1639. A Parable of the Vineyard

A Parable of the Vineyard

"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 husbandman, and went into a far country:

"And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

"And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

"Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

"But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying. They will reverence my son.

"But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

"And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

"When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

"They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

"Therefore say I unto you, The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

"And whosoever shall fall on this Stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him. to powder.

"And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He spake of them.

"But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude, because they took Him for a prophet" (Mat_21:33-46).

We now turn from the Old Testament and its pictures and parables concerning the vineyard, to the New Testament, and Christ's parable.

Our study is of a certain householder, of his vineyard, his husbandmen, his servants, and his Son.

1. The Householder and His Vineyard,

"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" (Mat_21:33).

In the light of Old Testament Scriptures, such as we have been considering, the meaning is plain.

The householder is Christ.

The vineyard is Israel.

The hedges and the tower, express God's care for His people.

The wine-press expresses God's anticipation of fruit.

The servants are God's seers and prophets.

The husbandmen are the scribes and rulers.

The far country is the Father's right hand.

The story of this verse coincides, step by step, with that wonderful fifth chapter of Isaiah.

The parable is the more impressive because it was spoken by Christ, after Israel's history had proved the truth of Isaiah's message.

The Lord Jesus seems to be showing that Israel was an empty vine, a disappointing vineyard.

2. The Maltreatment of the Servants

"And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise" (Mat_21:34-36).

The servants, the seers and the prophets, are not seen in the Old Testament pictures, but the Lord Jesus set forth the fact that these holy men of God were commissioned to gather in the fruit of Israel. They came to Israel in the name of Jehovah, they plead with her, they taught her, they sought to lead her into union with God, but she rebelled.

The story of her treatment of the Prophets is plainly set forth in the Word of God.

3. The Slaying of the Son

"Last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him" (Mat_21:37-39).

This picture is a story added to that of the Old Testament. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son, who came forth from the Father and came into the world. He was the heir of God, and He came looking for the fruit of His vineyard but He found none.

The children of Israel went about to slay Him, and finally He was crucified between two murderers.

4. The Removal of the Husbandmen

"When the lord therefore, of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their season" (Mat_21:40-41).

Thus did the people seal their own doom, they passed judgment upon themselves; they vindicated God's righteousness in casting them off.

The story of the verses we have just read has been fulfilled in history. The Lord God has punished His people Israel, they have been driven captive into all the nations, and trodden under the feet of the Gentiles. Their vineyard has been let out to other husbandmen, the Church.

After the people pronounced their own woe, the Lord Jesus Christ made plain unto them the meaning of His parable. He said unto them:

"Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner."

Jesus also said unto them: "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

The chief priests and the Pharisees realized that Christ spake of them, and they sought to lay hands on Him but they feared the multitude.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR