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Answer
The Parable of the Vineyard is found in three of the Gospels (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19), with Matthew’s version being the most detailed. However, each Gospel includes unique elements, so it is beneficial to study all three narratives to gain a comprehensive understanding. To grasp the context, we must refer to Matthew 21:18. Early in the morning, Jesus goes to the temple courts to teach (21:23). While teaching, He is confronted by the chief priests and elders, who question His authority to teach. Instead of directly answering, Jesus responds with a question first (21:24-26). Unhappy with His response, Jesus essentially exposes their attempt to manipulate Him, indicating He is not obliged to answer their question (21:27). Jesus asserts that both He and John the Baptist received their authority from the same source. This confrontation angers the leaders and sets them against Jesus. Jesus proceeds to aggravate the priests by sharing two parables: the Parable of the Two Sons and the Parable of the Vineyard, also known as the Parable of the Wicked Tenants.
In the first parable, Jesus conveys to the priests that despite outwardly accepting God’s message, they have failed to obey it. While they may appear devout and godly, God sees their hearts and recognizes their disobedience. The subsequent parable (the Parable of the Vineyard) intensifies the rebuke. To ensure clarity (though unnecessary), Jesus vividly illustrates the consequences of their actions.e 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 imagery used is similar to Isaiah’s parable of the vineyard (it would be prudent to study this also) found in Isaiah chapter 5. The watchtower and the wall mentioned in verse 33 are means of protecting the vineyard and the ripened 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.
Explanation: Verses 34-36 tell us the landowner sent his servants to collect his portion of the harvest and how they were cruelly rejected by the tenants; some were beaten, stoned, and even killed. Then he sent even more the second time and they received the same treatment. 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 «And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. », (2 Chronicles 24:21). In this parable, Jesus is not only reminding the religious establishment of their behavior, but He is also prompting them to question how they could claim obedience as God’s people while rejecting His messengers. The exact number of servants the owner sent is not crucial; the key point is God’s repeated appeals through His prophets to a stubborn people. In the subsequent verses (37-39), the situation escalates. The landowner sends his son, expecting that they would show him respect. However, the tenants see an opportunity to seize his inheritance by killing him. According to the law at that time, if there were no heirs, the property would pass to those in possession (possession being nine-tenths of the law). This reveals a conspiracy to commit murder by the Jewish leadership and serves as a prophetic warning from Jesus about what they will do to Him (see Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16). Following Jesus’ death, Peter would level similar accusations against the religious establishment (Acts 4:8-12). The tenants may have assumed that the battle for the property was won, but the owner was yet to make an appearance. Jesus then (vs.40-41) poses the question of what the owner will do to the wicked tenants. By doing so, He compels the religious leaders/priests to acknowledge their own grim fate: condemnation for their blatant disobedience. This mirrors the approach Nathan took when questioning David (2 Samuel 12:1-7). Up to this point, Jesus has been addressing Israel’s immediate situation and its history of disobedience; now He leaves unanswered the question of how Israel’s leadership will handle the situation.In the parable, Jesus is identified as the Messiah, the Son of God, whom He refers to as the “chief cornerstone” (vs 42). Cornerstones and capstones are used symbolically in Scripture and depict Christ as the primary piece of the foundation of the church and the head of the church, respectively. Jesus is the beginning of and is foundational to the church, and He now stands over the church in His rightful position of honor, guiding the church to fulfill its divine destiny. This verse prophetically clarifies how Jesus will be rejected by the religious establishment and ultimately be crucified (see Psalm 118:22-23).
The key to comprehending this parable and its implications for the religious leaders is found in verse 43, where Jesus addresses their lack of obedience on a personal level. Jesus informs the leaders that due to their disobedience, they will be excluded from the kingdom of heaven (both individually and as a people); they have allowed their opportunity to be temporarily given to the Gentiles to slip away (refer to verse 41, “other tenants”). This change will be more than they can bear, as indicated in verses 45 and 46. He is indicating that there will be a new people of God comprising individuals from all nations who will temporarily take the place of the Jews so that Jesus can establish His church. This transition will alter the way God interacts with humanity, shifting from the old dispensation of the law to a new dispensation of God’s grace. It will inaugurate a period where forgiveness of sins will no longer be understood as man’s achievement through actions or inactions or through animal sacrifices on the altar, but through the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. It will be a time when each person can have a personal and redemptive relationship with the One and only God of the universe. The noteworthy aspect of the verse is the phrase “who will produce fruit”; this empowers the church to proclaim the gospel of Christ to the lost of the world. Until then, the Jews believed they had automatic entry into God’s kingdom becauseOne of their relationship to Abraham; this is why they put so much emphasis on genealogies. But the new people of God would truly have what God wanted for Israel all along: a personal and holy relationship that would be honored through the spreading of God’s word to all peoples (see Exodus 19:5-6).
Jesus continues the stone metaphor in verse 44 to show how a stone can be used to build something beautiful, such as His church, or it can be used to crush and destroy, depending on the situation. This could be likened to God’s word: to some it is salvation, peace, and comfort. To others, it is foolish and disconcerting because of its ability to convict man of his sins “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16).
Verses 45 and 46 give us three insights into the psyche of the chief priest of the religious establishment. 1) They are jealous and envious of Jesus’ popularity with the common people. This encroaches on their authority and power to govern. 2) They have come to the realization that Jesus is talking about them. This hurts their pride and embarrasses them in front of the people. 3) They understood the analogy of the son and that Jesus was referring to Himself. This would be blasphemous to them, and they would now seek to kill Jesus. From here the leaders would meet in secrecy to plot how they would get rid of Jesus. Why all the secrecy? The people thought of Jesus as a prophet from God; arresting Him could cause an uprising. An uprising would jeopardize the leaders’ relationship with the Roman authorities, something that the Jews did not want at any cost.
Application: We apply this parable to our lives by asking two questions; first, have you come to know Christ as your Lord and Savior, or have you rejected Him
Like the Jewish leadership did? The process is simple, as long as you are sincere in seeking a relationship with Christ. You need to recognize your sins, and then accept Christ as the only One who can save you from the penalty of your sins. Second, if you are a believer, what have you done with Jesus? Are you like the bad tenants, rejecting His Word and living a life of disobedience? If you are, you need to study God’s Word and pray for guidance, seeking His will for your life and living out that will as best as you can, moment by moment, day by day.
