But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
In the parable of the vineyard the owner, after his servants were beaten and killed, sent his own son last of all as his final appeal, expecting to be honored in him. The owner is God, the servants are the prophets sent to gather fruit, and the son is Christ, the only-begotten, beloved Heir, equal with God and clothed in humanity. Instead of reverencing him, the husbandmen, the leaders and nation of Israel entrusted with the vineyard, knew him as heir and killed him to seize the inheritance for themselves. Their rejection proves the justice of taking the kingdom from them and giving it to others who will render fruit, ending in the destruction of their city and dispersion. The same trust now rests on every person and church, who must return obedience, love and self-sacrificing service to God or likewise forfeit His blessing.
Parable Setting and Symbols
The verse belongs to the parable of the vineyard, which sets forth the past and future history of Israel, its breach of trust, and the warning that God will not continue to bless and sustain those who reject His commandments and persist in sin. It shows the rich blessings God gave Israel and His claim upon their obedience, whose purpose could have been fulfilled through obedience but was forfeited by failure, bringing ruin upon the nation itself. It is God's last appeal to the Jews in sending His Son Jesus to the husbandmen entrusted with the vineyard, with the expectation that they would reverence Him. After a thousand years of multiplying transgression, abused privilege, hollow formalism, ingratitude, resisted grace and neglected opportunities, with prophets sent to warn and the sacrificial system pointing to the one great Sacrifice, Israel persecuted and killed the messengers and at last rejected the Son and stood ready to put Him to death, so that the cloud of retributive judgment was about to burst in unrestrained fury.
In the parable the householder or owner is God, the servants sent before the Son are prophets and teachers sent to receive the fruit due Him, and the son sent last of all is Christ. He is the only-begotten, beloved, destined Heir, equal with God, the Light and highest Teacher, come in humanity as the Father's final appeal to disobedient tenants. The priests and rulers recognized this picture of Jesus and His coming death, which they were already planning. His sending after insulted, abused and murdered messengers contrasts the owner's expectation of respect and honor with the husbandmen's decision to kill Him and seize His inheritance.
The vineyard is the Jewish nation and the whole house of Israel, entrusted with spiritual and temporal blessings, the vine brought out of Egypt and planted in Canaan and in the Holy Land where God nourished it and looked for grapes but it brought forth wild grapes. The union that should exist between Christ and the church is that of vine and branches. The Saviour also represents by the vineyard the world and God's whole worldwide work, especially the parts hitherto neglected, the barren wastes, cities and countries that have never heard the message of warning.
The husbandmen are the Jewish nation appointed to cultivate His vineyard and render its fruit, and specifically its leaders — chief priests, rulers, Pharisees, priests and teachers — entrusted with the vineyard and with God's trust and favor. They picture stewards and men in responsible positions and institutions, entrusted with means to advance the work and supply His messengers, including rich, self-indulgent, proud men who act as if accountable to no one. They withheld from God the service He claimed, rejected Christ's authority and warnings, turned the people against Him, and by deception and treatment of God's servants made the nation guilty, so that the sentence is that the kingdom would be taken from them and given to those who obey.
Patient Sending and Final Appeal
After servants sent to collect fruit were insulted, beaten, stoned, persecuted and killed, the owner sent his son last of all as his final and greatest appeal, expecting the husbandmen to reverence and honor him. The householder is God, the vineyard is the Jewish nation entrusted with spiritual and temporal blessings, and the son is Christ sent after God's servants had been rejected. The expectation of respect and honor contrasts with the husbandmen's decision to kill the son and seize his inheritance, which portrays the Jewish leaders' rejection of Jesus as their crowning act of wickedness. The rulers' rejection of the son reveals their failure in the trust and favor toward Israel represented by the vineyard and its care.
The repeated sending was needed because God's professed people did not heed His word but had become selfish and covetous, systematically robbing Him of the means and facilities entrusted to them for carrying on His work. The husbandmen are the Jewish nation and Jewish people appointed to cultivate His vineyard, which is the world, and the servants sent before the Son were prophets and teachers through whom God called Israel to render to Him His dues. Messengers were treated as enemies, persecuted and killed, and further messengers received the same treatment with even greater hatred, their counsel mocked and their warnings despised. This setting is a long record of grace resisted and privileges neglected, in which selfish and covetous appropriation of means continues, opposing words make messages of no effect, service is mingled with selfishness, and God is dishonored.
