Matthew 21:33, commentary and pictures

Jesus spoke this opening of the vineyard parable in the temple as His final warning to the priests and rulers, presenting Himself as Israel's king when reform of the corrupt priesthood was hopeless. The certain householder is God the Lord and owner, the vineyard is Israel as His chosen people and church brought out of Egypt and planted in Canaan, and the husbandmen entrusted with its care are Israel's priests, teachers, rulers and leaders. The hedge around it is the law of Ten Commandments which distinguished and protected Israel, the tower is His holy temple where His glory dwelt, and the planting, winepress and tower show He left nothing undone to make it an honor to its Owner. His letting it out and going to a far country means its advantages are entrusted for His purposes and not for selfish use, testing faithfulness without ending the obligation to return its produce. The vineyard also represents the world belonging to the Lord by creation and redemption, with the Jewish nation appointed to cultivate it for God and return Him His dues.

Parable Setting and Symbols

Hear another parable opens the vineyard parable spoken in the temple as the final warning to the priests and rulers, presenting evidence of divine mission and acting as Israel's king though reform of the corrupt priesthood is hopeless. It faithfully pictures the past and future history of the Jews and sets forth the true spiritual condition and religious character of the Jewish nation and of His church. The history held up before them presents their future as the result of their course of action.

The certain householder who plants, equips, leases, and leaves the vineyard is God, the Lord and owner of the vineyard. The vineyard is Israel as God's chosen people and church, His peculiar treasure brought as a vine out of Egypt and planted in Canaan and in Palestine, dear to Him and trained through Christ. It is precious in His sight and dear to His heart of infinite love, chosen from the world and given rich privileges and care so as to bear fruit, honor God, and display the principles and character of His kingdom to the world.

The vineyard also is the world, which belongs to the Lord by creation and redemption though now in the usurper's hands, and which Jesus used as a figure for practical land cultivation. It is to be worked, and God looks at the character of the fruit borne and then judges the tree. The husbandmen entrusted with the vineyard's care are Israel's priests, teachers, scribes, Pharisees, rulers and leaders, and in a wider sense all entrusted with God's care and message from the lowliest to the most influential. They especially include the leaders who opposed Jesus and the teachers who lead people to disregard God's commandments.

The husbandmen are also the Jewish nation itself, appointed to cultivate the world for God and to return Him His dues and fruits. The hedge planted round the vineyard is the law of Ten Commandments and its principles of truth, justice, and purity, which distinguished Israel from all other nations, preserved it as a distinct people, and protected it from ruin by sinful practices. The vineyard was fenced about by God's commandments, and the divine law kept Israel separate and hedged it in.

The tower built in the vineyard symbolizes God's holy temple placed in the land, where Christ taught and guided the people and where God's glory dwelt in the holy shekinah above the mercy seat. The planting, hedging, winepress, and tower show that God made every provision for the vineyard to receive the most careful attention, including His oracles, the commandments through Moses, appointed guides and ministers, the Old Testament Scriptures, and temporal and spiritual blessings, leaving nothing undone that could make it an honor to its Owner. He expected a fruitful return, yet Israel produced wild grapes and became degenerate despite His provision, as asked in Isaiah 5:4 what more could have been done for it.

The householder's letting out the vineyard and going into a far country shows that its advantages and possessions are entrusted by God for His purposes and not for selfish use, and His absence tests faithfulness without ending the caretakers' obligation to care for His interests and return its produce. The servants must give an account when He returns and bring their needs to the Master when difficulties arise, rather than treat the work as their own or use gifts and positions of trust for selfish gain. The goodly vine despised and cast out was removed and replanted beyond the wall to preserve it beyond the reach of destroyers, while its branches still extend where they may be joined to it.

Israel's Privileges and Purpose

God led Israel out of Egypt and planted them in Canaan in a fruitful place, instructing them through Christ, giving them His holy law and the Old Testament Scriptures, and sending servants to nurture them with everything needed to prosper. He chose and trained them for His service and entrusted them with knowledge of His kingdom. The care lavished on the vineyard shows the many advantages and teachings provided, even a thousand years of privileges and blessings, so that His people could develop godly character and represent His kingdom to the world. What more could have been done for it is expressed in the question of Isaiah 5:4.

As Owner of the whole house of Israel, brought as a vine out of Egypt and planted in the Holy Land, the Lord placed stewards over His vineyard on set terms to return Him its fruits at a specified time, a certain revenue in its season. He had a rightful claim to their obedience and fruitfulness, and Israel could have fulfilled His purpose through obedience. Failure to fulfill that purpose meant forfeiting His blessing and bringing ruin upon the nation.

The fruit He looked for and expected was lives matching their sacred privileges: honoring Him, obeying His law and displaying its just and merciful principles, revealing the principles of His kingdom and representing His character to the world. That fruit includes love, humility, and self-sacrificing service, learned in and through Christ by the discipline of varied, hard work that perfects a character after the divine likeness, a sample of the character of Christ. The vine also pictures the union that should exist between Christ and the church, with Christ as the vine and believers as the branches.

