#1301 Matthew 21 Part 4 Bad Renters

“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord's doing,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. Matthew 21: 33-46 ESV

Matthew 21: 33-46

I will sing for the one I love

a song about his vineyard:

My loved one had a vineyard

on a fertile hillside.

2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones

and planted it with the choicest vines.

He built a watchtower in it

and cut out a winepress as well.

Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,

but it yielded only bad fruit.

3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah,

judge between me and my vineyard.

4 What more could have been done for my vineyard

than I have done for it?

When I looked for good grapes,

why did it yield only bad?

5 Now I will tell you

what I am going to do to my vineyard:

I will take away its hedge,

and it will be destroyed;

I will break down its wall,

and it will be trampled.

6 I will make it a wasteland,

neither pruned nor cultivated,

and briers and thorns will grow there.

I will command the clouds

not to rain on it.”

7 The vineyard of the Lord Almighty

is the nation of Israel,

and the people of Judah

are the vines he delighted in.

And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;

for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. Isaiah 5: 1-7

A Master of a house Who planted a vineyard - The vineyard is Israel, a people called forth by God through Abraham, out of the line of Isaac, and then Jacob, who was the father of the twelve tribes. Israel was brought out of bondage in Egypt, settled in the land of Canaan, which was promised to Abraham by God. They were to be a priestly kingdom, a light in a dark and sin filled world. To them was given the law by Moses and the prophets, the tabernacle of testimony and the temple, all teaching God's redemptive plan for those who repent and believe. God promised even in the garden, the Messiah, the Seed of the woman, and to Abraham's initial unbelief, He responded that in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Now Israel herself had known much in the way of rejection, Abraham tried to get God to bless his own plan in Ishmael, the son of Abraham's doubt, that his barren wife could carry Isaac when she was passed the time of her menstruations. There was a custom of primogeniture wherein the oldest received the inheritance, yet God chose Jacob over Esau, against the wishes of Isaac. For some 400 years Israel was in Egypt, a place where they became hated, rejected, racially abhorred, and where their young boys were condemned to infanticide by a Pharaoh who wanted to control their numbers. When they were finally released through many great miracles, culminating in the Passover, and the parting of  the Red Sea, they were not well received by their kin the Moabites, the children of Abraham's nephew, Lot. 

…7Restore us, O God of Hosts, and cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved. 8You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and transplanted it. 9You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land.… Psalm 80: 7-9

Put a fence around it - Israel initially was not a well trained military machine, God watched over them, and provided their protection. 

…2I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” 4So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.… Genesis 12: 2-4

Dug a wine press in it - He gave Israel the tools, the vine, all the items necessary to maintain the vineyard, the direction of His word. He set them up for success, and they were to bring glory to His great and Holy name. He even gave them a tower to see things afar off. So powerful is God that He not only predicts our failures, but still manages to be honored besides. We intend evil, yet God brings forth good. 

He digged a wine-press and built a tower. The altar of burnt-offerings was the wine-press, to which all the offerings were brought. God instituted ordinances in his church, for the due oversight of it, and for the promoting of its fruitfulness. What could have been done more to make it every way convenient? - Matthew Henry

…2to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn, 3to console the mourners in Zion— to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. 4They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.… Isaiah 61: 2-4

He sent His servants - These were the prophets, always preaching reform back to God's original design and intent, His word. They came to ask for the fruits of repentance, the expectation of the One Who had pulled them out of bondage. It was His vineyard, His plans, His wine press, His vines, it all belongs to Him. They couldn't even get out of Egypt without Him, and He sustained them in the wilderness for forty years.

…7But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. 9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.… Matthew 3: 7-9

Beat one, killed another and stoned another - Early Jewish tradition holds that Isaiah was sawn in half with a wooden saw, gruesome. Many, like Micaiah, were disrespected, punched in the face, lied about, spit on and chased like dogs. This shows the mercy of God's plan because no human monarch would put up with this much. After you beat up my first employee, and given the obvious power that is available here, I would show up in force then, but as the sinner I know I am now, I am grateful that God is slow to anger. 

…23So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.” 24Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?” 25Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”… 1 Kings 22: 23-25

…37They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. 38The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground. 39These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.… Hebrews 11: 37-39

Finally He sent His Son to them - It's interesting that Jesus chooses to have them identify the heir; they know it's the Landowner's Son. They say, "this is the heir", let's just kill Him. They had an arrangement with the Landowner, right? They were tenants, so you work this vineyard and I send my servants for my agreed upon share. Sounds familiar.

…3You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you. You must not walk in their customs. 4 You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God. 5Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.… Leviticus 18: 3-5

…7So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. 8And all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the LORD has spoken.” So Moses brought their words back to the LORD. 9The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in you.” And Moses relayed to the LORD what the people had said.… Exodus 19: 7-9

…12I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out the two Amorite kings before you, but not by your own sword or bow. 13So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’ Joshua 24: 12-1

They took Him, threw Him out of the vineyard and killed Him - The servants came with God's word, but here Christ differentiates Himself, He is the Son, the only begotten of the Father, the word become flesh to dwell among us. They give Him no special honor, and to this day many still hate Him. 

…13Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well? 14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel. 15By the time He knows enough to reject evil and choose good, He will be eating curds and honey.… Isaiah 7: 13-15

13children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ ”… John 1: 13-15

…11Although the high priest brings the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify the people by His own blood. 13Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore.… Hebrews 13: 11-13