28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
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. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 “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.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “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.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[h]?
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[h]?
43 “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. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”[i]
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
Questions:
ReplyDelete- Is it possible to say to Jesus, "I will" and actually follow through? Or must be first be brought to a tax collector position?
- The Parable of the Tenants is about Israel. Is there an application we can come away with?
- What does it mean by "Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed."?
http://www.meetingwithchrist.com/The%20parable%20of%20the%20two%20sons%20-%20Mt%2021(28-32).htm says:
ReplyDeleteThe first son said, I will not. This blunt answer indicated outright rebellion against the father's authority. Culturally this was unacceptable since obedience would have been the only proper response of a son. Later however, he repented and went to the vineyard to work.
There are two words in Greek for 'repent.' The first one is the word metanoeo which means regret and forsaking the evil by a change of heart. This is the word that is associated with salvation (Matthew 4:17: Repent (metanoeo), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand). The repentance expressed by the son here is a different word. It is the word metamelomai. It indicates a strong reaction of displeasure, a certain disgust with one self. The son was disgusted with himself that he had talked or behaved like that with his father.
This word, metamelomai, has one big difference from the other word for 'repent.' And it is that this strong feeling of regret does not necessarily lead to the right action.
The second son responded quite differently. He said, I go, sir. It is surprising that a son addresses his father as 'sir'. He was so respectful, so polite, so apparently obedient. Calling his father by 'sir' strengthened the apparent agreement to obey. 'Yes, sir. Right away!' But it ended there. He did not go to work in the vineyard. Perhaps, he never had the intention of honoring his promise.
In this short story, Jesus highlighted the fact that doing the will of the father is more than simply a matter of words. It is primarily a matter of deeds. It is one thing to say one will do the will of the father; it is another thing actually to do it. Words alone mean nothing.
This phrase, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you, also raises the issue of how much is implied by the words 'go before.' Not to be there first does not imply that one will necessarily get there one day. Remember the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-12). Those who go in first enjoyed the wedding feast. But the door is shut before the others get there. In the parable of the Two Sons, the Lord's saying implies an exclusion, not merely a demotion. Those who 'get there first' take the place of those who had been expected to be there.
So Jesus was saying, 'The tax collectors and the prostitutes will go into the kingdom of God before you, but you may not enter. You will enter only if you, like them, like the good son, change your mind and respond to the preaching of righteousness.'
http://www.meetingwithchrist.com/The%20parable%20of%20the%20two%20sons%20-%20Mt%2021(28-32).htm continued:
ReplyDeleteIn many ways, this parable has to do with God's call, God's invitation to us. What constitutes this call? The call, in the Scripture, takes place when God's word comes to you.
Why do we say that God's word itself constitutes a call? Because God's word always requires a response, a response that changes everything in a person's life.
Another thing to notice about God's call is that it is a call to serve. So God's call to us to become Christians is never a call by which you simply raise your hand and you profess to be a Christian. That is not Christianity. The Christian is called to action. Every Christian is commissioned to accomplish a task. Go and work in the vineyard.
And the third point to emphasize is that it is not just a question of hearing God's call. It is not even just responding by saying 'yes' or 'no' to God's call. It is first and foremost a question of doing it, of doing God's will. Doing the will of God actually means getting into the substance of what it means to serve God.
The religious leaders, did they think that they were not doing God's will? Did they say to God 'Yes, Sir,' but they did not really mean to do God's will, they had no intention to obey His word?
If their failure was not in terms of religious sincerity, then something else must be the reason for their disobedience. What is it?
We can put the question in this way: How can we say 'yes' to God, but this 'yes' turns out to be a 'no'? How can we agree to serve God and yet disobey Him?
The problem is that their claim to discipleship did not match up to Jesus' criteria of obedience. How can we sincerely agree to serve God and yet in actual life disobey Him? I would like to suggest two possibilities.
Firstly, a person might suppose that in saying 'yes' to God's word, he has already done it.
