As we continue in the parable, things now reach a tragic end. As the tenants had rejected the servants that the landlord had sent to them, he now sends his own son with the great hope that they will respect him. But of course, instead of listening to the son, the tenants seize the opportunity and decide to kill him. The tenants know that without an heir, that the vineyard would be theirs. And so when the son arrives, they kill him just as was planned. It’s heartbreaking and completely unjust. If when you cry for justice when you hear the parable, that’s precisely the response the Jesus is invoking.

When Jesus asks, “what will the owner of the vineyard do?”, those listening would have precisely known that judgment would follow. But of course, Jesus is not just speaking about any son, but he is warning them that because they have rejected him, that they have rejected God’s Son. Jesus is the true and right heir of Israel and that can never be taken away. However, even through their rejection, Jesus will become the cornerstone. Not only have the religious leaders failed to listen to the prophets who were sent before, but now they have rejected God’s Son.

The leaders would have known precisely who Jesus was speaking about and so their hearts continued to be hardened. They could have at this point turned to Jesus and recognise Jesus as God’s Son, but instead, they whimper off and look for a way to arrest Jesus instead. AL

Questions

Prayer

Gracious Father, sorry for the times in our lives in which we reject or rebel against your authority and rule. Please help us to recognise Jesus as Lord in every aspect of our lives. Please help us to point to Jesus, that people may see clearly and respond sincerely to who he really is. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.