Parable of
the Tenants
Matthew 21: 33 - 45
Mark 12: 1 - 13
Luke 20: 9 - 19
Background
Events:
Triumphant Entry Luke 19: 28-40
Jesus weeps for Jerusalem Luke 19: 41
Jesus cleans the Temple Luke 19: 45 –48
Jesus taught daily in the Temple Luke 19: 47 - 48
and the Chief Priests determined to
kill Jesus but the people ‘hung on’
every word Jesus taught
They question His authority, so Luke 20: 1 - 7
Jesus asked, “John’s authority? God
or self?” They said they couldn’t
answer, so Jesus said “same”…
Jesus, now, tells
the Parable of
the Tenants…
Matthew 21: 33 - 45
Mark 12: 1 - 13
Luke 20: 9 - 19
Luke 20: 9-19, “A man planted a vineyard (Matt & Mark said
he planted the vineyard, built a wall around it, built a
winepress, and a watchtower), rented it to some farmers and
went away for a long time.
At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants so they
would give him some of the fruit…but the tenants beat him
and sent him away empty-handed.
He sent another servant, but that one they beat and
shamefully treated and sent him away empty-handed.
He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him
out.
Then the owner said, “What shall I do? I will send my son,
whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.”
But when they saw him, they talked the matter over. “This is
the heir, … Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” …
And they killed him.
Parable
continues with
an odd
transition…
Jesus asked, “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to
them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard
to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the
meaning of that which is written (Ps 118: 22-23):
‘The stone the builders rejected has become
the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it
is marvelous in our eyes’?
Everyone who falls on the stone will be broken
into pieces, but anyone on whom it falls will be
crushed.”
Parable
continues…
Matthew adds, “…The Kingdom of God will be taken
away from you and given to a people who will
produce fruit.”
Luke continues:
“The teachers of the law and chief priests looked for
a way to arrest Him immediately, because they knew
he had spoken this parable against them. But they
were afraid of the people (Matt says the people were
‘hanging on every word’ Jesus was teaching).”
A Deeper
Look:
The tenants lost sight of who owned the vineyard
John 15 –the owner/husbandman is the Father
Jesus is the Son –Whom the Father loves –Jesus is
establishing His authority…remember they asked…
The Father sent many servants –the prophets and
teachers of the Law –who their own leaders and
people killed
Now, the Father has sent His Son, Whom He loves
and they, too, will kill him.
The kingdom will be taken from them and given to
those who will produce fruit…
A Deeper
Look:
Psalms 118, the stone rejected –is Jesus!
If we fall upon Him, we will be broken, changed by
the power of His blood
If we do not … we will be crushed … the second death
spoken of in Revelation
The religious leaders listening were enraged! “God
forbid!” at the Kingdom of God given to others…we
who are non-Jews
Jesus was appealing to them to let their expectations
of the Kingdom of God (only for Jews) be broken…
The Father sent His only Son –Whom He loves –to
broaden the Kingdom of God to include us… Those
who will fall upon Him in repentance and live fruitful
lives of obedience…will inherit the Kingdom of God!
