people of God, but God knows the heart, and there they have failed miserably.
The next parable (the Parable of the Vineyard) is like pouring salt on a wound.
Just in case they didn’t fully understand (which they did), Jesus gives a much clearer picture of what He means.
Obviously, this further infuriates the priests, but it also gives the others who were present an opportunity to hear Jesus fully explain the implications of the disobedience of the Jewish people throughout the ages.
Background:
There are 6 main characters in this parable: 1) the landowner—God, 2) the vineyard—Israel, 3) the tenants/farmers—the Jewish religious leadership, 4) the landowner’s servants—the prophets who remained obedient and preached God’s word to the people of Israel, 5) the son—Jesus, and 6) the other tenants—the Gentiles.
The story was based on a common practice of landowners hiring out their land to tenant farmers.
The owner of the land rented out his property to tenants who were to give him an agreed portion of his property’s harvest.
The vineyard owner then takes distant journey for a long time. He waited for the vineyard to produce its fruit.
The imagery used is similar to Isaiah’s parable of the vineyard. A parable about a vine and vineyard was not new for Israelites. The vineyard was a familiar image of God’s investment and expectation of return from His people (Isa. 5:1-7; Ezek. 15:1-6; 19:10-14). Isaiah had used the figure to refer to the nation (Isa. 5:1-7), and the symbolism would have been clear to the hearers (Ps. 80:8-13; Isa. 27:2; Jer. 2:21; Ezek. 19:10-14; Hos. 10:1).
Isaiah 5 1-7 (NLT)
A Song about the Lord’s Vineyard
1 Now I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill. 2 He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter. 3 Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes? (…) 7 The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence.
The watchtower and the wall mentioned in verse 33 are means of protecting the vineyard and the grapes.
The winepress is obviously for stamping out the juice of the grapes to make the wine.
The farmer was apparently away at the time of harvest and had rented the vineyard to the tenants.
This was customary of the times, and he could expect as much as half of the grapes as payment by the
tenants for use of his land.
Luke 20:10 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. 11 So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 A third man was sent, and they wounded him and chased him away.
This pictures God and Israel’s covenant relationship. God blessed the nation of Israel abundantly and
invested them with great productive potential.
All He asked was that they obey His Word and return to Him a spiritual harvest out of their lives.
Instead of being grateful for their blessing and joyfully returning to the Lord His due, they rebelled against
God and reject His messengers
Our merciful and enduring God continued to send servant after servant to them as verse 11 depicts. “And
he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away
empty-handed.
Jesus compared the prophets to a series of servants sent to collect fruit from the vineyard.
They were rejected, beaten and treated shamefully.
The amazingly long-suffering owner continues to send more servants as verse 12 indicates. “And he
proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out.
The servants sent represent the prophets that God had sent to His people/Israel and then were rejected and killed by the very people who were claiming to be of God and obedient to Him.
Jeremiah was beaten (Jeremiah 26:7-11; 38:1-28), John the Baptist was killed (Matthew 14:1-12), and others were stoned (2 Chronicles 24:21), mistreated, thrown out of cities, some had to flee for their own lives…
In this parable Jesus is not only reminding the religious establishment what they were like, but He was putting in their minds a question: how could they claim obedience as God’s people and still reject His messengers?
We don’t know how many servants the owner sent, but that is not what is important; the theme is God’s repeated appeal through His prophets to an unrepentant people.
GOD’S WORD REJECTED
Luke 20:13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
Matthew 20: 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
In verses 13 of Luke and 37 of Matthew, the vineyard owner, who represents the Lord God, decides to send them His beloved son hoping the tenants would respect him.
We can see here God’s willingness to send His Son in order to win His people back to Himself.
Sin though has a way of making people blind, proud and disrespectful, even to the most loving, most humble, and most holy person or action.
Verse 38 reveals the plot to murder the landowner’s Son and take the vineyard by force. 38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him’
In this statement Jesus was saying, “I know your plan. I know your intention. I know what’s going on in your hearts.” I believe He didn’t say this to accuse them, but to plead with them, asking them to turn their hearts, change their minds and repent.
That’s exactly what the Lord does with us. When we fall into sin, He sent His servants in this parable and His prophets in the Old Testament, the Lord is faithful to send messengers and warnings to us.
? All too often, however, we continue on a downward path toward destruction.
? The blindness and depth of our sin will even cause us to make the Son of God dead to us and experience
no remorse for putting God out of our life so we can do what we want to with it.
Verse 15 reveals the ultimate result of hardness of the man’s heart against the rule of God. 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him’
Not only they rejected the message and the messengers, but ultimately, instead of repenting, they do the very opposite. The rebellious tenants killed the beloved Son, foreshadowing the fate that awaits Jesus in Jerusalem. The son is killed outside the vineyard or camp (Heb. 13:12-13) 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.
