This parable is referred to as the Parable of the Tenants, and also appears in almost identical form in Matthew 21 and Luke 20.
12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.
6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
3rd June 2025: Moreton, Dorset
Jesus has been confronted by some of the leaders of the temple community. They have already challenged his authority. Their attack was unsuccessful. They had to back down. They were publicly humiliated. Now, before they can get away, Jesus seizes the initiative by relating this parable.
Parables are generally short stories with a simple but direct message. It’s usually unhelpful to analyse the detail of a parable too closely, but this one is different. Every detail has a meaning. Everyone hearing Jesus was familiar with the idea that in Scripture, the vineyard is a reference to the nation of Israel. Everyone knew about small vineyards with fences, watch towers and tenant farmers. They were all over Israel. Everyone knew that the tenants were required to provide a portion of their produce to the landowner.
Most people hearing the story would have been horrified. The lawlessness described is unthinkable. Sometimes, tenant farmers did rebel against their landlord, and occasionally things got ugly. But to kill the servants was despicable. To kill the son of the landowner, was unconscionable.
Remember, this is happening during the build up to Passover. So when Jesus mentions Psalm 118 – one of the Hallel Psalms which are spoken by Passover – something clicks in their mind. They realise that as in Isaiah, the landowner represents God. The penny drops. They recognise who each of the characters in the story represent. They recognise themselves in the story.
In this parable: ‘The tenants are the leaders of Israel into whose hands the nation was entrusted. The messengers are the prophets who were disregarded, persecuted and killed. The son is Jesus himself. And the sentence is that the place which Israel should have occupied is to be given to others.’ (Barclay, The Gospel According to Luke, p.329)
This parable is being told against them. Jesus is saying that before God, they, the leaders of Israel, are the bad guys. Worse still, without actually saying it, Jesus is implying that he is the son. If the landowner is God, Jesus is again claiming to be the Son of God. He is the all important stone which was rejected by them, the builders of Israel. They understand exactly what Jesus is saying. Previous generations of leaders persecuted and executed the prophets. They are planning to kill the son. God’s son.
Be in no doubt. Jesus knew that he, the Son, was to be killed, by them, the keeper of the vineyard. He wants them to know that he knows.
Once more, they are desperate to arrest him. But they are afraid of the Passover crowd.
Once more they are publicly humiliated in front of the temple crowds.
Once more, they have no choice but to walk away.
End Piece
This incident takes place on the Wednesday of Holy Week. This parable tells us that Jesus knows what is ahead. He knows that his death is imminent.
The temple authorities are utterly infuriated. Over and again, their authority has been challenged and their humiliation has been very public. Like wounded soldiers, they retire from the scene of the battle to lick their wounds and consider their next move. These are dangerous men.
Here is Christ. Courageous. Obedient in the face of his earthly enemies. Resolute in the face of approaching and increasingly inevitable death.
For this particular group of leaders this battle may have been lost, but their war against Jesus of Nazareth is not over.