Bible Materials

Matthew 21:33-46

by Paul Choi   11/15/2015   Matthew 21:33~46

Message


The Parable of The Tenants

Matthew 21:33-46

Key Verse:21:42 “Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scripture: “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

  Matthew 21 starts with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. When Jesus entered into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, the crowd followed him shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! “ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (9) Hosanna means ‘Save!” The crowd believed Jesus as the Savior who would liberate them from the occupation of the foreigners. But, Jesus was more than they expected. Jesus entered into Jerusalem as the Savior of the world who saves his people from their sin. As soon as he entered into Jerusalem, he cleared the temple driving out all who were buying and selling there. And he said, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ (13) By clearing the temple Jesus taught us that our God is the holy God who is worthy of being worshipped and honored. After clearing the temple, Jesus left Jerusalem in order to stay in Bethany. All these things happened on Sunday.

Next day Jesus reentered Jerusalem and saw a fruitless fig tree. Through the fruitless fig tree Jesus saw the corrupted religious leaders who failed to produce the fruit of righteousness. Jesus cursed the fig tree and it withered immediately. Jesus said to his surprising disciples, “If you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (21-22) Jesus taught them the importance of prayer and the power of faith. When we trust in God and pray without doubting, we experience one miracle after another.

  The Parable of the Tenants is the continuation of Jesus’ prophetic warning against the unrepentant religious leaders and the prediction of his own rejection and death. Through this parable Jesus also teaches us who he really is and what our relationship with God should be. I pray that God may pour out his spirit into our hearts. Amen!

First, the landowner who planted a vineyard (33-41) Look at verse 33. “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.” Here the word “another” links this parable with the previous one: The Parable of the Two Sons. (28-32) What did Jesus teach us about through the Parable of the Two Sons? Repentance and obedience! Did the religious leaders understand Jesus’ teaching? Did they repent and believe? No, they didn’t. So Jesus taught them another parable so that they might repent and believe in Jesus.

Verses 33-34 remind us of Isaiah 5:1-7 which writes about the song of the vineyard. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He built a wall to keep out animals, a watchtower to guard against thieves and fire. He cleared it of stones and planted the choicest vines in it. He dug a winepress in it for convenient and effective crop. The landowner planted a beautiful and perfect vineyard on a fertile hillside. He loved the vineyard saying, “It is very good!” “I love it!”

In this parable the landowner indicates the Creator God. The vineyard indicates Israel, and farmers, the religious leaders. God brought Israel out of Egypt and put them into the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey. God had a great plan and hope for Israel that she might become a kingdom of priests and holy nation. (Ex 19:5,6) The Israelites were a chosen people, a covenant nation, and the law-receiver. The Israelites were a slave people. But God made them a royal priesthood and a holy nation. (1 Pe 2:9)

Here we learn that God made each of us a very good and special person. In the beginning God created a man in his own image and likeness and said, “It is very good!” “Perfect!” “I love it!” (Ge 1:31) There is no one on this earth who was born without his or her unique merit and goodness. Everybody is precious, valuable, and important in the eyes of the Lord. This is because everybody is born in God’s image and likeness. As children are best children to their parents’ eyes, each of us is the best creation to God’s eyes. The psalmist praises the Lord God who created all things wonderfully and meaningfully in this, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Ps 139:14) Amen!

Look at verse 34 again. “When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.” Here ‘servants’ are ‘prophets’ who deliver God’s message and word. God wants to collect his fruit from the farmers so that they could remember the landowner and keep a good relationship with him. According to Mark’s gospel the landowner needs some of the fruit of the vineyard. (Mk 12:2) The purpose of collecting the fruit was not to make him rich, but help the farmers to remember his favor and keep a good relationship with him in grateful spirit. This is the reason why we offer tithing (one tenths of our income) to God. We give offerings to God so that we may remember God’s grace and keep a good relationship with him.

What was the response of the farmers to the landowner and to his servants? Look at verse 35. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.” What a terrible response of the farmers! The farmers must have given thanks to the landowner and provided the best fruit for the landowner with gratitude. On the contrary, they seized his servants, they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Here servants are prophets in the Old Testament. God sent many prophets to Israel for their repentance and righteousness. But the Israelites rejected them and killed them. They opposed Jeremiah and beat him. (Jer 20:2) In Elijah’s time Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab killed many prophets. (1 Ki 18:4) The prophet Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, was stoned to death for rebuking King Joash (2 Chr 24:21)

   The forbearance of the landowner continued. Look at verse 36. “Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.” The landowner sent more servants to the tenant farmers so that they might repent their wrongdoing and turn their hearts to him.  But they didn’t repent. They treated the servants mercilessly. Did the landowner give them up? Did he send his troops to destroy them all? No! What did he do? Look at verse 37. “Last of all, he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son’, he said.” The landowner did not give up his last hope for the farmers. He decided to send his own son to them so that they might remember him and come back to their senses. He appealed to their conscience. He expected that the farmers might respect his own son as they respected him.

