9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast 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 said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And 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 those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17 But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. Luke 20: 9-19 ESV
Luke 20: 9-19
…18They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 19Nevertheless, the LORD sent prophets to bring the people back to Him and to testify against them; but they would not listen. 20Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’ ”… 2 Chronicles 24: 18-20
A man planted a vineyard - This would be a familiar comparison for them, as the hillsides around Jerusalem were probably dotted by these, and there is a rich history in the OT describing vineyards, the fruit of the vine and the use of a vineyard in the prophecies of Isaiah. The religious leaders would be very well acquainted with Isaiah, which will come into play here shortly. It was also not uncommon practice to lease your land to those that were skilled in horticulture and or animal husbandry, who would tend the vineyard and repay the owner of the land at a set price. It could be a barter of goods and produce that were produced on the land, a percentage, or currency, the rest belonging to the renters.
…3“And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I exhort you to judge between Me and My vineyard. 4What more could I have done for My vineyard than I already did for it? Why, when I expected sweet grapes, did it bring forth sour fruit? 5Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled.… Isaiah 5: 3-5
He sent a servant to the tenants - This was his slave, and like the slave so are the prophets of the Lord. Those who follow Christ are His slaves, and when they rightly divide the word of truth, proclaim God's word to a fallen world and to those that call themselves the church but don't stick with or do what God says, they are like these reformers of old. In every age men have tried to pronounce their autonomy in a world they did not make, in a universe they not only didn't make but have yet to fully comprehend. Here we are, the tenants on God's earth, utilizing His resources, the bodies and minds He has designed and brought into being, yet in our falleness we have drifted away from this reality and need God's slaves to come and remind even the church of our situation.
…21This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! 22For when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not merely command them about burnt offerings and sacrifices, 23but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.…
…24Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. 25From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again. 26Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.… Jeremiah 7: 21-26
He sent a slave (doulos) to the vine-growers so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard - The slave was the land owner's representative who came with the owner's full authority and in his place. He comes to receive the owner's share of the crop. Matthew adds the phrase "to receive his produce (karpos)." (Mt 21:34) It belonged to the landowner not the vine-growers! This recalls the words of the two productive slaves in the Parable of the Minas who used the mina to gain "fruit" but still emphasized that they were but stewards describing it as "your (the master's) mina" (Lk 19:16, 18-note)
Who do the slaves (doulos) represent? These slaves are the true Old Testament prophets who were often referred to as God’s servants in the Old Testament (Jer 7:25; Ezek 38:17; Da 9:6, 10; Amos 3:7; Zech 1:6). God sent these men in His great lovingkindness to the nation of Israel to warn the Jewish people to return to God’s Law, to obedience and to true righteousness. The prophet Micah gives us a memorable summary of the objective sought by God in sending the prophets - Precept Austin
Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:7-8-note)
The tenants beat him and sent him away empty handed - This happened to Jeremiah, Isaiah was said to have been sawn in half, Elijah was called by King Ahab, "you troubler of Israel", all for repeating what God said, all for coming to a rebellious people and saying, "repent". The fact that God sends messengers is a sign of kindness, a sign of immense patience, but they beat him. When people don't like the message they want to silence the messenger, even if this means killing him, and then they go find a false prophet who will say what they want to hear.
…36Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 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.… Hebrews 11: 36-38
And he sent yet a third - This land owner is very kind. The case against the tenant is building. The land owner is sending the servants for the agreed upon produce or wine, and the tenant is not honoring the agreement. It is like the agreement God made with Israel, "do this and you will live", and they said, "sure, sounds reasonable", but then didn't do it. Not only did they not obey God's law, but they acted and taught their kids like it didn't matter, so the truth became more and more diluted in every generation. They became just like those who didn't know God, who worshiped images, yet they thought they were okay because they kept some of the traditions, went to the feasts and gave God a little nod by showing up at the temple or for readings in the synagogues, but their hearts were far from Him.
…3Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, “This is what you are to tell the house of Jacob and explain to the sons of Israel: 4‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.…
…6And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.” 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.… Exodus 19: 3-8
As Steven Cole says "Any sensible businessman immediately would have thrown these bums out, prosecuted them legally for their negligence and abuse, and replaced them with tenants who would be more faithful in managing his vineyard. But I’m glad to say that this owner, who represents God, was not acting like a "good businessman." (but like a kind, merciful, benevolent, forgiving Father). Jesus is showing us the unreasonable, illogical, supra-human patience of our gracious God. He sent His prophets to Israel over and over again, looking for fruit. But the disobedient nation ignored, mistreated, and even killed some of these faithful servants. Yet in spite of this, God kept sending them, over and over again, as a demonstration of His abundant patience and grace. The history of Israel reveals the tragic wickedness of the human heart. No people were as privileged by God as that covenant nation, and yet repeatedly they turned away from God. While Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments, Israel was in the valley below carousing in front of the golden calf. Time and again they grumbled against God in the wilderness. When they moved into the promised land, instead of living separately from the pagan nations around them, they imitated their idolatry and immorality. Yet where sin abounded, God’s grace super-abounded (Ro 5:20+). Far beyond any human expectations, God patiently sent prophet after prophet to warn His people to turn from their sins. If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you should be able to look back at God’s extravagant patience and grace in His dealings with you and it ought to motivate you to serve Him more zealously. How many times I have been self-centered, living for my own aims, not to bear fruit for the Lord! And yet He always keeps sending His messengers to get me back on track! God sends us preachers who proclaim the truth of His Word. He gives us the Bible, which we can read for ourselves. We see many other messengers in His church-friends and others who warn us by their lives and words of the need to live fruitful lives. God graciously sends us health problems to show us that we are frail and dependent on Him; signs of aging-gray hair, loss of hair, loss of youthful strength, and the death of loved ones and friends, to remind us that the eternal is what matters. All of these gracious messengers, given over and over again, remind us that eternity is near and we must give an account. God’s great patience in His dealings with us should motivate us to live accountably to Him, bearing fruit with our lives. But the greatest motivation to fruitful, accountable living is not the many prophets God sent. It is His final messenger: God’s great love, seen in sending His beloved Son, should motivate us to live accountably to Him. (Who Owns the Vineyard?) - Precept Austin
I will send My beloved Son, perhaps they will respect Him - A pretty crisp picture, hmm, Who is He talking about here? Humans are kind of numb though, I mean, look, we beat up three of this land owners' slaves, and all He has done is send us someone else to beat up each time. He doesn't show up Himself, so He's probably scared of us or a push over. It's like the voice of the serpent in the garden, ever since our parents listened to the, "you will not surely die", we have given it an ear ever since. "God's not angry, this is okay, it feels good, I don't feel bad, it was consensual, someone with a really high IQ told me that there is no landowner, so I don't have anything to worry about." After a while it's just the messengers in our mind, that's the problem, and if we can just shut them up, well, problem solved.