The sending of the Son shows God's love, patience, long-suffering and compassion, still hoping to save Israel from destruction after again and again apostatizing. He sent His best gift in person, with divinity clothed in humanity, to tell of God's love, to present the people's true condition, and to suffer for fallen humanity. Christ came to His own people to seek the fruit He expected from His vineyard, believing they would honor Him, yet they rejected His message and crucified Him. God's gifts continually show His love and patience, yet people use them selfishly and withhold the service due to Him, repeating Israel's sin and bringing ruin.
The son was sent by God from heaven in human form to do the Father's will and to cultivate the vineyard so it would bear fruit. He was sent to claim what was due the owner, for the keepers are stewards not owners, accountable for returning fruit to the owner including money and physical and mental powers and the work done with them. As the highest Teacher, the Light of the world and the truth itself, through Him the light of heaven showed the people true holiness and love for God and neighbor. The husbandmen represent religious leaders who reject God's claim and withhold the fruits of obedience, love, humility and self-sacrificing service, turning people from God's commandments and preventing fruit-bearing.
Rejection and Murder of Son
Instead of reverencing him, the husbandmen recognized him as the heir and plotted to kill him and seize his inheritance. The son was sent after the servants sent to collect fruit had been mistreated, beaten and rejected, as the owner's final appeal with the expectation that they would respect and honor him. The householder is God, the vineyard is the Jewish nation entrusted with spiritual and temporal blessings, the husbandmen are the Jewish leaders, and the son is Christ sent to them. Rather than rendering respect, they chose to kill him so they could keep the vineyard's honor, benefits and fruits for themselves, be left to enjoy it, and do as they pleased with its fruit. Their treatment of him exposed their guilt as unfaithful stewards and forfeited their place, so that the vineyard would be taken from them.
Their refusal sprang from envy of his character and teaching and fear of losing their own influence. Resistance to the light sent them had made them vindictive and hard-hearted, and rejecting earlier light hardened their hearts to plot murder against their Lord. Ambition and transgression had driven out the love and fear of God, so that rejection was the result of their own choices in resisting his work to soften their hearts. Behind the rejection and murder stood Satan striving to gain control over the human mind in order to wreak his hatred and revenge on the Son of God. As with Jeremiah persecuted by his countrymen and Isaiah sawn asunder for reproving sin, the prophets who came to look after the vineyard were beaten and killed, and the last act of the tragedy was yet to come when the only-begotten Son was killed.
The priests and rulers, the chief priests and Pharisees entrusted with the vineyard, perceived the parable was spoken of them and by answering condemned themselves. Yet instead of repenting they fulfilled it, recognizing in the picture Jesus and his coming death which they were already planning. They hated Christ and said in heart this is the heir, come let us kill him, and sought to lay hands on him but were restrained by God and by fear of the multitude who held him to be a prophet sent from God. They carried out their purpose by refusing to receive the one he came to save, rejecting his message, and condemning him to death by crucifixion. He was a man who could not be condemned, the faultless One in whom Pilate found no fault at all, yet a most cruel death was appointed to him, and the killing of that Son in the crucifixion was the last action that caused the nation's downfall and the destruction of Jerusalem.
Though he could have saved himself he endured ignominy, shame and disgrace poured upon him by men who were dependent upon him for life. The husbandmen's purpose to kill the Son reveals the corrupting power working in them, the same corrupt sentiments working to ruin in the children of disobedience in this time. With omniscient eye Jesus viewed that coming destruction of temple and city as his one great burden and grief. He wept not for himself, his betrayal, trial, rejection, or delivery into the hands of his enemies, but for those who by rejecting the Son placed themselves beyond the reach of long-suffering, long-forbearing mercy.
Judgment and Transfer of Vineyard
The vineyard parable shows the rich blessings given to Israel and God's claim on their obedience, love, humility and self-sacrificing service, and Israel was chosen to be trained by Christ to bear fruit honoring Him and representing the principles of His kingdom. The vineyard is Israel richly blessed, the servants are those sent before the Son, and the Son is Jesus whom the Jewish leaders rejected and killed, and their rejection exposed selfishness and refusal to honor God's rightful claims, making the nation guilty of national sin. Because God's purpose could have been fulfilled through obedience, the nation's failure meant forfeiting His blessing and bringing ruin upon itself.
