1 And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. 5 And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. 7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. 8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. 10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: 11 This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way. (Mark 12:1-12 KJV)
The Parable of the Tenants
Christ had earlier used parables to show how he planned to establish the gospel church; now he begins using parables to show how he would set aside the Jewish church, which could have been grafted into the gospel but instead was built upon its ruins. This parable appears just as it does in Matthew 21:33.
They that enjoy the privileges of the visible church have a vineyard leased to them, which is capable of great growth, and from which God rightly expects fruit. When God revealed his word to Jacob, his statutes and judgments to Israel (Psalm 147:19), and established his temple, priesthood, and ordinances among them, he leased to them the vineyard he had planted—hedged and with a tower built in it (Mark 12:1). Members of the church are God’s tenants. They have both a good Landlord and a good arrangement and can prosper if they are not at fault.
Those whom God entrusts with his vineyard, he sends his servants to, to remind them of what he rightly expects (Mark 12:2). He wasn’t impatient or demanding—he waited until the season when they could bear fruit, and he was willing to receive it as it was.
It is sad to consider the abuse God’s faithful ministers have suffered throughout history from those who had the privileges of the church but failed to produce fruit. The Old Testament prophets were persecuted even by those who called themselves God’s people. They beat them and sent them away empty (Mark 12:3); they wounded them and treated them shamefully (Mark 12:4); and ultimately, they killed them (Mark 12:5).
It was no surprise that those who mistreated the prophets also mistreated Christ. God eventually sent his Son, his beloved—an even greater act of kindness, like when Jacob sent Joseph to his brothers (Genesis 37:14). It might have been expected that they would respect the one their Master loved (Mark 12:6): “They will respect my son.”
But instead of honoring him because he was the Son and heir, they hated him (Mark 12:7). Because Christ called for repentance with more authority than the prophets, they became more enraged and plotted to kill him, so they could seize control of the church and receive the people’s full respect and obedience: “The inheritance shall be ours; we will have all the power.” There was a heavenly inheritance available to them if they had honored the Son, but they rejected that and preferred to claim worldly wealth, prestige, and power. So they took him and killed him—not yet, but soon—and they cast him out of the vineyard. After his departure, they refused to accept his gospel, which did not fit their plans, and rejected it with contempt.
For such wicked and disgraceful actions, a fearful judgment was to be expected (Mark 12:9): “What will the Lord of the vineyard do?” The answer is clear.
- He will come and destroy those tenants whom he would have saved. When they merely withheld fruit, he didn’t punish them. But when they killed his servants and his Son, he determined to destroy them—fulfilled when Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jewish nation made desolate.
- He will lease the vineyard to others. If he doesn’t receive fruit from them, he will get it from another people, for God will not suffer loss. This was fulfilled by the inclusion of the Gentiles and the fruitfulness the gospel produced worldwide (Colossians 1:6). If some disappoint us, others will bear fruit. Christ encouraged himself with this truth: even if Israel isn’t gathered to him, “Yet I will be glorious…a light to the Gentiles” (Isaiah 49:5-6).
The opposition of the Jewish religious leaders to Christ’s exaltation would not stop it from happening (Mark 12:10-11): “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” God exalted Christ as the Head and Cornerstone, essential and glorious, despite their efforts to resist him. God will establish Christ as King on Zion, no matter how men rage against him. The world will recognize this as the Lord’s doing—both in justice toward the Jews and mercy toward the Gentiles. Exalting Christ in our hearts is also God’s work, and when it happens, it is marvelous in our eyes.
What impact did this parable have on the chief priests and scribes, who were meant to be convicted by it? They knew he was speaking about them (Mark 12:12). They saw themselves clearly in the story. One would think this would show them their guilt and the certainty of judgment, and frighten them into submitting to Christ and the gospel, at least persuade them to stop plotting against him. But instead, they looked for a way to arrest him immediately, fulfilling what he had just predicted (Mark 12:8).
The only thing that stopped them from arresting Jesus was the fear of the people. They had no reverence for Christ or fear of God, but they were afraid the crowd would retaliate if they arrested him publicly. So they left him and went away. Since they couldn’t hurt him, they chose not to let him help them. They removed themselves from the sound of his powerful preaching, lest they be converted and healed.
Note: When people’s prejudices aren’t broken by the truth, they are only hardened further. When their sinful hearts aren’t humbled by correction, they become more enraged. If the gospel is not a fragrance of life leading to life, it becomes a fragrance of death leading to death.