God's Vineyard

Gospel
Mt 21:33-43

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. 
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. 
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned. 
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way. 
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times." 
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit." 

Study No.7 : Parable of the Tenants : Mt 21:33-41

 

A. Find Out:

      

1. What things did the landowner do? v.33,34

2. What happened to the servants he sent? v.35,36

3. So what did the landowner do and why? v.37

4. But what did they do in return? v38,39

5. So what question did Jesus then ask? v.40

6. What did his listeners reply? v.41

 

B. Think:

1. Who do you think was the landowner and what the vineyard?

2. Who do you think were the tenant farmers?

3. Who do you think were the servants sent?

 

C. Comment:

     The facts of the story: the landowner creates a vineyard, rents it out, sent off servants to collect the rent, these were killed by the tenants, and he then sent his own son who was in turn killed by the tenants.

     The application (not interpretation) is in the following verses. From this we can deduce the following: First, the landowner was God. Second, the vineyard was His kingdom expressed on earth in the form of the nation of Israel . Third, the tenant farmers are the people of Israel , the servants are the prophets sent to Israel , and the Son is Jesus.

     As a story it is frighteningly obvious. Stephen was later (Acts 7:52 ) to say exactly the same thing but more openly. God had brought Israel into being and had given them every encouragement to know and experience Him. Yet from the outset they had problems with Him. As soon as they were out of Egypt they complained, after Sinai they refused to go into the land, in the wilderness they complained, when they entered the land they were disobedient and did not fully take it, in the land they rejected God again and again, turned to idols, wanted a king of their own, and finally rejected God and went into exile. Now they are about to reject and destroy the Son of God sent from heaven. Now they condemn themselves out of their own mouths.

 

D. Application:

1. The sinfulness of man constantly rejects the goodness of God.

2. God does not tolerate rejection! (Gal 6:7)