Their rejection of the Son proves the justice of taking national privileges and the kingdom from them and giving the vineyard to others who will bring forth fruit. The husbandmen are the chief priests, Pharisees, priests and teachers entrusted with the Jewish nation, who beat, killed and stoned the servants sent for fruit and would do likewise to the heir, and their breach of trust exposes the sinful condition of God's once-chosen people. Because they selfishly enjoyed the benefits, appropriated entrusted goods to their own use, returned no fruit, and crucified the Son instead of reverencing Him, the abused blessings and privileges would be transferred from them to the Gentiles and to those who obey and honor the trust. The same ingratitude and selfish misuse of gifts that continually show God's love and patience repeats Israel's sin and brings ruin, warning all who receive light that disobedience and unfaithfulness forfeit His blessing and sustaining favor.
That taking had already commenced and ends in destruction of the temple and city and dispersion of the nation. The killing of the Son in the crucifixion of the faultless Christ, in whom Pilate found no fault yet to whom a most cruel death was appointed, was the last action that caused the nation's downfall and the destruction of Jerusalem. After a thousand years of multiplying transgression upon transgression, with hollow formalism marked by Pharisaical pride, self-exaltation, ingratitude, resisted grace and refusal of opportunities provided by a God of compassion and love, Israel rejected the Son last sent and stood ready to put Him to death, so the cloud of retributive judgment was about to burst in unrestrained fury. Because they proved unfaithful to the trust to care faithfully for the vineyard and render its fruits, acting as though there were no God, desolation and calamity overtook them.
The priests and elders later recalled the parable and recognized that they had acted like the wicked husbandmen in rejecting and killing the Son. The sentence they had pronounced against those men declared their own just doom and just punishment. Jesus connected this rejected and slain heir with the rejected stone become the chief cornerstone, showing that the parable foretold the Jews' purpose against Him and the consequences of rejecting Him.
Israel's rejection could not destroy God's purpose for salvation, which continues through a faithful remnant receiving the covenant promises. Israel is the planted vine which its people rejected and trampled, but the Husbandman removed it beyond the wall where its branches could still receive grafts, so the vine's branches could be joined to its protected stock.
Stewardship and Fruit Required
God is owner of the whole vineyard by creation and redemption, and He made terms with steward-husbandmen under covenant conditioned on loyalty to return to Him a certain revenue of fruit in its season. The vineyard is the whole house of Israel, the church brought as a vine out of Egypt and planted in the Holy Land, and it is also the world and His whole work, especially the parts hitherto neglected, the barren wastes, cities and countries that have never heard the warning. The husbandmen first appointed were the Jewish nation, entrusted to cultivate His vineyard and render Him His dues, and the servants sent before the Son were prophets and teachers through whom He called for fruit and faithful stewardship. He continually sends message after message by servants to overlook His vineyard, watching every institution to see how it trades upon what He has entrusted while leaving room for character to develop. Faithfulness is shown by a well-cultivated vineyard and by unselfish work for every part rather than binding up all blessings and facilities in one portion under one's own supervision, using His money to best advantage so the good news can go to every kindred, tongue and people.
Responsibility does not rest only on priests, rulers, leaders and teachers but belongs to the whole people, for the land was entrusted to them as a test of obedience that would have brought spiritual and temporal prosperity. God gives every person talents, whether great or small, to be used diligently, and their faithful use brings returns that belong to the Lord. His people are stewards of what He gives and are to return to Him what is His, and faithful stewardship and the fruit of obedience, not outward advantages or worldly wealth, bring His approval.
The fruit He expects is obedience, love, humility and self-sacrificing service, withheld when religious leaders reject His claim. It is the faithful return of what is His, including money and physical and mental powers and the work done with them, with His portion to support the ministry and relieve the poor and suffering. Every converted soul who appreciates His rich endowment will reveal the power of truth by counterworking selfishness and self-indulgence through great benevolence, returning to God His due by sustaining every good work and advancing His kingdom. Liberality shown in tangible deeds of love is the very best evidence of sincerity of faith, and without such benevolence expressed in deeds character cannot be complete.
Unfaithfulness is selfish and covetous appropriation of entrusted means, with the husbandmen selfishly enjoying all benefits of the vineyard and appropriating goods entrusted to them to their own use while returning no fruit. It mingles His service with selfishness, uses resources for self-gratification instead of advancing His work, and by opposing words makes the messages brought of no effect so that God is dishonored. It leaves parts of the field barren and unworked and limits their power to bear fruit, though with proper advantages they are capable of bearing just as good fruit, because facilities are appropriated to one portion instead of cultivating neglected fields and sowing truth. Rich, self-indulgent, proud men as husbandmen do not relate themselves to God as accountable to Him, exalting self as independent of God and measuring character by land and wealth, and instead of becoming rich in good works by distributing to the poor and relieving the oppressed and suffering they rob God in all their worldly acquirements. Every unfaithful steward worships self, not God, supplanting and intriguing and putting away justice and mercy for avarice and strife, and when He comes for fruit He receives only abuse while robbery of His goods continues.