  What was the tenant farmers’ response to the landowner’s last appeal? How did they treat his son? Look at verses 38,39. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.”  How come? How could the tenants do such evil things to the son of the landowner? Greed replaced respect. Murderous spirit filled them. The tenants thought that they would take the vineyard if they killed the son. So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Here Jesus described the son for himself. Jesus predicted his prophetic rejection and death. Four days later Jesus would be arrested, rejected, suffer and die. Jesus, the Son of God, who is sinless would be thrown out of the city Jerusalem by the hand of the religious leaders and crucified by the hand of the gentiles. Jesus, the sinless of Lamb of God, suffered and died for our sins. The prophet Isaiah described Jesus’ suffering and death in this way, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain… Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Is 53:3-5)

  What was Jesus’ question to the religious leaders and what was their answer? “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied,” and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” The landowner was not wishy-washy. His patience ran out. He demonstrated his justice by destroying all the evil tenants. Then, he would give the vineyard to others who would acknowledge him and honor him with share of its crop. Here Jesus teaches us the eschatological prediction of God’s divine judgment over those who reject God and do evil things. Paul said in Romans 2:4-5. “…do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you know contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.”

  In this part we learn that ungrateful heart brings disaster. Do you know whom Satan likes most? They are ungrateful people like the tenants in this parable. Satan works through those who complain or become unthankful. Ingratitude is the root of all evil. When Adam lost gratitude for God’s blessing, he failed to Satan’s temptation. Thanksgiving Day is coming. Let us give thanks to God in all circumstances. Particularly give thanks to God who provided good parents, good church, good school, and good country.

Second, Jesus is the cornerstone (42-46) After hearing their answer Jesus taught them that his suffering and death is the fulfillment of God’s prophecy. Look at verse 42. “Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scripture: “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22, 23. The stone refers to Jesus himself and the builders to the religious leaders. Even though the religious leaders rejected Jesus and threw him out and killed him, God raised Jesus from the dead and made him the King of kings and the Lord of lords. (Php 2:11) Jesus is the cornerstone. The cornerstone is the foundation stone which constructors start their building. All building stones start from this cornerstone. In the old NIV the stone is described as the capstone. A capstone is the top stone of roof parapet. Builders call it a finishing stone. In modern terms a capstone is a final stone which builders put at the end as the culmination of his work. Jesus is the cornerstone and the capstone. He is the foundation of our life and the culmination of our faith. (Is 28:16-17) He is the beginning and the end. He is the Alpha and Omega.(Rev 1:8) The kingdom of God started with him and will complete with him. Hebrews says that he is the author and perfecter of our faith.(Heb 12:2)

  God wants us to accept Jesus as our Lord and King, who is the author and foundation of our lives. Isaiah 28:16 says, “So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.” Jesus is our salvation. He is our foundation. When we accept him and trust in him, we lay our life on a solid foundation. All others are sinking sand. Some live like the ungrateful and evil tenants as if their lives are their own.  They think that they can live whatever they want to do because they are the owner of their lives. But this is not true. Their lives are not their own, but God’s. Your life is not your own, but God’s. My life is not my own, either, but God’s. We are only the tenants of God’s life in us. After using it and enjoying it in certain periods, we have to return it to the one who gave us. We call this ‘stewardship of our lives’. Those who have stewardship of their lives honor God as God. They are always grateful for their lives and thankful to Him. They are filled with the Holy Spirit because God provides his Spirit through his Son Jesus Christ.

  What happens to those who reject Jesus and follow their own evil desire? Look at verse 43,44. “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”  Those who reject Jesus and follow evil will lose their salvation. They will lose the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is given to those who produce the fruit of repentance. (Lk 3:8) The stone which is the rock of salvation will become the rock of judgment to those who reject him. Jesus warns God’s divine judgment to those who live like the ungrateful tenants in today’s passage.

  When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet (45,46)  Jesus gave the religious leaders another chance for repentance. But they refused to listen to him. They became tools of Satan.

  In today’s passage we learned that God is the landowner of our lives and we are his tenants. God wants us to be happy farmers who work in his vineyard and produce much fruit. God wants us to honor him as God and keep a good relationship with him. This is possible when we acknowledge his Son Jesus and receive him as the Lord and Savior. This hour let us get rid of all greed, pride, and doubt and accept Jesus into our hearts as the owner of our lives and love him and serve him. Amen!


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