THE PARABLE OF THE TENANTS

Passage: Mark 12:1-12

Key verse: 2

NIV

The Parable of the Tenants(A)

12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard.(B) 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,(C) 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;(D)
11 the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?”(E)

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;(F) so they left him and went away.(G)

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Footnotes
  1. Mark 12:11 Psalm 118:22,23
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Parable of the Tenants

12 (A)And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted (B)a vineyard (C)and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and (D)leased it to tenants and (E)went into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant[a] to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 (F)And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 (G)Again (H)he sent to them another servant, and (I)they struck him on the head and (J)treated him shamefully. 5 (K)And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, (L)a beloved son. (M)Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, (N)‘This is the heir. Come, (O)let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and (P)threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? (Q)He will (R)come and destroy the tenants and (S)give the vineyard to others. 10 (T)Have you not read (U)this Scripture:

(V)“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;[b]
11 this was the Lord's doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 And (W)they were seeking to arrest him (X)but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they (Y)left him and went away.

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Footnotes
  1. Mark 12:2 Or bondservant; also verse 4
  2. Mark 12:10 Greek the head of the corner
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. The owner and the tenants (1-8)

This parable was about the Pharisees (12) and Israel. It is also about the human race. God made a beautiful world for mankind whom he created. But man did not want to acknowledge God's ownership. God prepared a homeland for Israel, but Israel didn't worship him. The tenants were selfish and didn't want to share any fruit with the Owner. God wanted his people to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests, but they only wanted to 'enjoy.' So they shamed or killed the prophets who came to call them to repent. Soon they would kill Jesus, the Son. But that's not the end of the story. The day of God's wrath would come. Jesus trusted God.

2. The Rejected Stone (9-12)

God is not thwarted by people's unfaithfulness. He took the Rejected Stone, Jesus, and made him the cornerstone of a new Israel, the capstone of his redemptive history. God still uses rejected stones; he still does marvelous things to accomplish his purpose of world salvation.

Prayer: Lord, you are the Sovereign Owner of my life. Help me to offer good and pleasing fruit to you.

One Word: Give the fruit of an obedient life to God