…3So let us know—let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth. 4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes. 5Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth, and My judgments go forth like lightning.… Hosea 6: 3-5
…2For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.… Romans 8: 2-4
…3So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world. 4But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.… Galatians 4: 3-5
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 1 John 4: 9-15
They threw Him out of the vineyard and killed Him - Jesus was not just a prophet, and for the first time man was confronted by God in human flesh. They never hated the messengers so much as they hated God, and He will receive from them the fruit of their disdain, false accusations, mock trial, spitting, beating, saying dumb things to Him and about Him, things we couldn't take from another man without swinging back at them. Then, as the Scriptures state, cursed is everyone who hangs from a tree, so He will be nailed to a cross.
…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. 14For here we do not have a permanent city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.… Hebrews 13: 12-14
He will come and destroy those tenants - This is what I would expect. They are guilty of stealing, of assault, then coveting and now murder. He sent His servants, and now He sends His only Son. In Matthew's account in Matthew 21:41, we see that this was their answer to Jesus, "they said to Him".
They said, "Surely not" - Some translations render this as, "may it never be", as though they know what should be expected, but do not want the consequences. A person can understand the concept of justice, but not want it for themselves.
Lawrence Richards on “May it never be!" - At first glance the horrified reaction of the crowds seems to express the wish that the owner’s son should escape (Lk 20:16). But a closer look at the sayings just before and after correct the impression. Jesus had warned that the furious father would appear and kill the wicked tenants, and give the vineyard to others. It was this that provoked the reaction, “May this never be!" How like each of us. No one wants to be held accountable for his or her actions. Our nine-year-old wants to mess up her room—but not be forced to clean it up. The pregnant teen wanted experimentation or sought popularity—but doesn’t want the baby. One of the most important things we can do for our children is to make sure they learn early that every choice has its consequences. “May this never be!" is a useless plea. - Precept Austin
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone - This references back to the Psalms, Isaiah and Zechariah 3. Sadly, some of these know what these say about the Messiah, that He will be rejected, yet this is no ordinary man before them, He has done too many marvelous things. This is seeing insurmountable truth and evidence before you, having the Scriptures brought back to your memory, and fulfilled before your eyes, and then saying, "yeah, but I don't want it to be true, so I am going to hope and want for something else," and that's what, your truth?
…15For you said, “We have made a covenant with death; we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol. When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not touch us, because we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.” 16So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken. 17I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place.… Isaiah 28: 15-17
They perceived that He told this parable against them - They want to shut Him up like their fathers did to all the messengers that came before Him. They insist in their minds that they are nothing like their parents. They study the prophets, who their parents killed, and like so many today, they say, "we wouldn't have killed the prophets." People tell me today that they wouldn't have been pro slavery had they lived back then. They wouldn't have been like the Africans who sold the other Africans. They wouldn't have been misogynists, wouldn't have followed Mao or Stalin, killing 100s of millions in the name of communism and atheism. They wouldn't have stood by as Hitler murdered the Jews or the Roman Catholic Church killed thousands of reformers and dissenters. I think history suggests that you think way too highly of yourself? Here's a test: Do you think abortion is wrong and are you willing to say this out loud in places where people don't share the same opinion as you? I can just here the, "that's different" cries. How? A child inside of you is the same human being when outside of you. Location is not an argument. A slave was a convenience for a slave owner, and abortion is a convenience for someone who doesn't want the responsibility of another human being. If you were raped, the baby didn't rape you. If you keep saying, "well, it's not human, it's a part of my body.", that's not scientific. You procreated, combining your DNA with someone else's DNA in a process designed by Someone other than you, and this created another human being with their own unique DNA. Wanting something to be true doesn't make it so and neither does wanting something to be false make it so. Were no different than these Pharisees when confronted with the facts. We don't like them, and we want the people who keep telling us the truth to shut up and go away, so we can go back to our comforts and conveniences, our bubble where we think we're safe, but the call remains the same, God has not changed, so repent and be saved.
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