9 He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went to another country for a long time. Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “Hear another parable. These wicked tenants are ethnic Israelites, but not every ethnic Israelite. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. This parable illustrates what Paul exclaims in Romans 11:22, “Behold then the kindness and severity of God.” God’s kindness is seen in His sending far more servants to rebellious Israel than she deserved. He’s about to go into Holy Week. The parable of the wicked tenants is a statement of God’s concern for his people and a declaration that God’s plan cannot be defeated by man. This parable comes in the context of a long argument with the leaders of Jerusalem. The good news of Jesus is for all who hear and accept it. Why would the land-owner keep sending more people to the obviously wicked tenants? THE PARABLE OF THE WICKED TENANTS _____ Matthew 21:33-46 Yves I-Bing Cheng, M.D., M.A. T he Parable of the Wicked Tenants has the characteristic of being both historical and predictive. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. What’s going on here? The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen, also known as the Parable of the Bad Tenants, is a parable of Jesus found in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 21:33–46), the Gospel of Mark (Mark 12:1–12) and the Gospel of Luke (Luke 20:9–19). And something important to note is that the imagery of this parable actually points to a change of focus for Jesus and God’s plan that is in process. Since God owns the vineyard, we must live accountably to Him. Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12 Luke 20:9-18)21:33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: They killed several of the landowners messengers, even his own beloved son! Jesus does not say that the vineyard is uprooted; rather, the vineyard’s tenants, those responsible for its upkeep and care, are judged (v. 43). These tenants know nothing of respect. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. The messengers that the 'landowner' sends to the tenants to collect his 'fruit' are the prophets of the OT whom the Jewish people have variously beaten, stoned, and killed. The Parable of the Wicked Tenants - “Hear another parable. The Son is obviously Jesus, and he is the Cornerstone of the new kingdom of God. Mark 12:1-12. 33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. The Parable of the wicked Tenants. Matthew 21: 33-end. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. (1-12) And he began to speak unto them by parables. 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. It is also found in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. Even to the original hearers, this might have sounded like an odd story. In The Parable of the Wicked Tenants, this idea starts to rear its head (12:1-12). 9 He began to tell the people this parable: ‘A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went to another country for a long time. —See Notes on Matthew 21:33-36.The parable which, like that of the Sower, and like that only, is related in all the first three Gospels, was one which had obviously impressed itself strongly, as that had done, on the minds of those who heard it, and was reproduced by independent reporters with an almost textual exactness. “Hear another parable. 1 Craig Keener, A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Eerdmans, 1999), p. 513. The wicked tenants are the Jewish people, scribes and pharisees who refuse to follow God's will. Parable of the Wicked Tenants - Matthew 21:33-46 CSM Shared Word- October 5, 2008 Matthew 21:33-46 (New International Version). Why sacrifice his own son? In this parable, the wicked tenants were the leaders of Israel. It demands us to enter into the story and lift the lid on the truth about our human nature and our tendency to rebel against God. He was, by all accounts, a successful man. Jesus’ technique deliberately uses the chief priests ... • The parable of the Wicked Tenants appears in all three synoptic gospels Clearly, the parable is based on Isaiah 5:1–7; thus, the vineyard of Matthew 21:33 is the old covenant community. If you are already subscribed, click here to access the video (you will have to be logged in to your account to view this page). The Parable of the Tenants “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-12) 1)Paul Y. Chang* I. Instead of this, the wicked tenants killed him. If we love God, we realize that he knows the best way for us to live. Clearly! I hear Jesus’ parable of the wicked tenants and find similarities with that panicky manager. Meaning. There is one disagreement: Jesus’s parable does not say the vineyard produced bad fruit (as you say it does). Question: What does the Parable of the Tenants mean? 10 When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants in order that they might give him his share of the produce of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. The Parable of the Tenants 33"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. This parable, which was spoken very near the end of the protracted duel with the officials in the Temple, is transparent in its … When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. Furthermore, the text asserts that God has rejected the Jewish leadership and replaced their role in the Realm with Jesus and his followers (Mark 12:9-12). Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. And not just “scared” panicky but “dangerous” panicky. A Wicked Parable. As the crisis came near, Jesus increased His severity and plainness of speech. Introduction While exegetical works on the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-12) abound, it is interesting that the plethora of scholar ship do not yield a consensus in interpretation. In this video, I explain the meaning of the Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard and offer a short reflection on what it means for us today. www.meetingwithchrist.com . A message from the series "Tell Me A Story." Subsequently, the master destroys the tenants and gives the vineyard to others. It is one of only three parables to be found in all three Synoptic Gospels, so we have to conclude that it is an important one. But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Our sermon this week at Imprint Church in Woodinville was on the Parable of the Tenants from Matthew 21:33-46. All the Synoptic versions of the parable state that the priests of the Sanhedrin understood that Jesus' parable was directed against them, and thus that they are the husbandmen. In the presence of the Jewish leadership, Jesus tells a suggestive story about an owner who leases his vineyard out to tenant-farmers. The Parable of the Tenants 33"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. The response of the people tells us that this is disturbing. And even these leaders, v. 12 tells us, “perceived that he had told the parable against them.” Finally, the beloved son is Jesus. Your interpretation of the parable is just fine with me (though not for the wicked tenants). He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. A Wicked Parable. The Parable’s Meaning and Identification of the Wicked Tenants. The tenants come across as equally panicky. The meaning of the parable does not hang on determination of its realism. However the parable portrays the tenants as being too presumptuous, because there are a number of ways the land could have been inherited and not necessarily through the son. And if the parable were not ridiculous enough when the owner sent his son, Discrepancies between exeg etical works vary along multiple dimensions. The tenants are the leaders of Jerusalem. Instead, he sent his son in the hope that the tenants will listen to him! The parable is intended to portray the tenants as wicked and stupid. There was a householder who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. But it is a parable with many levels of meaning… His severity is seen when these wicked tenant farmers killed the son. The parable in today’s gospel is very disturbing. 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