March 12 - Wicked Tenants

Parable of the Wicked Tenants

The [vineyard] tenants seized his [the landowner’s] servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then they sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he [the landowner] 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, [Jesus asked the chief priests and elders] when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they [the chief priests and elders] replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time. (Matthew 21: 35-41).

In studying this parable, I learned that the law of Jesus’ time provided that if there were no heirs, property would pass to those in possession (possession is nine tenths of the law). This amounts to conspiracy to commit murder by the Jewish leadership, and it’s prophetic in the sense that Jesus tells them what they are going to do to Him. The tenants probably thought the fight for the property was over, but it wasn’t; the owner would now appear on the scene.

When Jesus asks the question, what will the owner do to the evil tenants (vs. 40-41), he is forcing the religious leaders to declare their own fate: condemnation for their own blatant disobedience. Jesus leaves open the question of what Israel’s leadership is going to do with the Messiah, the son of God, whom he refers to as the “Chief cornerstone” (vs. 42).

Applying this parable to our lives, I’m compelled to ask two questions; first, have I come to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior, or rejected him, as did the Jewish leadership? Second, what have I done with Jesus? Am I like the bad tenants, rejecting His word and living a life of disobedience, or am I embracing Jesus with all the grace, hope, and love that He so readily embraces me?

Gracious Lord, we pray for Your guidance as we discern your will for our lives. Please open our hearts to you, fill us with your peace and love, and make us mindful and grateful for being our Chief cornerstone. Amen.

Link to Bible verses: Matthew 21