The Parable of the Tenants

Introduction

Mark 12:1–12 NIV84

1 He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. 6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this scripture: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 11 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 12 Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

The Setting (vs. 1)

Once there was a man that had a vineyard. He built a wall around it. He built a watchtower and he dug out a winepress. These pictures were taken in Nazareth in a place called Nazareth Village. It is a simple model of what life would have been like in the first century. The vineyard was planted there and the wall and watchtower were reconstructed to be in this site. The winepress was actually found there in an archeological dig there in the 1990’s and has been authenticated as a first century winepress.

As you remember, Jesus and His family spent time in Nazareth. Just maybe this was the winepress He remembered to share this story. It was a common thing for landowners to have vineyards, walls, watchtowers and winepresses. It was also a common thing for the landowner to lease out the land. The rent was paid in fruit or in the results of the fruit. It would take about 4 years for the vines to produce. The time has come for the rent to be collected. So the Vineyard owner sends his servant to collect it on his behalf.

The Servants (vs. 2-5)

The Bible tells us that there several attempts by these servants on behalf of the landlord. The first servant was seized and beaten. The Bible says he was sent away empty-handed. The word used here is kenos. It means destitute but it also means destitute from spiritual wealth. We will come back to that thought momentarily. Let me give you some examples of how that was used in other passages.

Genesis 31:42 NIV84

42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”

Deuteronomy 15:12–14 NIV84

12 If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free. 13 And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. 14 Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to him as the Lord your God has blessed you.

Luke 1:53 NIV84

53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

Do you see the connection in these verses? In each of these uses, there are indications that being empty-handed is more than just being without physical things but also an absence of spiritual benefits.

This attempt led to many other attempts. The second attempt gets the servant struck on the head and treated shamefully. Other attempts are made with other servants. All are mistreated, some of them beaten and others even killed.

The agony that comes on the owner of the vineyard is great. Yet, he desires fruit from that which is his. The abuse His servants have received is painful for Him as well. Despite all this, the vineyard owner decides to send His Son.

The Son (vs. 6-8)

In verses 6-8, we see that this Son is highly revered. The Bible says he is loved. In fact, some translations use the word beloved. The vineyard owner says, “They will respect my son.” This would have been the absolute last resort. According to Jesus law, a son possessed legal rights that a slave or servant did not. The son is the heir. By sending the slaves or servants, the owner was appealing to the integrity of the tenants. However, by sending the son, the owner is appealing to the law. The son goes as the father’s representative, with the father’s authority, to the father’s property to claim the father’s due. The son represents the father’s legal claim and his compassion. But the son also is rejected. In fact. the son is killed so that the inheritance can be received. The tenants throw his dead body into the vineyard, there is no mention of a decent burial.

So how does the father and the owner of the vineyard respond?

We see it in the summary of the parable.

The Summary (vs. 9-12)

The owner returns. As he returns, he comes with a vengeance. Jesus says in the parable that the owner will kill the tenants and give the vineyard to others. We see the return, the revenge, and the re-purpose. But the real meaning of this parable is the re-establishment of the owner’s vineyard. Let me explain this by sharing the meaning behind this parable.

The owner of the vineyard is God. God has given mankind the the ability to lease His vineyard. We see this portrayed in Scripture with Adam and Eve being put in the Garden of Eden. They are leased the vineyard so to speak yet they mess up. So the owner sends His servants. He sends prophet after prophet telling of His great love and desire for His people to be fruit producers. Yet the leader shun, shame and even shoot down His plan. More prophets are sent, warning, begging and pleading with the people to turn to God. Again, many are turned away and left empty-handed. Many are even killed. So the owner decides to send His beloved Son. The Son is shamed and killed. His body left to rot but Joseph of Aramathea pleads to be able to care for Him, making sure He could rest in at least a borrowed tomb.

In this parable, Jesus quotes a passage from Psalm 118.

Mark 12:10–11 NIV84

10 Haven’t you read this scripture: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 11 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

Psalm 118:22–23 NIV84

22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

The stone that was rejected, has become the very cornerstone of which will build the Kingdom of God!

Acts 4:11 NIV84

11 He is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’

1 Peter 2:4 NIV84

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—

1 Peter 2:7 NIV84

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,”

Romans 9:32–33 NIV84

32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.” 33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Ephesians 2:20 NIV84

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Jesus shared in this parable that our God is about pursuing the fruit of His people. Jesus shared here that God is consistent in His way! Malachi 3:6

Malachi 3:6 NIV84

6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

God is pursuing His people. Schemes will come against His people to prevent them from serving Him fully. The Son appears to be defeated, but instead God used Him to be the cornerstone for our redemption. We are not depressed or destroyed, we are delivered! You see, Mark was written in a time when Christians were severely persecuted by Nero. Our churches today are persecuted and caught in comprise and confusion. This parable falls on the heels of the parable of the sower. Despite the lousy soil, it does not cancel or counteract the inevitable harvest of God! The vineyard is place that produces fruit. The vineyard does not exist because of the tenants. It exists because of the self-sacrifice of the Son. And for that, we should be forever grateful! Jesus is our only hope, our Chief Cornerstone!!

By the way, do you know what the very next verse is that from Psalm 118?

Psalm 118:24 NIV84

24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.