Secondly, a 'yes' can become a 'no' if a person says 'yes' with the understanding in his mind that he will serve God in his own way. 'Yes, I will do it, but I will do it my way.' They believed that they knew Jesus, but they never gave Him a chance to know them because they were too preoccupied with themselves.
The fact that one can be sincere, do the right things and not be admitted into the kingdom at the judgment should be a serious warning to all of us. Sincere zeal for God and doing the will of God can be two very different things.
http://www.jacksequeira.org/parabl16.htm says:
ReplyDeleteWhy did these leaders, the chief priests and elders, reject Christ? Two reasons. Number one, pride. They did not want to admit that they were wrong. Number two, self-righteousness. They did not want to link themselves with the tax collectors and prostitutes. This parable is dealing with the issue that began way back at the fall of Adam and will not end until the end of time. Do you know the greatest enemy of Christ Our Righteousness is self-righteousness?
The Jews, these elders, these chief priests were famous for giving lip service to God just like the second son. The second son gave lip service, “Yes, sir, I will go and work in your vineyard today,” but he was a hypocrite; he did not mean what he said. It did not come from the heart; it was simply outward words to please his father and it was not a heart response. We have this problem all the time.
There are two things I want to bring out about the second son, the one who said “Yes” but who did not go. Number one, hypocrisy, which is the typical evidence of a legalist. When God said to the Jews He would give them His law, what did they say? Exodus 19:8a:
The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.”
The very next day they were worshipping a golden calf around the corner. We know that God hates it when His people give Him only lip service.
Jesus is saying here that when God gave the Jews His commandments, He gave them something that they could not keep. Did He know that? Yes, God knew they could not keep His Ten Commandments. Why? Because the flesh cannot keep God’s law. But they did not know it, so they promised God, “All that you say we will do.” But when it came to the actual keeping of those commandments, they failed.
Now they had two choices. One was to admit failure, to repent, and say, “God, we have failed miserably.” But they chose the second choice. They took the commandments of God which are as holy as God Himself and they reduced them to human rules that they could keep. They kept those rules and then they deceived themselves because they thought that they were doing the will of God when in actual fact they were not. They refused to admit that they were sinners.
http://www.jacksequeira.org/parabl16.htm (continued):
ReplyDeleteLet me give you one of their rules. According to one of their rules, not working on the Sabbath meant that you could not walk more than three quarters of a mile. But they were very clever because for every rule they had loopholes. If a boy walked three-quarters of a mile and was trying to visit his girlfriend when she lived two miles down the road, he had a problem. He had free time, it was the Sabbath, so what did he do?
If you ate or drank something, then you were allowed to walk another three-quarters of a mile. So he would walk three-quarters of a mile, stop at somebody’s house, knock on the door and say, “Please, sir, can you give me a glass of water?” or “Please, ma’m, I need a glass of water?” They all knew about it. They all practiced it and if they were not thirsty they would take only a sip and throw the rest of the water out and say, “Thank you,” then walk another three-quarters of a mile and stop at the next house.
What happened if there was no house for the next three-quarters of a mile? Well, they were very clever. They had another loophole. If you drank your spit that was like eating food then you could walk another three-quarters of a mile. This is what Christ is saying, “You hypocrites. Who are you deceiving? Just yourselves.”
I have mentioned many times and I will repeat that the formula of the gospel is “Not I, but Christ.” The hardest part of that formula is the first part. For you to say, “But Christ,” you have to admit that you are one hundred percent a sinner. Most people will admit that they are sinners but to admit that from head to foot there is no soundness, there is nothing good in you is very hard for our human ego.
I am not a sinner because I commit sins. I commit sins because I am a sinner.
None of us are sinners one hundred percent by performance.
My 2 cents on the two sons:
ReplyDeleteOn our own power, we are only capable of two responses to Jesus' commands: 1. Yes I will (with no intention of following through) or 2. No.
It's only through the intervention of Jesus in our lives that we can obey Jesus.