God watches every institution to see how it trades on what He entrusted, weighs all things in scales of eternal justice, and will reward every man according as his works shall be, judging because He loves righteousness and hates iniquity. If stewards by selfishness fail to respond and close the doors He has opened for blessing, He will remove His gifts and trust from them, leave them barren of resources, and give the vineyard to others who will honor the trust and accomplish His purpose.
Warning and Work Today
The parable of the vineyard belongs not only to the Jewish nation but to the church in every generation and to all who have received light and bear responsibility for God's work. The church has received great privileges and blessings and is expected to return corresponding fruit, for God expects fruit from His vineyard and that fruit comes through the labor of His workers, so that everyone who believes has work to do and should not be idle. The sending of the son last of all to claim the fruit exposes the husbandmen's breach of trust and the sinful condition of God's once-chosen people, warning all who receive light that disobedience and unfaithfulness forfeit His blessing and sustaining favor. After year after year of occupying His vineyard and looking in vain for fruit while His messengers were shamefully treated, God sent His beloved Son, and because the husbandmen selfishly enjoyed the benefits, appropriated entrusted goods to their own use, returned no fruit, and crucified the Son instead of reverencing Him, those abused blessings and privileges would be transferred to others who will honor the trust.
Teachers who turn people from God's commandments repeat the unfaithfulness of the Jewish leaders, rejecting God's claim, withholding obedience, love, humility and self-sacrificing service, and preventing the people from bearing fruit to God's glory. Professing Christians who follow in the steps of the wicked husbandmen grow angry when the claims of the law are kept before them, hate the light of the pure doctrines Christ enforced, and continue warfare against God and His truth under Satan's leading. By rejecting His truth they reject God, and the sacred trust will likewise be taken from them and given to others. The husbandmen's purpose to kill the Son reveals the corrupting power working in them, and the same corrupt sentiments of antichrist are working in the children of disobedience in this time to their ruin.
The parable teaches solemn waiting and earnest, watchful work in preparation for Christ's second coming, calling the husbandmen to render God the fruits of the vineyard by laboring for people in darkness, developing Christian character, and keeping the churches awake to their responsibilities. Those who have received light are accountable to reflect that light by precept and example and to be decidedly and intensely earnest in drawing fellow men from the pit of destruction, while those who never had light will not answer for it. Christ's coming was God coming to save lost, fallen humanity, working not only for outcasts but ingeniously to reach those in high honor who knew not God and did not keep His commandments. The work in the vineyard is varied hard work, different kinds of plowing to produce different kinds of fruit, and through disciplined work in and through Christ His people learn how to gain true riches and perfect a character after the divine likeness, a complete character in Christ that is the only treasure that can be taken into the heavenly courts.
God continually sends His messengers to the stewards entrusted with His work, who are men in responsible positions and institutions entrusted with means to advance the work and supply His messengers, and He looks to see if they will unselfishly do the work entrusted to them and return fruit in due season by cultivating neglected fields and sowing truth. The vineyard is His whole worldwide work, especially the parts hitherto neglected, the barren wastes, cities and countries that have never heard the warning, and faithfulness is shown by a well-cultivated vineyard rather than binding up all blessings and facilities in one part. Leaving parts unworked limits their power to bear fruit though they are capable of bearing just as good fruit with proper advantages, so God wants the barren, unworked parts worked, using His money to best advantage and making every improvement, because the good news of salvation is to go to every kindred, tongue and people and must not be bound about by husbandmen appropriating all facilities to the portion under their own supervision. Its advantages were to glorify His name, not themselves, by appropriating facilities to the more destitute fields and making plants in other portions instead of centering everything in a few places, and selfishness and covetousness that leaves fields desolate and bare, leaves the Lord's way unprepared and His paths not made straight so He cannot gather fruit from the trees of His planting, is unfaithful stewardship for which He will take away the trust from those proved untrustworthy, remove His gifts, leave them barren of resources, and give the vineyard to others who will accomplish His purpose.
The world is represented as a vineyard, and those parables should be studied and put into practice. Those sent out to mission work need experience in cultivating the soil and in manual labor, training that fits them to take hold of any line of work in the fields where they are called and to instruct others as they have been instructed. Faithful cultivation of the land in schools and disinterested care of buildings puts this parable into practice and removes the love of sports and amusements that hinders school work.