The gift of Canaan tested their obedience as Eden tested Adam and Eve, for they were to cultivate the land for the Lord as children of God's covenant and representatives of His kingdom. Obedience to His conditions would have brought spiritual and temporal prosperity and fulfilled His purpose. After the return from exile the keepers repeated the sins of earlier generations, resisting grace, neglecting opportunities, meeting God's prophets with suspicion and scorn, despising the messengers and mocking their counsel. So the vineyard was left trodden down and wasted, and guilt was added to the keepers.

Rejection of Prophets and Son

The servants sent to collect the vineyard's fruit are the prophets and teachers patiently sent to call Israel to render what was due, to reprove sin, to call the people back, and to point them through the sacrificial system to the one great Sacrifice. Repeated reminders became necessary because Israel failed to heed the word, while selfishness and greed led the nation to withhold the means and resources entrusted to it for the work. The husbandmen shamefully treated those messengers with contempt and cruelty, beating, stoning, persecuting and killing them with growing hatred despite continued appeals, appropriating what was entrusted to them and withholding its fruit.

Jeremiah suffered the severest persecution from his own countrymen for bearing the message, and Isaiah was sawn asunder for reproving the sins of the nation. Others were stoned, slain with the sword, made destitute, afflicted, tormented, and driven to wander in sheepskins and goatskins for faithfully reproving sin. Behind this treatment Satan strove to gain control of the human mind to wreak his hatred and revenge on the only-begotten Son of God.

The owner's beloved Son and destined heir is Christ, who came from heaven to receive fruit, to claim what was His, and to cultivate the vineyard so it would produce more fruit. Men were dependent on Him for life, yet poured ignominy and shame and disgrace upon Him, though He could have saved Himself from it all. The leaders rejected and killed the Son because they wanted to keep the vineyard's honor, benefits, inheritance, and rule for themselves, plotting His death even as He spoke. His truthful and godly life exposed their selfishness and unwillingness to obey, and when tested they rejected Him, the Holy One of Israel, becoming responsible for His crucifixion.

The question of what the lord will do to the husbandmen was asked so that the priests and elders would recognize themselves as the wicked tenants, condemn themselves, and admit the justice of the punishment soon to fall on them. They knew the parable referred to them and pointed them out as the very ones whose sentence they themselves had pronounced, declaring their just doom. So they were filled with anger against Christ and would have laid hands on Him to silence His voice but feared the people.

Judgment and Transfer Foretold

The punishment pronounced on the husbandmen portrays the just doom of those who put Christ to death, the withdrawal of Israel's national privileges, a work already commenced that ends not only in the destruction of the temple and city but in the dispersion of the nation. The parable faithfully illustrates the past and the future history of the Jews and presents their true religious character, with the question of what the lord will do compelling the rulers to condemn themselves and admit the justice of the punishment soon to fall upon them. The nation had been entrusted with the Lord's vineyard with great light, rich blessings, and wonderful prosperity, yet proved unfaithful to the trust, failed to care for it and to render its fruits, and acted as though there were no God, so desolation and calamity overtook them. Blessings given carried a rightful claim to obedience, and Jesus' truthful and godly life exposed selfishness and unwillingness to obey, so that in rejecting Him, the Holy One of Israel, they became responsible for His crucifixion, forfeited blessing, and brought ruin upon the nation.

Because blessings and privileges were abused and produced evil instead of good, the kingdom and vineyard would be taken from the unfaithful Jewish people and given to other husbandmen who would produce its fruits and obey its ruler. The vineyard had been let out to the scribes and Pharisees, who treated God's servants with contempt, injustice, and cruelty and would be punished with fearful severity, pronouncing their own sentence when they judged the wicked husbandmen. Year after year God looked in vain for fruit while the husbandmen appropriated what was entrusted to them, selfishly enjoyed all its benefits, returned nothing, shamefully treated His messengers, and crucified His beloved Son, so the trust was transferred from the Jewish people to the Gentiles. By resistance of righteousness the priests and rulers had served their day, for though claiming the only true religion they turned from the truth itself and rejected and crucified Christ, the Light shining amid moral darkness, because He bore witness against their evil works.

Israel's history of successes and failures, restoration to favor, and rejection of the Master is carried forward by a faithful remnant to whom the covenant promises will be fulfilled, and the vineyard image continues to apply to God's church and its faithful husbandmen entrusted with His work. The same corrupting power and resolve that killed the Son still works, for men dependent on Christ for life poured ignominy, shame, and disgrace upon Him though He could have saved Himself, and the same corrupt sentiments of antichrist are working in the children of disobedience in the present time, to their ruin. The Jewish leaders' unfaithfulness and ambition continued until the love and fear of God departed from them. Their religion had become oppressive tradition and valueless rites exalted above the Word of God, a religion of oppression that could not reform them.