Before we get to that point, though, we must realize that we are in the position of being the tax collectors and prostitutes. As soon as we become self-righteous, we will say yes to God, but have no power to follow through. Worse, we will become more self-righteous by thinking that saying yes is all that's required. It's at that point we become blind (and deaf).
We first must realize our position and need for Christ - and know that nothing Jesus asks us to do we can do on our own power. Then, we need to respond honestly to God. "I want to obey you Jesus, but I don't want to do that. Please help me!"
It's only when we come to the point of helplessness and honesty that we can follow through.
http://www.gotquestions.org/parable-vineyard.html says:
ReplyDeleteBackground: There are 6 main characters in this parable: 1) the landowner—God, 2) the vineyard—Israel, 3) the tenants/farmers—the Jewish religious leadership, 4) the landowner’s servants—the prophets who remained obedient and preached God’s word to the people of Israel, 5) the son—Jesus, and 6) the other tenants—the Gentiles. The imagery used is similar to Isaiah’s parable of the vineyard (it would be prudent to study this also) found in Isaiah chapter 5. The watchtower and the wall mentioned in verse 33 are means of protecting the vineyard and the ripened grapes. The winepress is obviously for stamping out the juice of the grapes to make the wine. The farmer was apparently away at the time of harvest and had rented the vineyard to the tenants. This was customary of the times, and he could expect as much as half of the grapes as payment by the tenants for use of his land.
The servants sent represent the prophets that God had sent to His people/Israel and then were rejected and killed by the very people who were claiming to be of God and obedient to Him. In this parable Jesus is not only reminding the religious establishment what they were like, but He was putting in their minds a question: how could they claim obedience as God’s people and still reject His messengers? The landowner sends his own son, believing that they will surely respect him. But the tenants see an opportunity here; they believe that if they kill the son they will then receive his inheritance. The law at the time provided that if there were no heirs then the property would pass to those in possession (possession is nine tenths of the law). This amounts to conspiracy to commit murder by the Jewish leadership, and it is prophetic in the sense that Jesus is now telling them what they are going to do to Him (see Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16). After Jesus’ death, Peter would make the same charges against the religious establishment (Acts 4:8-12). The tenants probably thought that the fight for the property was over, but it wasn’t; the owner would now appear on the scene.
Jesus now (vs.40-41) asks the question, what will the owner do to the evil tenants? What He is doing is forcing the religious leaders/priests to declare their own miserable fate: condemnation for their blatant disobedience.
http://www.gotquestions.org/parable-vineyard.html continued:
ReplyDeleteJesus tells the leaders that because of their disobedience they will be left out of the kingdom of heaven (individually and as a people); that they have let their opportunity for the time being slip away to be given to the Gentiles (see verse 41, “other tenants”). This will be more than they can tolerate, as we will see in verses 45 and 46. He is saying that there will be a new people of God made up of all peoples who will temporarily replace the Jews so that Jesus can establish His church. This will change the way God deals with man, from the old dispensation of the law to a new dispensation of God’s grace. It will usher in a period of time where man will no longer understand forgiveness of sins as man’s work through what he does or doesn’t do or by the sacrifices of animals on the altar, but by the work of Christ on the cross. It will be a time where each individual can have a personal and saving relationship with the One and only God of the universe. The exciting part of the verse is the phrase “who will produce fruit”; this gives authority to the church to share the gospel of Christ to the lost of the world. Up to this time, the Jews felt that they had automatic membership in God’s kingdom because of their relationship to Abraham; this is why they put so much emphasis on genealogies. But the new people of God would truly have what God wanted for Israel all along: a personal and holy relationship that would be honored through the spreading of God’s word to all peoples (see Exodus 19:5-6).
Jesus continues the stone metaphor in verse 44 to show how a stone can be used to build something beautiful, such as His church, or it can be used to crush and destroy, depending on the situation. This could be likened to God’s word: to some it is salvation, peace and comfort. To others it is foolish and disconcerting because of its ability to convict man of his sins (2 Timothy 3:16).