In the parable of the vineyard the owner, after his servants were beaten and killed, sent his own son last of all as his final appeal, expecting to be honored in him. The owner is God, the servants are the prophets sent to gather fruit, and the son is Christ, the only-begotten, beloved Heir, equal with God and clothed in humanity. Instead of reverencing him, the husbandmen, the leaders and nation of Israel entrusted with the vineyard, knew him as heir and killed him to seize the inheritance for themselves. Their rejection proves the justice of taking the kingdom from them and giving it to others who will render fruit, ending in the destruction of their city and dispersion. The same trust now rests on every person and church, who must return obedience, love and self-sacrificing service to God or likewise forfeit His blessing.
Parable Setting and Symbols
The verse belongs to the parable of the vineyard, which sets forth the past and future history of Israel, its breach of trust, and the warning that God will not continue to bless and sustain those who reject His commandments and persist in sin. It shows the rich blessings God gave Israel and His claim upon their obedience, whose purpose could have been fulfilled through obedience but was forfeited by failure, bringing ruin upon the nation itself. It is God's last appeal to the Jews in sending His Son Jesus to the husbandmen entrusted with the vineyard, with the expectation that they would reverence Him. After a thousand years of multiplying transgression, abused privilege, hollow formalism, ingratitude, resisted grace and neglected opportunities, with prophets sent to warn and the sacrificial system pointing to the one great Sacrifice, Israel persecuted and killed the messengers and at last rejected the Son and stood ready to put Him to death, so that the cloud of retributive judgment was about to burst in unrestrained fury.
In the parable the householder or owner is God, the servants sent before the Son are prophets and teachers sent to receive the fruit due Him, and the son sent last of all is Christ. He is the only-begotten, beloved, destined Heir, equal with God, the Light and highest Teacher, come in humanity as the Father's final appeal to disobedient tenants. The priests and rulers recognized this picture of Jesus and His coming death, which they were already planning. His sending after insulted, abused and murdered messengers contrasts the owner's expectation of respect and honor with the husbandmen's decision to kill Him and seize His inheritance.
The vineyard is the Jewish nation and the whole house of Israel, entrusted with spiritual and temporal blessings, the vine brought out of Egypt and planted in Canaan and in the Holy Land where God nourished it and looked for grapes but it brought forth wild grapes. The union that should exist between Christ and the church is that of vine and branches. The Saviour also represents by the vineyard the world and God's whole worldwide work, especially the parts hitherto neglected, the barren wastes, cities and countries that have never heard the message of warning.
The husbandmen are the Jewish nation appointed to cultivate His vineyard and render its fruit, and specifically its leaders — chief priests, rulers, Pharisees, priests and teachers — entrusted with the vineyard and with God's trust and favor. They picture stewards and men in responsible positions and institutions, entrusted with means to advance the work and supply His messengers, including rich, self-indulgent, proud men who act as if accountable to no one. They withheld from God the service He claimed, rejected Christ's authority and warnings, turned the people against Him, and by deception and treatment of God's servants made the nation guilty, so that the sentence is that the kingdom would be taken from them and given to those who obey.
Patient Sending and Final Appeal
After servants sent to collect fruit were insulted, beaten, stoned, persecuted and killed, the owner sent his son last of all as his final and greatest appeal, expecting the husbandmen to reverence and honor him. The householder is God, the vineyard is the Jewish nation entrusted with spiritual and temporal blessings, and the son is Christ sent after God's servants had been rejected. The expectation of respect and honor contrasts with the husbandmen's decision to kill the son and seize his inheritance, which portrays the Jewish leaders' rejection of Jesus as their crowning act of wickedness. The rulers' rejection of the son reveals their failure in the trust and favor toward Israel represented by the vineyard and its care.
The repeated sending was needed because God's professed people did not heed His word but had become selfish and covetous, systematically robbing Him of the means and facilities entrusted to them for carrying on His work. The husbandmen are the Jewish nation and Jewish people appointed to cultivate His vineyard, which is the world, and the servants sent before the Son were prophets and teachers through whom God called Israel to render to Him His dues. Messengers were treated as enemies, persecuted and killed, and further messengers received the same treatment with even greater hatred, their counsel mocked and their warnings despised. This setting is a long record of grace resisted and privileges neglected, in which selfish and covetous appropriation of means continues, opposing words make messages of no effect, service is mingled with selfishness, and God is dishonored.
