Matthew 21:33-46 – Parable of the Tenant

When Jesus ended His parable of the two sons, He told them another. This second parable has to do with the landowner and his vineyard. He told this story in anticipation of the increasing hostility toward Him. It would be a hostility that would eventually culminate in His rejection and death. But ultimately, He would be vindicated. Jesus was giving them His view of the events that He Himself was to be involved in. He was rejected by the people He came to rule, but would be vindicated by God.  

 

This parable is not only profound and solemn but also full of power. The landowner is God, the vineyard is Israel, and the farmers here are the leaders and officials of the nation of Israel. The slaves in this parable are the Old Testament prophets, ending in John the Baptist. The son of course is referring to Jesus Himself. This story is about Jesus coming to the tenant farmers of Jerusalem. He came with God’s message demanding repentance of them so that they could get back to the mission they were assigned – to be the light of God and His world. In this story the officials, the representatives of the nation, refused the demand and ended up killing Him.

 

In telling the parable, Jesus also quoted from Psalm 118:22-23. He was making allusion to the dream that Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon had. For details do read Daniel 2. The dream was about the kingdoms of the world, represented by a huge statue made up of a head of gold, a chest and arms of silver, and a trunk and thighs of bronze, legs of iron and feet with a mixture of iron and clay feet. Then there came a stone that struck the structure and its feet, and shattered it into pieces. This little stone became a mountain that filled the whole earth, representing the Kingdom of God. The little stone is the Messiah that would come and set up the Kingdom of God. Like the son of the landowner, the stone refers to Jesus, the Messiah. Before the stone became established and be the chief corner stone, it must first be rejected.

 

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard the story, they knew Jesus was referring to them. They sought to seize Him but were afraid of the people who had considered Him to be a prophet. Here’s a call to take the mission of God, entrusted to us, seriously and responsibly discharge it.  Let’s be the true fruit-bearing people, that had been entrusted with the Kingdom of God, that will honor Him and bring glory to His name!