Application: We apply this parable to our lives by asking two questions; first, have you come to know Christ as you Lord and Savior, or have you rejected Him like the Jewish leadership did? The process is simple, as long as you are sincere in seeking a relationship with Christ. You need to recognize your sins, and then accept Christ as the only One who can save you from the penalty of your sins. Second, if you are a believer, what have you done with Jesus? Are you like the bad tenants, rejecting His Word and living a life of disobedience? If you are, you need to study God’s Word and pray for guidance, seeking His will for your life and living out that will as best as you can, moment by moment, day by day.
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/parable-tenants/ says:
ReplyDeleteAs we have seen thus far, Jesus has harsh words for the Jewish leaders, based largely upon their failure to see their need of repentance (Matt. 9:9–13; 21:28–32). The parable of the tenants recorded in Matthew 21:33–46 reveals a further reason for our Lord’s condemnation of the scribes and elders in their unwillingness to bear fruit for the Creator and thus draw the nations unto Him.
Teachers throughout church history have often misused this parable to prove that Gentiles replace ethnic Jews in God’s plan. The transfer of the kingdom from one group to another (v. 43) may imply that Gentiles play a prominent role in the present era. Yet the passage is concerned not with the displacement of Jews in general, but with the inclusion of the new covenant community over against the corrupt leaders of Jesus’ day. Clearly, the parable is based on Isaiah 5:1–7; thus, the vineyard of Matthew 21:33 is the old covenant community. Jesus does not say that the vineyard is uprooted; rather, the vineyard’s tenants, those responsible for its upkeep and care, are judged (v. 43). These wicked tenants are ethnic Israelites, but not every ethnic Israelite. Furthermore, the new tenants are not of Gentile stock alone. Jews like the twelve disciples are also included.
God displaces the first tenants because of their abject failure.
In fulfillment of Psalm 118:22, the rejected Son is the “cornerstone” — the stone at the corner that joins two walls together. By combining the prophecies of Isaiah 8:14 and Daniel 2:34, 44, Jesus claims to be, as the founder of God’s kingdom on earth, the Lord over all earthly kingdoms. As the “stone,” He will crush all opposition to the kingdom of God.
Every professing Christian should read today’s passage as a warning. All who are truly in Christ, of course, cannot finally fall away from grace, but only those who bear fruit for the kingdom are truly in Christ. Believers may vary in the amount of fruit they produce, but there is no such thing as a fruitless believer. Consider this day the fruit you are producing in the form of good works of service, progress in sanctification, discipleship, and other such things.
http://www.gotquestions.org/stumbling-stone.html says:
ReplyDeleteThe stone which "the builders rejected" in verse 42 is Jesus. Although rejected, He nevertheless becomes the "chief cornerstone" (NKJV). See also Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; and 1 Peter 2:6-8. The builders’ rejection of the stone is a reference to Christ’s crucifixion. The Lord’s choice of the stone to be the cornerstone is a reference to Christ’s resurrection. God chose His Son, despised and rejected by the world, to be the foundation of His church (1 Corinthians 3:11). "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation" (Isaiah 28:16).
Now, there are consequences for coming into contact with a stone. If you trip over the edge of a rock and fall on it, you may break some bones. If a large enough rock falls on top of you, you may be killed. Jesus uses these truths to deliver a warning to the Jewish leaders.
The stone in verse 44 is also Jesus. In saying that those who fall on this stone "will be broken to pieces," Jesus is warning against opposing Him. Defying Jesus is like beating one’s head against a solid rock—a foolish action. In saying that those upon whom the stone falls "will be crushed," Jesus is warning against ignoring Him or trivializing Him. Apathy towards Jesus is like standing in the way of a falling rock—another foolish action. "I am here to do God’s work," Jesus essentially says. "The foundation for the church will be laid. It is unwise to oppose Me because God’s work is not inconsequential."
