What Was the Significance of the Parable of the Tenants?
“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
Key Facts
Term Name
Parable of the Tenants
Location
Jerusalem
Date
c. 30 AD
Participants
- Jesus
- Pharisees
- Scribes
- The crowds in the temple
Key Takeaways
- The parable illustrates Israel's leaders rejecting God's messengers, culminating in Jesus' crucifixion.
- The vineyard symbolizes Israel, and the tenants represent those entrusted with spiritual stewardship.
- Jesus' identity as the rejected Son underscores the consequences of rejecting divine authority.
The Context of the Parable of the Tenants
Jesus told the Parable of the Tenants in Matthew 21:33–46 to challenge the religious leaders of his time.
The parable addresses the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 21:45), who were entrusted with Israel’s spiritual care but resisted God’s messengers. The vineyard symbolizes Israel (Isaiah 5:1–7), and the tenants represent those who failed to honor the landowner’s authority. The escalating violence against the owner’s servants and son reflects Israel’s historical pattern of rejecting prophets and ultimately Jesus himself.
The tenants’ rejection of the owner’s messengers (Matthew 21:35–36) mirrors how Israel’s leaders opposed God’s spokespeople, culminating in their role in Jesus’ crucifixion. This parable underscores the gravity of spiritual stewardship and the consequences of refusing divine authority.
The Narrative of the Parable
Jesus unfolds the parable by describing a landowner who meticulously prepares a vineyard and rents it to tenants, only to face repeated betrayal.
The landowner sends servants to collect his share of the harvest, but the tenants beat, kill, and cast them out (Matthew 21:35-36). When the owner sends his beloved son, the tenants plot, 'Let us kill him and take possession of the inheritance' (Matthew 21:38). This escalating violence underscores their rejection of divine authority.
The parable culminates in the landowner’s resolve to destroy the tenants and entrust the vineyard to others (Matthew 21:40-41). Jesus explicitly identifies the son as representing himself—the culmination of God’s messengers—and the tenants as Israel’s leaders who rejected him. The parable warns of spiritual stewardship’s gravity and the consequences of refusing God’s covenantal claims, bridging to Jesus’ critique of the religious authorities’ failure in the following verses.
Theological Significance of the Parable
The parable reveals Jesus' identity as the rejected yet exalted Son of God, whose death and resurrection fulfill divine justice and open new possibilities for redemption.
In Matthew 21:42-46, Jesus explicitly applies Psalm 118:22-23 to himself, declaring that the 'stone the builders rejected' has become the cornerstone—a symbol of his messianic authority and the unexpected reversal of divine judgment. This imagery underscores the paradox of Israel's leaders rejecting God's chosen Son, a rejection that, in God's plan, becomes the foundation for a new covenant community. The parable also warns that unrepentant sin, particularly the rejection of Jesus, will incur divine judgment (Matthew 21:41, 44), as the landowner's final act of destroying the tenants mirrors the fate awaiting those who refuse to acknowledge his sovereignty. The stone's role in Psalm 118, often interpreted as a symbol of God's salvation, takes on a new dimension in Jesus' teaching, where it represents both the danger of falling against the stone and the hope of being built upon it.
This parable challenges listeners to recognize Jesus as the culmination of God's redemptive promises and to consider the spiritual consequences of their response to him. By linking the tenants' violence to the historical rejection of prophets and the crucifixion of Jesus, the text calls for accountability and warns that stewardship of divine truth demands a transformative response. The parable's conclusion, where the vineyard is entrusted to others, invites reflection on the inclusivity of God's kingdom and the responsibility of all who inherit its blessings.
How the Parable Still Matters Today
The Parable of the Tenants challenges modern believers to examine their accountability to God’s purposes and the responsibility of stewarding spiritual gifts with integrity.
Spiritual stewardship, as taught in Matthew 21:38-41, demands recognizing God’s authority and acting with faithfulness, not self-interest. The tenants’ violent rejection of the landowner’s son mirrors the cost of rejecting Christ—Matthew 21:44 warns that those who stumble over the cornerstone will face divine judgment. Today, this parable calls us to guard against complacency in our relationship with God, ensuring we do not neglect the spiritual inheritance entrusted to us (Psalm 118:22-23). By embracing humility and obedience, we honor our role as stewards, avoiding the fate of those who prioritize personal gain over God’s kingdom.
Going Deeper
To deepen understanding of the Parable of the Tenants, scholars often compare Mark 12:1-12, where Jesus tells the same story with slight variations, and explore Old Testament metaphors like Isaiah 5:1-7, which uses a vineyard to symbolize Israel’s covenant failure.
The parable’s audience has sparked debate: some argue Jesus directed it primarily at the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 21:45), while others suggest it also warned all who might reject his message. Psalm 118:22-23, quoted by Jesus in Matthew 21:42, further enriches the imagery of the 'rejected stone' becoming foundational to God’s plan.
Further Reading
Key Scripture Mentions
Matthew 21:33-46
The Parable of the Tenants as told by Jesus, highlighting the rejection of the landowner's son.
Isaiah 5:1-7
The Old Testament vineyard metaphor used by Jesus to symbolize Israel's covenant failure.
Psalm 118:22-23
Quoted by Jesus to affirm his identity as the 'rejected stone' becoming the cornerstone.
Mark 12:1-12
A parallel account of the parable with slight variations in wording and context.
Related Concepts
Vineyard (Symbols)
Symbolizes Israel in the parable, representing God's covenant people and their spiritual responsibility.
Cornerstone (Theological Concepts)
A metaphor for Jesus in Psalm 118, illustrating his foundational role in God's redemptive plan.
Spiritual Stewardship (Terms)
The responsibility entrusted to God's people to honor His authority and care for His kingdom.