The sending of the Son shows God's love, patience, long-suffering and compassion, still hoping to save Israel from destruction after again and again apostatizing. He sent His best gift in person, with divinity clothed in humanity, to tell of God's love, to present the people's true condition, and to suffer for fallen humanity. Christ came to His own people to seek the fruit He expected from His vineyard, believing they would honor Him, yet they rejected His message and crucified Him. God's gifts continually show His love and patience, yet people use them selfishly and withhold the service due to Him, repeating Israel's sin and bringing ruin.
The son was sent by God from heaven in human form to do the Father's will and to cultivate the vineyard so it would bear fruit. He was sent to claim what was due the owner, for the keepers are stewards not owners, accountable for returning fruit to the owner including money and physical and mental powers and the work done with them. As the highest Teacher, the Light of the world and the truth itself, through Him the light of heaven showed the people true holiness and love for God and neighbor. The husbandmen represent religious leaders who reject God's claim and withhold the fruits of obedience, love, humility and self-sacrificing service, turning people from God's commandments and preventing fruit-bearing.
Rejection and Murder of Son
Instead of reverencing him, the husbandmen recognized him as the heir and plotted to kill him and seize his inheritance. The son was sent after the servants sent to collect fruit had been mistreated, beaten and rejected, as the owner's final appeal with the expectation that they would respect and honor him. The householder is God, the vineyard is the Jewish nation entrusted with spiritual and temporal blessings, the husbandmen are the Jewish leaders, and the son is Christ sent to them. Rather than rendering respect, they chose to kill him so they could keep the vineyard's honor, benefits and fruits for themselves, be left to enjoy it, and do as they pleased with its fruit. Their treatment of him exposed their guilt as unfaithful stewards and forfeited their place, so that the vineyard would be taken from them.
Their refusal sprang from envy of his character and teaching and fear of losing their own influence. Resistance to the light sent them had made them vindictive and hard-hearted, and rejecting earlier light hardened their hearts to plot murder against their Lord. Ambition and transgression had driven out the love and fear of God, so that rejection was the result of their own choices in resisting his work to soften their hearts. Behind the rejection and murder stood Satan striving to gain control over the human mind in order to wreak his hatred and revenge on the Son of God. As with Jeremiah persecuted by his countrymen and Isaiah sawn asunder for reproving sin, the prophets who came to look after the vineyard were beaten and killed, and the last act of the tragedy was yet to come when the only-begotten Son was killed.
The priests and rulers, the chief priests and Pharisees entrusted with the vineyard, perceived the parable was spoken of them and by answering condemned themselves. Yet instead of repenting they fulfilled it, recognizing in the picture Jesus and his coming death which they were already planning. They hated Christ and said in heart this is the heir, come let us kill him, and sought to lay hands on him but were restrained by God and by fear of the multitude who held him to be a prophet sent from God. They carried out their purpose by refusing to receive the one he came to save, rejecting his message, and condemning him to death by crucifixion. He was a man who could not be condemned, the faultless One in whom Pilate found no fault at all, yet a most cruel death was appointed to him, and the killing of that Son in the crucifixion was the last action that caused the nation's downfall and the destruction of Jerusalem.
Though he could have saved himself he endured ignominy, shame and disgrace poured upon him by men who were dependent upon him for life. The husbandmen's purpose to kill the Son reveals the corrupting power working in them, the same corrupt sentiments working to ruin in the children of disobedience in this time. With omniscient eye Jesus viewed that coming destruction of temple and city as his one great burden and grief. He wept not for himself, his betrayal, trial, rejection, or delivery into the hands of his enemies, but for those who by rejecting the Son placed themselves beyond the reach of long-suffering, long-forbearing mercy.
Judgment and Transfer of Vineyard
The vineyard parable shows the rich blessings given to Israel and God's claim on their obedience, love, humility and self-sacrificing service, and Israel was chosen to be trained by Christ to bear fruit honoring Him and representing the principles of His kingdom. The vineyard is Israel richly blessed, the servants are those sent before the Son, and the Son is Jesus whom the Jewish leaders rejected and killed, and their rejection exposed selfishness and refusal to honor God's rightful claims, making the nation guilty of national sin. Because God's purpose could have been fulfilled through obedience, the nation's failure meant forfeiting His blessing and bringing ruin upon itself.