Warning and Stewardship Today

The vineyard parable is not confined to the Jewish nation but reaches the church in every generation, warning everyone and especially the church of today not to separate from God and repeat the course of the wicked husbandmen. It exposes a sinful breach of trust and warns all who receive light that unless they obey His commandments He cannot bless and sustain them. Year after year God looked in vain for fruit while unfaithful husbandmen appropriated what was entrusted to them, selfishly enjoyed its benefits, returned nothing, shamefully treated His messengers, and crucified His beloved Son, so that abused blessings and privileges were transferred from the Jewish people to the Gentiles. The same parable now warns professing Christians not to crucify the Lord of glory afresh.

Though the church is dearly loved, God will not bless and sustain those who disobey His commandments, and He will withdraw His favor from those who persist in sin, exalt themselves, and mix the sacred with the common. Terrible judgments will fall on those whose misleading example misrepresents Him and misleads others. Those who follow in the steps of the wicked husbandmen are stirred to anger when the claims of the law of God are kept before them and hate the light of the pure doctrines Christ enforced. Continuing warfare against God and His truth under Satan, by rejecting His truth they reject God, so the sacred trust committed to them will be taken from them and given to others bringing forth fruit.

The vineyard is the Lord's work entrusted to ministers and church members, who during His absence must look after His interests and give an account when He returns rather than treat that work as their own. Men in responsible positions, institutions, and stewards of means are the husbandmen to whom the Owner entrusts cultivation, including establishing the work in foreign fields, and those with responsibility must study the parable and ensure laborers have the advantages and support needed. Every believer has work to do for Him, and no true Christian should be idle. The vineyard is waiting to be worked, and workers and resources are needed for it.

Faithful stewardship means working every part of the vineyard and using the Lord's money and facilities to best advantage for all needed improvements, not binding up all blessings in one portion under personal supervision. Barren wastes and parts hitherto neglected are to be cultivated, the seeds of truth sown, and the standard of truth planted in cities and countries which have never heard the message of warning. Advantages are given to magnify His name in all parts of the world by giving facilities to the more destitute fields, not to glorify self or center everything in a few places while leaving other fields desolate and bare and unplanted, so that the worldwide message of salvation can go to every kindred, tongue, and people instead of being bound about. Allowing parts to remain unworked is deviation from integrity and limits that part from bearing as good fruit as the rest.

Selfish and covetous use of entrusted work and resources, and words that hinder the message, dishonor God and distort the work He intends. Using them for self-gratification exalts self and hinders the work He desires to accomplish. Leaving parts unworked limits their power to bear fruit so He cannot gather fruit from the trees of His planting and His way is not prepared and His paths are not made straight, leaving the good God purposed undone. If stewards selfishly refuse to respond and close the doors God has opened for His blessings to flow, God will remove His gifts from the unfaithful stewards, leave them barren of resources, find another way to accomplish His purpose, and give the trust to others who will honor it, taking it away from those who prove untrustworthy.

Returning fruit in due season means unselfishly doing the entrusted work and supplying means to His messengers for carrying it forward, for honest stewards owe Him the fruits of His vineyard and must return them. The work is varied, hard work requiring different kinds of ploughing so the ground may produce a harvest of different kinds of fruit, and in and through Christ His people learn by the discipline of work how to gain true riches and perfect a character after the divine likeness, a sample of the character of Christ. The true nature of fruit-bearing is benevolence expressed in returning to God His due by sustaining every good work and advancing His kingdom through liberality. Such tangible deeds of love counterwork selfishness and self-indulgence, reveal the power of the truth received, and are the very best evidence of the sincerity of faith, and no character is complete without them.

The Lord's people are stewards, not owners, of their possessions, and must faithfully return His portion, with the vineyard cultivated so it yields tithes and offerings. Physical and mental powers, as well as money, are to be used for God. The portion set aside for ministry is to support no other purpose, while gifts and offerings are to help the church and relieve the poor and suffering.

The parable teaches the husbandmen's responsibility to render God the fruits and calls for solemn waiting joined with earnest, watchful work in preparing for Christ's second coming, including labor for people in spiritual darkness and helping them perfect Christian character. Churches must be roused to understand their responsibilities, and the world must be awakened from worldliness by clear, decisive messages because the day of the Lord is near. Applied to schools, faithful cultivation of the land and unselfish care of buildings by students drives out the love of sports and amusements that causes perplexity in school work, and the figure stands with other vineyard parables that should be studied. The vineyard's Master is the one to whom workers should bring their needs when difficulties arise, connecting entrusted work with reliance on Him for help.

The world is the Lord's vineyard to be worked, belonging to Him by creation and redemption though now in the usurper's hands, and all are to think of the work required in it and how it is to be sustained. God has provided for the world and continually gives it blessings, but people often use His gifts selfishly instead of serving Him. This ingratitude and misuse of what He has entrusted repeats the sin that brought destruction on Israel and brings ruin on the world. Man judges in accordance with finite judgment, but God looks at the character of the fruit borne and then judges the tree.