Rejection of the Savior is fatal. Unfortunately, many do reject Him. "He will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall" (Isaiah 8:14). To persistently reject the Savior is to court judgment so severe that the only thing left will be dust. The prophet Daniel gives a similar picture of the Messiah, likening Him to a rock "cut out, but not by human hands," which smashes into the nations of the world and completely obliterates them (Daniel 2:31-45).
Matthew 21:44 is a call to faith, an appeal to open one’s eyes and see that Jesus is indeed the Son of God sent into the world. The verse is also a strict warning against rejecting Jesus Christ. He is the sure Rock of salvation for those who believe, but an immovable stumbling stone for those who do not.
http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVanswers/2009/12-11.html says:
ReplyDeleteIn opposing Jesus, the leading Jews have run against an unmovable stone. They might strike it with their feet, but it is they who end up sustaining an injury, not the stone. Jesus is giving warning. As the stone, right now he is not doing anything and their opposition to him is injuring themselves, but there is coming a time when the stone will move and if they insist in continued opposition, they will be ground up like wheat under a millstone. This is an allusion to Daniel's prophecy: "You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth" (Daniel 2:34-35). Isaiah had also warned of this: "For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, And those nations shall be utterly ruined" (Isaiah 60:12).
All this came about. Israel crucified the Son of God and one of the consequences was the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. Rome also opposed the church and it too fell. And so it will continue till the end of time.
http://www.livingwordbible.org/Sermons/Matthew/Matthew21.33-44.pdf says:
ReplyDeleteReally, this parable is rather depressing. The wretched tenants are all brought to a wretched end, as expected, but not before the son is murdered. The parable, by itself, can only leave us confused and even depressed. But the parable is not all that we have! Just when things seem to be the most pointless and futile, Jesus does something astonishing.
‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’
Everyone knew this verse. It’s from Psalm 118, the same Psalm that the crowds had been quoting only two days earlier as they escorted Jesus into Jerusalem riding on a donkey.
In Psalm 118, who are
the “builders” that reject the stone? The “builders” are the Gentile nations. But in Jesus’ parable, who are the “builders”? Instead of the Gentile nations, the “builders” are now the tenants of the vineyard – they are the Jewish chief priests and elders of the people (v. 45)!
But who is the kingdom of God to be taken away from? From all ethnic Jews; from the entire Jewish people? No, not at all! The vineyard is only taken away from the tenants – from the religious and political leadership of Israel (v. 45). So the kingdom of God will be taken away from the current leadership in Israel. The current leadership is about to be replaced with new leadership. But that’s not all!
“The kingdom of God will be taken away from you,” Jesus says, “and given to a nation producing its fruits.” What “nation” could Jesus possibly be referring to? Edom, Moab, Egypt, Philistia, Aram, Ammon…? Perish the thought! Could this nation be Gentiles in general, as opposed to Jews? Perish that thought, too!* Anyone who’s read the Old Testament knows that
the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to Israel by an unchangeable oath, and the solemn promise of God! So who can this new nation be? Apparently, it must be Israel, but not Israel; Israel, but Israel now redefined. But redefined how? What’s new about Israel?
And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.
Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah chapter eight, where the stone is actually God Himself.
“Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces,” Jesus said, and then He added, “and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” This time we have an allusion not to Isaiah, but to Daniel, where a stone crushes all the empires and kingdoms that came before it, and itself becomes a kingdom that will never be destroyed.
Now that He has been resurrected from the dead, He Himself is the replacement of the current Jewish leadership – the chief priests and elders of the people. From now on, “Israel” will be defined by its relationship to Jesus. Many Jews who thought they were on the “inside” will now find themselves on the “outside.” Many Jews who thought they were heirs to the promised kingdom will now find themselves disinherited and excluded.
But all who take their stand upon the stone—whether Jew or Gentile—will find that they are secure – citizens of the true Israel, the “nation” to whom the kingdom of God belongs. “This [is] the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”