Tenants or Takers:

Matthew 21:33 “...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...”

Mark 12:1 “...And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country...”

Luke 20:9 “...And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while...”

Who are the characters in this parable?

• A man (master) who planted a vineyard.
• Tenants, who leased the vineyard.

Who owned the vineyard?

• The one who created it.

Why did he lease it?

• He was going elsewhere.

Is this an easily understood arrangement?

Matthew 21:34-36 “...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...”

Mark 12:2-5 “...When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed...”

Luke 20:10-12 “...When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out...”

Why did he send servants to the tenants?

• To partake of what belonged to Him

How did the tenants receive those whom were sent?

• They beat them. They struck them. They treated them shamefully.
• They wounded them. They killed them. They stoned them

Matthew 21:37-39 “...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...”

Mark 12:6-8 “...He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard...”

Luke 20:13-15a “...Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him...”

Who did the owner of the vineyard finally send?

• His beloved son.

How did the tenants receive the son? Why?

• They killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.
• They wanted ownership. They wanted to possess what was not theirs to possess.

Matthew 21:40 “...When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?...”

Mark 12:9 “...What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others...”

Luke 20:15b-16a “...What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others...”

What is the destiny of those who are takers, not tenants?

• Destruction.
• Replacement.

Matthew 21:42-44 “...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...”

Mark 12:10-11 “...Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?...”

Luke 20:17-18 “...But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him...”

How does Jesus explain the parable?

• The kingdom of God has been entrusted to tenants.
• Unrighteous tenants will lose kingdom privileges.
• Jesus, the beloved Son, is the cornerstone that breaks people to pieces.

Is our culture producing righteous tenants that produce kingdom fruit?

• We are a selfish people.
• We are a possessive people.
• Apart from the Grace of God, we bear no fruit.

Hear the Word of our Lord.