The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

[Vanellus]

He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
13“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
14“But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
17Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
“ ‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’ a ?
18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
19The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

The vineyard is used in the OT to represent Israel as a whole e.g.

1I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
2He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted the finest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle and dug out a winepress as well.
He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour!
3“And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I exhort you to judge between Me and My vineyard.
4What more could I have done for My vineyard than I already did for it? Why, when I expected sweet grapes, did it bring forth sour fruit?
5Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled.
6I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it.”
7For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of His delight. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard a cry of distress.

In Luke's gospel we read that the Jewish religious leaders perceived that the parable was spoken against them (and not the people?). The immediate context was that they had interrupted Jesus teaching in the temple to ask him a question about what (or who) was the source of his authority.

So the question is who do the wicked vineyard tenants in Jesus' parable represent: only the religious leaders or Israel as a whole?

(NB: I don't want my post or this thread to have a label like supersessionism plastered all over it - let's just try to understand the Bible rather than force it to fit a preconceived idea about it)

In Matthew's version the "others" who will receive the vineyard as "a people producing its fruits"

Another key question is what does the vineyard actually represent? In the Isaiah passage it is referred to as the "house of Israel" not the land of Israel. Note that it was the people, not the religious leaders who said "God forbid". On the other hand "people" in the Matthew passage is singular whereas "Gentiles" is usually (always?) plural. But then if it is intended to refer to the Church then singular would be appropriate but I think it would be the only time that this Greek word was used to refer to the Church.

(and of course it may not be meant to be understood as an allegory)

A difficult question which may not have an easily resolved answer except in the minds of those who have an ideological (rather than biblical) reason to decide their answer.

 

[Peacemaker1]

Why not conclude why tenants are wicked, why Israel until this moment and especially right now, is doing the opposite of Gods charity, and why the tenants who took over, cannot be seen to be doing any less evil. right now.

 

[Vanellus]

Why not conclude why tenants are wicked, why Israel until this moment and especially right now, is doing the opposite of Gods charity, and why the tenants who took over, cannot be seen to be doing any less evil. right now.

Who do you think are the tenants who took over?

 

[Dima 26]

So the question is who do the wicked vineyard tenants in Jesus' parable represent: only the religious leaders or Israel as a whole?

Ultimately both, but primarily the religious leaders; since the apostasy of a nation typically means unfaithfulness working in tandem in the people and their leaders alike.

But it's important to know what truly constitutes Israel - which is His nation, His people. And surely it cannot simply be that which is of flesh and blood, as seen plainly even in the old covenant: such as when the prophets pronounced judgement on the wicked among His people (which was largely most of them) - so that clearly the flesh did not profit them. Then we also have the fact that foreigners (clearly taught in Isaiah 56) can partake in the inheritance of the Lord - who turn to Him in uprightness. What can be more clear than, that it is not by the flesh, but by faith that one partakes of the vineyard of the Lord; even as Abraham was made the father of not one, but many nations? Thus, the root that supports the vine ultimately comes down to faith, righteousness, the knowledge of the Lord, and the true worship of Him; and not hypocrisy and so-called promises that really rest on unrighteousness. The crossing of the Jordan, the land of promise, the cities, and Jerusalem: these yet serve as the antitypes that His people shall inherit all things, and not be left in the wilderness of this fallen age. For did not Israel exist before it crossed the Jordan - even when Jacob himself was renamed? Or where was His nation when the kings of Assyria and Babylon destroyed it and carried it away captive, or all the other times when their land was not inherited by them? They were in faith and in the election, who rested on Him; and the dispersions served to preserve the true seed of promise.

But it's not that the chosen seed of promise was never glorified in the flesh - for in their faith did they receive all manner of blessings and promises, and ultimately: the promise of the Messiah who was to redeem them. Such were the patriarchs (especially Abraham), Moses, Joshua, the judges, Samuel, the prophets, and David - who founded the kingdom in righteousness and truth. But as man (primarily the kings), they were limited, and had no effect at all on the things that were unattainable but to the Lord their redeemer - in Whom they all trusted. Therefore when they, that is, those who are mindful only of the things of the flesh (hence why the children of the flesh), did not learn that God will not spare their apostasy when He humbled them through their enemies, but chose instead to kill the Righteous One, the Lord of life and the resurrection, and persecuted those who testified in His name: then did they fulfill the measure of their sins.

So who are the tenets who took over? They are clearly the apostles, prophets, and elders of that assembly that was called out of the apostasy of the children of the flesh. Today they are the faithful pastors, prophets, and ministers of the flocks of Jesus Christ, who is the Chief Shepherd (and none other) of His congregation. Be there divisions and unfaithfulness, yet He will ultimately gather the congregation of the righteous in His time - such that they may inherit all things (as was foreshadowed before), and not this age of unrighteousness.

 

[Peacemaker1]

The tenants of wicked, are the many false prophets, who took over the instruction of many, just as Israels prophets used to deceive them.



Isaiah 9:16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.


Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.


1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.