9 Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. 10 And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. 11 And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. 12 And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.
13 Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. 14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. 15 So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?
16 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. 17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? 18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them. (Luke 20:9-19 KJV)
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Christ spoke this parable against those who were determined not to acknowledge his authority, even though the evidence for it was clear and convincing; and it comes at the right moment to show that by questioning his authority, they forfeited their own. Their rejection of the Lord of the vineyard was the forfeiture of their lease and their claim to the vineyard.
The parable itself adds nothing new to what we’ve read in Matthew and Mark. Its purpose is to show that the Jewish nation, by persecuting the prophets and eventually rejecting Christ, provoked God to take away their church privileges and abandon them to ruin. It teaches us:
Those who enjoy the privileges of the visible church are like tenants who’ve been given a vineyard to care for and owe rent for its use. God, by establishing revealed religion and worship among people, has planted a vineyard, and those who are part of his church are expected to tend it and yield fruit (Luke 20:9). Church work is like Adam’s original task in Eden: to dress and keep the garden. It is both needful and rewarding. There are spiritual fruits to offer to the Lord, and while these are not equal in value to what we receive, they are still required.
The job of God’s ministers is to call upon church members to produce spiritual fruit. They are like God’s rent collectors, reminding the tenants of their obligations to him (Luke 20:10). The Old Testament prophets were sent to Israel to demand the obedience they owed God.
It has often been the experience of God’s faithful servants to be terribly mistreated by his own people. Those who are unwilling to fulfill their duties to God cannot stand being reminded of them. Some of the best people have suffered most for doing good.
God sent his Son to continue the same mission as the prophets—gathering fruit for God—and one would expect him to be honored and welcomed. The prophets spoke as servants: “Thus says the Lord.” Christ came as the Son and spoke with authority: “Truly, I say to you.” That honor should have moved them.
Those who reject Christ’s ministers would also reject Christ himself, as history proved. The same people who persecuted the prophets conspired to kill Jesus. They said, “This is the heir—come, let us kill him.” When they killed the servants, more were sent. “But if we kill the son, no one else will come. Then we can keep the vineyard for ourselves.”
The scribes and Pharisees believed that if they eliminated Christ, they would retain control of the Jewish religion. So they cast him out and killed him. Putting Christ to death completed the measure of Jewish guilt and brought destruction upon them. It started with neglecting their spiritual duties and escalated to murder. Those who ignore their duty to God often don’t realize how far into sin and destruction they’re headed.
In the application of the parable, we are given something not found in the other accounts—their reaction (Luke 20:16). When they heard it, they said, “God forbid”—mē genoito—let it never be. Though they admitted that such punishment was just, they couldn’t bear to hear of it. It is foolish that sinners continue in their sinful ways even when they foresee the destruction it will bring. And how deluded they are to think that a mere “God forbid” can prevent the consequences of sin. But will this make God’s word void? No. They will find out whose word stands—God’s or theirs.
Jesus looked at them (Luke 20:17). Only Luke records this. He gazed at them with sorrow and pity, grieved to see them fooling themselves into ruin. He looked to see if they were ashamed of themselves or if there was any sign of repentance.
He referred them to Scripture: “What is this then that is written? The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”
Christ will be exalted. He has been given authority, and if he is the cornerstone of the church, then his enemies will be destroyed. Those who stumble over him and reject him will be broken. But those who actively hate and persecute him, like the Jews did, he will fall upon and crush. The punishment for malicious persecutors will be much worse than for careless unbelievers.
Finally, we are told how the chief priests and scribes responded (Luke 20:19). They realized that Jesus had spoken this parable against them—and rightly so. A guilty conscience needs no accuser. But instead of being convicted and repenting, they became enraged and tried to seize him. Their sinful desires overpowered their convictions. It wasn’t the fear of God that held them back, but fear of the people. They were ready to fulfill the parable: “This is the heir—come, let us kill him.”
When people are fully set on doing evil, even the clearest warnings make no difference. Christ showed them their sin and its consequences. Instead of saying, “Are we capable of such evil?” they practically said: “And yes—we will do just that.” Though they protested the judgment described in the parable, they immediately began planning the very crime it condemned.