"Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes'? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit. (Mt 21:33-43)
This parable was not totally new to the listeners. Already in the Old Testament the people of Israel were considered to be the vineyard. Psalm 80 and Isaiah chapter five spoke very clearly about the vineyard and the vineyard was the people of Israel. God was the owner of the vineyard. He did everything possible for the vineyard but the vineyard did not produce the desired fruit.
This parable of the Matthew’s gospel speaks about the tenants. These tenants were the leaders of the people of Israel. These leaders did not bother about their duty to the vineyard and to the owner. The leaders ill-treated the servants of the owner. Probably the tenants wanted to possess the vineyard for themselves. Or they thought that the owner would not come back to take possession of the vineyard. Leaders played against the owner.
Theo owner sent his own son to the tenants. The tenants treated him also very badly and killed him. Owner would come to take severe action against the tenants. They would be put to death. The tenants (leaders) are the centre of today’s parable. Leaders have not been faithful to their duty and also they have behaved wrongly in dealing with the servants and the son.
