“There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
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’?
Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. Matthew 21:33-46
In this parable Jesus teaches about the conflict between God and religion. He uses the illustration of a vineyard to help us understand our role in the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God is like a vineyard. He planted the seeds. He erected a wall around it to prevent weeds from disrupting the plants. He made a winepress to turn the grapes into fine wine and he built a tower to watch over and protect his vineyard.
In this parable there was a landowner who planted a vineyard. Then he hired tenants to farm the crop. At the time of harvest he sent his servants to collect the fruit. The tenants beat one, killed another, and stoned the the third.
Then the landowner sent other servants and the tenants treated them the same way.
Finally, he sent his son believing they would respect him. But the tenants were threatened by the son who was the heir to the vineyard. They decided to kill him and steal his inheritance.
The question posed is when the landowner comes what will he do to the tenants?
The response is he will destroy those wicked tenants and rent the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.
Jesus asked the religious leaders “Don’t you understand scripture?” You have built a temple out of stone but have rejected the cornerstone. I will take the kingdom of God away from you and give it to those who will produce its fruit.
Jesus went on to say those who reject the cornerstone will be broken to pieces and crushed. This comment led to his death!
This parable is a microcosm of the conflict between God and religion. Unfortunately, religion is not concerned about the quality of the crop; it is about the reward to those who tend the crop.
The leaders have rejected Christ for rules and works. Their motives are to protect their own interests not the interests of Christ.
The priority of Christ is for all followers to know Him and walk by faith. This does not happen by going to church and following the rules of religion. This will lead you astray from the heart of God.
Christ is the cornerstone of the worldwide church. You and I are called to worship Him in Spirit and Truth.
As a believer, you are a tenant working for Christ in the vineyard. Your motives should be to please Christ and not to use Him for your own personal advantage.
Your responsibility is to be a light for Christ and contribute to the harvest of a bountiful crop.
God will judge you by the quality of your harvest!
Hal Hollister Ministry 