Parable of the Wicked Tenants

Matthew 21:33-46

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Biblical Text

"Listen to another parable: 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."

— Matthew 21:33-41 (NIV)

Context

Jesus told this parable during His final week in Jerusalem, addressing the religious leaders who were plotting against Him. It clearly portrayed Israel's history of rejecting God's prophets and foreshadowed their rejection of Jesus Himself.

Theological Interpretation

This parable illustrates Israel's repeated rejection of God's messengers and ultimately His Son. The vineyard represents Israel, the tenants are the religious leaders, the servants are the prophets, and the son represents Jesus. It warns of judgment for rejecting God's Son and the transfer of kingdom privileges to others.