Scriptures: Luke 20:9-18; Mark 12:1-12; Matthew 21:33-46
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Luke 20:9-18
He began to tell the people this parable. “A man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time. 10 At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty.
11 “He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. 12 He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out. 13 The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’
14 “But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 They threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.”
When they heard it, they said, “May it never be!”
17 But he looked at them, and said, “Then what is this that is written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the chief cornerstone?’ 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust.”
The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.
Mark 12:1-12
He began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the wine press, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country. 2 When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty.
4 “Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5 Again he sent another; and they killed him; and many others, beating some, and killing some.
6 “Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
9 “What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.
10 “Haven’t you even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner. 11 This was from the Lord, it is marvellous in our eyes’?”
12 They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him, and went away.
Matthew 21:33-46
“Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country.
34 “When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit. 35 The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they treated them the same way.
37 “But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 “When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”
41 They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will give him the fruit in its season.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvellous in our eyes?’
43 “Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation producing its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them. 46 When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.
Today we look at a parable that Jesus told the religious leaders who were questioning his authority. It is about the wicked tenants (hired vine keepers) who attacked the master’s servants who came to check on the vineyard and receive some of the payment from the crop. They later killed the master’s son whom he sent.
Then Jesus quotes from the Psalms: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” (Luke 20:17, Psalm 118:22) Peter also alludes to the same thing in 1 Peter 2:4 – “As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight…”
Notice the contrasting words: Rejected (by men) vs Chosen and precious (in God’s sight). Apparently the Greek word for rejected (disallowed) indicates rejection after trial. Jesus was tried by men and was definitely rejected and crucified. However, this trial was God’s proving the Jesus was the chosen and precious One that was promised – the Messiah, sent to these ones who rejected him.
Why did they reject him? Because he didn’t fit into their mold. They had an image in their own minds of what the Messiah should look like. He wasn’t the conquering hero who would rescue them from the Roman tyranny they were under. Their impression was a Messiah who would come as conquering king on a white horse, but Jesus came into Jerusalem on a young donkey.
The question for us is do we fit into the world’s mold? Remember what Paul said: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence.” (1 Cor. 1:27-29)
And Peter says in 1 Peter 2:6 – “The one who believes in Him will never be put to shame…” And those who believe he says: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)
So how should we conduct ourselves?
“Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul. Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.” (1 Peter 2:11-12)
Further reading:
Luke 20:17-18 BSB But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? (18) Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
Psalms 118:22-24 BSB The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. (23) This is from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes. (24) This is the day that the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
1 Peter 2:4-12 BSB As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, (5) you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
(6) For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” (7) To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” (8) and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.
(9) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (10) Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
(11) Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul. (12) Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
Isaiah 8:11-15 BSB For this is what the LORD has spoken to me with a strong hand, instructing me not to walk in the way of this people: (12) “Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread. (13) The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded. (14) And He will be a sanctuary— but to both houses of Israel a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, to the dwellers of Jerusalem a trap and a snare. (15) Many will stumble over these; they will fall and be broken; they will be ensnared and captured.”
2 Corinthians 4:3-10 BSB And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. (4) The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (5) For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. (6) For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
(7) Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. (8) We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; (9) persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. (10) We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.