Their rejection of the Son proves the justice of taking national privileges and the kingdom from them and giving the vineyard to others who will bring forth fruit. The husbandmen are the chief priests, Pharisees, priests and teachers entrusted with the Jewish nation, who beat, killed and stoned the servants sent for fruit and would do likewise to the heir, and their breach of trust exposes the sinful condition of God's once-chosen people. Because they selfishly enjoyed the benefits, appropriated entrusted goods to their own use, returned no fruit, and crucified the Son instead of reverencing Him, the abused blessings and privileges would be transferred from them to the Gentiles and to those who obey and honor the trust. The same ingratitude and selfish misuse of gifts that continually show God's love and patience repeats Israel's sin and brings ruin, warning all who receive light that disobedience and unfaithfulness forfeit His blessing and sustaining favor.
That taking had already commenced and ends in destruction of the temple and city and dispersion of the nation. The killing of the Son in the crucifixion of the faultless Christ, in whom Pilate found no fault yet to whom a most cruel death was appointed, was the last action that caused the nation's downfall and the destruction of Jerusalem. After a thousand years of multiplying transgression upon transgression, with hollow formalism marked by Pharisaical pride, self-exaltation, ingratitude, resisted grace and refusal of opportunities provided by a God of compassion and love, Israel rejected the Son last sent and stood ready to put Him to death, so the cloud of retributive judgment was about to burst in unrestrained fury. Because they proved unfaithful to the trust to care faithfully for the vineyard and render its fruits, acting as though there were no God, desolation and calamity overtook them.
The priests and elders later recalled the parable and recognized that they had acted like the wicked husbandmen in rejecting and killing the Son. The sentence they had pronounced against those men declared their own just doom and just punishment. Jesus connected this rejected and slain heir with the rejected stone become the chief cornerstone, showing that the parable foretold the Jews' purpose against Him and the consequences of rejecting Him.
Israel's rejection could not destroy God's purpose for salvation, which continues through a faithful remnant receiving the covenant promises. Israel is the planted vine which its people rejected and trampled, but the Husbandman removed it beyond the wall where its branches could still receive grafts, so the vine's branches could be joined to its protected stock.
Stewardship and Fruit Required
God is owner of the whole vineyard by creation and redemption, and He made terms with steward-husbandmen under covenant conditioned on loyalty to return to Him a certain revenue of fruit in its season. The vineyard is the whole house of Israel, the church brought as a vine out of Egypt and planted in the Holy Land, and it is also the world and His whole work, especially the parts hitherto neglected, the barren wastes, cities and countries that have never heard the warning. The husbandmen first appointed were the Jewish nation, entrusted to cultivate His vineyard and render Him His dues, and the servants sent before the Son were prophets and teachers through whom He called for fruit and faithful stewardship. He continually sends message after message by servants to overlook His vineyard, watching every institution to see how it trades upon what He has entrusted while leaving room for character to develop. Faithfulness is shown by a well-cultivated vineyard and by unselfish work for every part rather than binding up all blessings and facilities in one portion under one's own supervision, using His money to best advantage so the good news can go to every kindred, tongue and people.
Responsibility does not rest only on priests, rulers, leaders and teachers but belongs to the whole people, for the land was entrusted to them as a test of obedience that would have brought spiritual and temporal prosperity. God gives every person talents, whether great or small, to be used diligently, and their faithful use brings returns that belong to the Lord. His people are stewards of what He gives and are to return to Him what is His, and faithful stewardship and the fruit of obedience, not outward advantages or worldly wealth, bring His approval.
The fruit He expects is obedience, love, humility and self-sacrificing service, withheld when religious leaders reject His claim. It is the faithful return of what is His, including money and physical and mental powers and the work done with them, with His portion to support the ministry and relieve the poor and suffering. Every converted soul who appreciates His rich endowment will reveal the power of truth by counterworking selfishness and self-indulgence through great benevolence, returning to God His due by sustaining every good work and advancing His kingdom. Liberality shown in tangible deeds of love is the very best evidence of sincerity of faith, and without such benevolence expressed in deeds character cannot be complete.
Unfaithfulness is selfish and covetous appropriation of entrusted means, with the husbandmen selfishly enjoying all benefits of the vineyard and appropriating goods entrusted to them to their own use while returning no fruit. It mingles His service with selfishness, uses resources for self-gratification instead of advancing His work, and by opposing words makes the messages brought of no effect so that God is dishonored. It leaves parts of the field barren and unworked and limits their power to bear fruit, though with proper advantages they are capable of bearing just as good fruit, because facilities are appropriated to one portion instead of cultivating neglected fields and sowing truth. Rich, self-indulgent, proud men as husbandmen do not relate themselves to God as accountable to Him, exalting self as independent of God and measuring character by land and wealth, and instead of becoming rich in good works by distributing to the poor and relieving the oppressed and suffering they rob God in all their worldly acquirements. Every unfaithful steward worships self, not God, supplanting and intriguing and putting away justice and mercy for avarice and strife, and when He comes for fruit He receives only abuse while robbery of His goods continues.