GOD’S SENTENCE GIVEN
Jesus then asked his listeners a rhetorical question in the last part of Luke 20:15
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
In verse 16 Jesus answered His own question. “He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard it, they said, “May it never be!”
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
In judgment for killing His Son, God will “destroy those tenant farmers” and find more worthy tenants to care for His vineyard.
Jesus’ words of prophecy were yet another opportunity, another invitation for the Jewish leaders to repent.
He was pleading with them to turn to God in truth and save not only their own lives, but the life of their
nation.
What was their answer? A tragically unrepentant, “God forbid” “May it never be!”.
The crowd’s strong response “May it never be!” indicates that they don’t understand the implications of what Jesus was saying because the religious leaders were rejecting Him, and the people were following their leadership instead of God.
This parable adds a warning message concerning the fact that Gentiles and outcasts would be added to the kingdom whereas most of Israel would not enter into the kingdom of God because they would not bow their life before Jesus and His authority.
“He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”
Luke 20:43-44
43 I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. 44 Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.
GOD’S CHOSEN STONE
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed
This a quotation of Psalm 118:22 and give an interpretation of God’s purpose. Though man may reject Jesus He is God’s door to repentance and judgment. Verse 17 sums up the lessons Jesus has been teaching. “But Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner STONE’?
Jesus looked directly at them when He quoted Psalm 118:22: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”.
- Jesus was pointing out that the Messiah was being rejected, but ultimately would be supreme.
- His resurrection from the dead proves that He is the one upon Whom all eternity is built.
- Though the leaders of the political world and the religious world may reject Jesus, God has made Him the centerpiece of His plan.
- Though people, even all people reject Him and refuse to build their life upon Him and His Word, there is no replacement of God’s precious and chosen cornerstone.
? Luke 20:18 states that those who will not fall upon this stone in the brokenness of repentance will have that stone fall upon them in judgment. “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”
44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
Jesus is the means of repentance and judgment.
To fall upon that stone is to have your life broken to pieces.
The brokenness of life comes by casting your life upon His mercy. Jesus is the way of salvation and restoration.
The one who falls upon Jesus the Cornerstone will indeed be broken, for it is only in admitting our sin and our need that we can be saved.
We are faced by 2 questions today:
Was your life ever been broken by God’s precious chosen stone?
Will you cast your life upon Him now to be broken before Him in repentance and be saved?
Or will you wait too long and be broken or crushed by Him when He returns to judge the world?
IN CLOSING,
The story of the wicked tenants is an analogy about Israel to whom God gave life and land that they might go and bear fruit.
God now wants spiritual fruit, and they cannot produce it.
Jesus is telling them that God requires fruits of righteousness and new life, the fruits of love, joy, and peace.
He reminds them they have killed the prophets and servants sent to collect God’s fruits and they will even kill His Son and Heir. They vehemently denied it was true.
The eyes of the people were blinded. They were rejecting the authority of Christ and His Word.
In a few days they would even reject God’s love as they cried for Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross.
But even though we sin and deserve God’s judgment, He will always make a way out for His rebellious people.
For the judgment of God that fell upon His Beloved Son was for us.
He died in our place to take away our sins.
Jesus’ was broken and shaped in judgment that He might become the cornerstone of a new life built upon God’s will and way.
Peter writes, “For in Scripture it says: ’See I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame" (1 Peter 2:6). There are all kinds of advice around us, all kinds of experts. The only true and trustworthy expert is Christ. He gives us the absolute certain truth recorded for us written in Scripture.
If we repent and fall upon Christ as the new cornerstone of life, our life will be broken in pieces. He rebuilds us on a new foundation, upon the chosen cornerstone of eternal existence.
If we fall upon Him and build our life upon Him, we will never, ever put to shame.
If you have never cast your life in repentance before Him, Jesus calls upon you to do so right now. It’s never too early to begin to build a life based and built upon Christ Jesus. You come if His Spirit leads.
Jesus is also reminding a basic problem in the church. To whom does the vineyard belong?
The vineyard belongs to the One who planted it.
We tend to forget that and act as if it belongs to us. We are His and we are His church.
Let’s pray for submission
Submission is not a popular word in our culture. We prefer to be on top, in charge, in control. But, with God, the only way to be lifted up by Him is to bow. We have to submit.
Lord we don’t want anything to separate us from Your presence and love. We bring you our unsubmissive hearts, we want to submit and obey your will. Please show us where we are not living in obedience and help us to do what we need to do to be submissive to You. Lord identify any areas in our lives where you know we are not giving you full control. Help us to overcome our own selfish desires to experience a full relationship with You.
