Mark 12:2
And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
At the season, at harvest time, at the appointed time, the owner of the vineyard sent a servant to the husbandmen tenants to receive and collect the fruit owed and due to him. The caretakers were thus called to return its fruit to its owner when the season came, and this sending begins the parable of the vineyard. The vineyard is the Lord's people and the work entrusted to them. In the parables Christ gave to be studied, the vineyard also represents the world. The husbandmen are God's people entrusted with His vineyard.
In Israel the husbandmen were the priests and teachers responsible for giving the Lord the fruit of His ground. They withheld from God the service He claimed by misleading the people and turning them away from Christ. The servant is one of God's messengers, a messenger sent to call the leaders and people to account and to give and return to God the fruit He claims as belonging to Him. The parable applies not only to the Jewish nation but also to the church in every generation, to whom God has given great privileges and blessings and from whom He expects a corresponding return of spiritual fruit.
The fruit God claims is love, humility, and self-sacrificing service, faithful unselfish service and returns required of those entrusted with His blessings and resources. That fruit grows through obedience to God's word and law. The Jewish people refused to give God His due and instead used what He had entrusted to them for selfish gain. God patiently pressed His claim through prophets and messengers, but the husbandmen rejected and persecuted them with contempt, injustice, and cruelty, treating later messengers with even greater hatred. Because of this unfaithfulness the vineyard was taken from the nation, which faced severe punishment.
Teachers who lead people to reject God's requirements and disregard His commandments prevent them from bearing fruit to His glory and are unfaithful and guilty of withholding the vineyard's fruit from God. The vineyard must be cultivated throughout, since neglected parts can bear fruit when given proper care and advantages. Stewardship is unfaithful when caretakers keep resources for the part of the work under their own supervision instead of helping the good news reach every people. The call to receive fruit means those sent from schools into mission work need experience in cultivation of the soil and in various lines of manual labor, with training that fits them to take hold of any work in the fields to which they are called. Having obtained an education in practical life, they go forth prepared to instruct as they have been instructed, and faithful cultivation of school land and disinterested care of school buildings by students drives away the love of sports and amusements that causes perplexity in school work.