Matthew 21:33 – 39

Wicked Vinedressers 1

33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.

34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.

36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’

39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

This parable changes the subject, this parable does relate to the Jews and the Gentiles, the previous was one about the “self-righteous” ruling class and the humble sinners of the Jewish nation. But this parable begins with the Jews. They were God's exclusive people for 15 centuries but did not handle the responsibilities of being God's chosen people very well.

The householder is God, and the Law of Moses is the vineyard. The Jews had this system to prepare them for the New Covenant. God was guiding them thru this period of preparation. (Isaiah 5:1 – 7)

(Isaiah 5:7)

[For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.]

As the owner of the vineyard, he would not expect profits from the vineyard until the fruit had ripened, was reaped, and made into wine. He then sent his trusted servants to get his rightful share of the profits.

Verses 35 and 36 show the treatment given to the prophets and teachers who were sent by the Lord to the nation of the Jews.

Jesus was a Jew and was sent to the Jews as the rightful heir to all the Father possessed he should have been received with as much respect as the Father should have been given if it were he who appeared to the vinedressers.

But the wicked Jews who were controlling the nation of the Jews, were so jealous of Jesus, and wanted to keep their positions intact they felt if they eliminated the heirs then they would remain in control of the vineyard, or kingdom.

So they carried out their wicked plot by taking Jesus and giving him to the Romans to be crucified.

Jealousy and covetousness made these individuals so wicked they killed the Son of God.

This parable will be continued in the next lesson.