The Murderous Tenants
TRANSLATION
(9) And Jesus went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some tenants, and left for another country for a long time. (10) At the time of harvest, he sent a servant to the tenants so that they might give him (his portion) of the produce of the vineyard. However, the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. (11) He sent yet another servant whom they also beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. (12) He sent yet a third, and him they wounded and threw out. (13) Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’ (14) But when the tenants saw him, they plotted among themselves saying, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours.’ (15) So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? (16) He will come and destroy these tenants and give the vineyard unto others.” When they heard this, they said, “God forbid!” (17) But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is the meaning of that which was written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?’ (18) Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” (19) The teachers of the Law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately for they understood that he had spoken this parable against them. Yet, they feared the people.
OBSERVATIONS
Several repeated words lead us to the thrust of this segment. We find “this parable” twice in the opening and closing verses, “vineyard” six times, “tenants” five times, and two repetitions each of “servant,” “beat,” “empty-handed,” “owner,” “kill,” and “stone.” Of all the parables Jesus used in his teaching ministry, only this one received the startled response, “God forbid!” (vs. 16) From this outburst we realize how deeply those listening to him were shocked by his story. What specifically made them gasp? Was it the criminal behavior of the tenants in killing the heir or was it the swift response of the owner in destroying the malevolent tenants and giving the vineyard to others?
Two factors help us answer that question. First, Jesus’ referring first to Psalm 118:22 about the rejected stone and then paraphrasing Isaiah 8:14 & 15 to warn his hearers that the cornerstone would both cause those who fall on it to be broken to pieces and crush those on whom it falls shows us that this parable was essentially Jesus’ warning that God’s severe judgment was about to fall on the usurpers. His prophecy of doom was the source of their distress, and their response demonstrated that these leaders knew they had to act quickly and decisively to silence the one who was so clearly undermining their authority (vs. 19).
OUTLINE
I. The rebellion of the tenants against the owner built to a tragic climax. (9-15a)
II. The retribution of the owner was sudden, ending with the tenants’ destruction. (15b-16)
III. Because of Jesus’ severe warning, the Jewish leaders were determined to silence him. (17-19)
IDEA STATEMENT
Any refusal to honor the Messiah, God’s Son, constitutes rebellion against God’s authority that will result in his harsh retribution.
APPLICATION
The phrase, “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” serves as the opening words of a hymn written by Charles Wesley in 1742. Later in the hymn we find the couplet, “Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb, in thy gracious hands I am.” These lines reflect the popular view that Christ was a humble and harmless teacher who called his disciples to love their enemies and to avoid any conflict in an effort to be gracious and inoffensive. If any passage in Luke’s Gospel portrayed an opposing view of Jesus as a controversial, confrontational teacher, it was this parable where he did not hesitate to go on the offensive in challenging those who had refused to accept his Messianic claims. He was clear about two specifics: the atrocious way the tenants had treated both the servants and the son whom the owner had sent to assert his authority and the severity of the judgment that awaited those malicious tenants for their treachery.
The rebellion of the vineyard’s tenants reminds us of the way the kings of the earth continually conspire against the rule of Yahweh according to Psalm 2: “The kings of the earth take their stand, and the leaders plot together against Yahweh and against his Anointed One: ‘Let us tear apart their restraints and throw off their bonds from us’” (Ps. 2:2 & 3). At the end the psalm, we read the exhortation to those who rebel against Yahweh’s authority: “Therefore, you who are kings be prudent. Be admonished, you who govern the earth. Serve Yahweh with reverent fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his anger can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who seek refuge in him” (Ps. 2:10-12). Our relationship to God’s beloved Son, the Messiah, will determine our eternal destiny. We will enjoy either unparalleled blessings for submission or experience unending judgment for rebellion.