God watches every institution to see how it trades on what He entrusted, weighs all things in scales of eternal justice, and will reward every man according as his works shall be, judging because He loves righteousness and hates iniquity. If stewards by selfishness fail to respond and close the doors He has opened for blessing, He will remove His gifts and trust from them, leave them barren of resources, and give the vineyard to others who will honor the trust and accomplish His purpose.
Warning and Work Today
The parable of the vineyard belongs not only to the Jewish nation but to the church in every generation and to all who have received light and bear responsibility for God's work. The church has received great privileges and blessings and is expected to return corresponding fruit, for God expects fruit from His vineyard and that fruit comes through the labor of His workers, so that everyone who believes has work to do and should not be idle. The sending of the son last of all to claim the fruit exposes the husbandmen's breach of trust and the sinful condition of God's once-chosen people, warning all who receive light that disobedience and unfaithfulness forfeit His blessing and sustaining favor. After year after year of occupying His vineyard and looking in vain for fruit while His messengers were shamefully treated, God sent His beloved Son, and because the husbandmen selfishly enjoyed the benefits, appropriated entrusted goods to their own use, returned no fruit, and crucified the Son instead of reverencing Him, those abused blessings and privileges would be transferred to others who will honor the trust.
Teachers who turn people from God's commandments repeat the unfaithfulness of the Jewish leaders, rejecting God's claim, withholding obedience, love, humility and self-sacrificing service, and preventing the people from bearing fruit to God's glory. Professing Christians who follow in the steps of the wicked husbandmen grow angry when the claims of the law are kept before them, hate the light of the pure doctrines Christ enforced, and continue warfare against God and His truth under Satan's leading. By rejecting His truth they reject God, and the sacred trust will likewise be taken from them and given to others. The husbandmen's purpose to kill the Son reveals the corrupting power working in them, and the same corrupt sentiments of antichrist are working in the children of disobedience in this time to their ruin.
The parable teaches solemn waiting and earnest, watchful work in preparation for Christ's second coming, calling the husbandmen to render God the fruits of the vineyard by laboring for people in darkness, developing Christian character, and keeping the churches awake to their responsibilities. Those who have received light are accountable to reflect that light by precept and example and to be decidedly and intensely earnest in drawing fellow men from the pit of destruction, while those who never had light will not answer for it. Christ's coming was God coming to save lost, fallen humanity, working not only for outcasts but ingeniously to reach those in high honor who knew not God and did not keep His commandments. The work in the vineyard is varied hard work, different kinds of plowing to produce different kinds of fruit, and through disciplined work in and through Christ His people learn how to gain true riches and perfect a character after the divine likeness, a complete character in Christ that is the only treasure that can be taken into the heavenly courts.
God continually sends His messengers to the stewards entrusted with His work, who are men in responsible positions and institutions entrusted with means to advance the work and supply His messengers, and He looks to see if they will unselfishly do the work entrusted to them and return fruit in due season by cultivating neglected fields and sowing truth. The vineyard is His whole worldwide work, especially the parts hitherto neglected, the barren wastes, cities and countries that have never heard the warning, and faithfulness is shown by a well-cultivated vineyard rather than binding up all blessings and facilities in one part. Leaving parts unworked limits their power to bear fruit though they are capable of bearing just as good fruit with proper advantages, so God wants the barren, unworked parts worked, using His money to best advantage and making every improvement, because the good news of salvation is to go to every kindred, tongue and people and must not be bound about by husbandmen appropriating all facilities to the portion under their own supervision. Its advantages were to glorify His name, not themselves, by appropriating facilities to the more destitute fields and making plants in other portions instead of centering everything in a few places, and selfishness and covetousness that leaves fields desolate and bare, leaves the Lord's way unprepared and His paths not made straight so He cannot gather fruit from the trees of His planting, is unfaithful stewardship for which He will take away the trust from those proved untrustworthy, remove His gifts, leave them barren of resources, and give the vineyard to others who will accomplish His purpose.
The world is represented as a vineyard, and those parables should be studied and put into practice. Those sent out to mission work need experience in cultivating the soil and in manual labor, training that fits them to take hold of any line of work in the fields where they are called and to instruct others as they have been instructed. Faithful cultivation of the land in schools and disinterested care of buildings puts this parable into practice and removes the love of sports and amusements that hinders school work.