The Lord’s Vineyard Series

This evening we are going to look at what is called the “Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers.” Our main text will be taken from Mark chapter twelve; however, before we look at Mark, let’s turn to Isaiah chapter five.

In Isaiah we find a parable called the “Parable of the Vineyard,” which is similar to the one we’ll look at in Mark. In His words found in Mark chapter twelve, Jesus appears to be drawing from the “Parable of the Vineyard,” when He further expounds on it to address the sins of Israel. Let’s now take a look at Isaiah chapter 5, verses 1-7, and see what the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah:

1 Now let me sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved regarding His vineyard: My well beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, and also made a winepress in it; so He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. 4 What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? 5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel . . .

This parable and prophecy was set just before the Assyrian captivity of 721 B.C. Isaiah was warning of impending judgement. The meaning of the parable is fairly easy to interpret. The Lord entrusted to His people Israel the care of Jerusalem and the temple, but they grew lax in their relationship with God; and therefore, they would be destroyed.

They believed that since they were God’s chosen people, and the temple was in their midst, that they would never suffer harm. Their logic went something like this: “1.) The temple was the Lord’s dwelling place, 2.) the Lord would never permit His dwelling place to be destroyed, and 3.) since the temple was located in Jerusalem, then Jerusalem would never be destroyed, since the Lord lived there in the temple.”(1)

The people of Judah (or southern Israel) took God’s protection and their worship of Him for granted; therefore, the Lord was going to come in and tear down the vineyard, or His holy city of Jerusalem. The city would not actually be destroyed until around 587 B.C. If you are familiar with Israelite history, then you are aware that Jerusalem would eventually be rebuilt. The tearing down and burning of Jerusalem was done in order to purge the vineyard of all the thorns and briers; or rather, the disobedient followers of the Lord.

Let’s now turn to Mark chapter 12, verses 1-11, where we find a similar parable; similar in that someone becomes too secure in their care of the vineyard, and they make mistakes for which they will have to answer.

Planting the Vineyard (v. 1)

1 Then He began to speak to them in parables: A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.

Just as in Isaiah 5:2, a vineyard was built, along with a tower and a winepress. We see that there was a protective hedge built around the vineyard. The hedge was built to protect the vines from being blown over by the wind. There was also a tower: “A watch-tower or stone hut served as a cool shelter during the summer when the laborers lived in the vineyards . . . [it] was erected on an elevation overlooking the vineyard, where the householder and his family kept a watch throughout the vintage period.”(2) When the grapes were ripe for harvest, they were gathered and trampled in the winepress.

The vineyard here is symbolic of God’s kingdom on earth. The Master, or God, has built a vineyard; or rather, established His chosen people. The hedge is symbolic of His protective hand surrounding them. The watchtower (symbolically) is where God’s holy priests and religious leaders would look out on, and tend to the Lord’s precious grapes, keeping a close watch on His people, while waiting for the time of harvest. As we have seen many times before, the harvest is the day when all people will stand before God and are judged according to their works; and trampled in the winepress to be sorted.