Mark 12:1
And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
The vineyard is the Jewish nation, entrusted to its care after its establishment in Canaan, with God Himself as its owner. Its priests, teachers and leaders were the husbandmen made responsible to cultivate what belongs to the Lord and to care for His people. The owner's going into a far country tested their faithfulness, and his absence did not end their duty to return the vineyard's fruit to him. God patiently claimed what was His, showing mercy and withdrawing it as needed, and sent prophets and other messengers to call the husbandmen to account and to call the people to obey His word.
The fruit He claimed was love, humility and self-sacrificing service. That included obedience to His commandments, faithful service, returning what the ground produced to Him, and working unselfishly throughout the vineyard. The husbandmen became guilty by refusing to return that fruit, misleading the people, turning the nation away from God, and rejecting Christ. They met God's messengers with contempt, rejection, persecution and killing, growing more determined in hostility despite continued appeals. Because of that unfaithfulness the vineyard was taken from its caretakers, who faced punishment, and was entrusted to others who would yield its fruit.
The parable applies not only to the Jewish nation but to the church in the present generation, which has been given great privileges and blessings and from which corresponding returns are expected. Religious teachers who lead people to disregard God's commandments keep them from bearing fruit to His glory and act as unfaithful servants withholding what He claims. The figure also teaches that neglecting parts of the vineyard limits fruitfulness, since every field can bear good fruit when given proper care and resources. Those entrusted with God's worldwide message of salvation must not hinder it by concentrating facilities and resources in the fields under their own supervision but must use them faithfully and share them with fields in need.
The vineyard can also represent the world, and its parables are worth careful study. Faithfully cultivating school land and caring disinterestedly for school buildings puts the lesson into practice. This prepares students to take up any line of mission work and to instruct others as they have been instructed, and causes the love of sports and amusements that perplexes school work to pass away.