THE PARABLE OF THE TENANTS

Passage: Matthew 21:33-46

Key verse: 42

NIV

The Parable of the Tenants(A)

33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted(B) a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower.(C) Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.(D) 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants(E) to the tenants to collect his fruit.

35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.(F) 36 Then he sent other servants(G) to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir.(H) Come, let’s kill him(I) and take his inheritance.’(J) 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,”(K) they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants,(L) who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

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

“‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?(M)

43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you(N) and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”[b](O)

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.(P)

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 21:42 Psalm 118:22,23
  2. Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts do not have verse 44.
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Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Parable of the Tenants

33 (A)“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted (B)a vineyard (C)and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and (D)leased it to tenants, and (E)went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants[a] to the tenants (F)to get his fruit. 35 (G)And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and (H)stoned another. 36 (I)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, (J)‘This is the heir. Come, (K)let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and (L)threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 (M)When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, (N)“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and (O)let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

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

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

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

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And (V)although they were seeking to arrest him, (W)they feared the crowds, because they held him to be (X)a prophet.

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 21:34 Or bondservants; also verses 35, 36
  2. Matthew 21:42 Greek the head of the corner
  3. Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts omit verse 44
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 selfish tenants (33-39)

This parable is about God's redemptive history. Even though God and his Messiah are rejected by selfish men, God is not defeated. The landowner in the parable is God; his vineyard, Israel. He blessed the Israelites and wanted them to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests (Ex 19:5-6). They took his blessing, but did not give him the fruit of obedience and love. They rejected the prophets because they didn't want to repent. Finally, he sent his Son, and they killed him. Those who reject God and his Son in order to live for their own pleasure and profit are like the tenants.

2. The rejected stone (4

-46)

Jesus' faith and understanding of history was based on the Scriptures. He saw beyond his own suffering and death to victory. God would make him--the rejected stone--the cornerstone and capstone of his redemptive history. Indeed, God took the vineyard away from those who rejected Jesus and gave it to the new Israel, the people of Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be a faithful steward of my life and offer fruit to you.

One Word: Give fruit to God our Redeemer