The Scripture readings from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer for this week, with the exception of the Epistle selection, have all focused on the image of the vine or vineyard. Today’s Gospel reading is no exception. The Old Testament reading earlier this week, from the Prophet Isaiah, focused on God planting a vineyard hoping for good grapes, and instead it brought forth sour or bad grapes. The psalm reading also spoke of a vineyard, whose walls have been broken down, and the garden trampled. Each of these pictured the people whom God had chosen to bring His message to the world as the vines, but had instead forsaken Him, so He allowed the vineyard to be uprooted and torn down. Today’s Gospel reading is a parable that Jesus spoke along the exact same line, about the vineyard workers who rebel against the vineyard Owner. Let’s see what we can learn from our Lord’s Words.
In brief, the parable speaks of an owner of a vineyard and winepress, which he leases out to workers to tend to, and bring forth fruit and wine. When the harvest and vintage time comes, the owner sends servants to receive the harvest. However, those workers beat up the servants, even killing some of them. He sends more servants, and they get the same treatment. Finally he sends the son and heir, which they drag out of the vineyard and then kill him. As mentioned earlier in the week, the Scriptures have frequently used the image of a vineyard for the nation of Israel.
Jesus told this parable during the last week of His life, a few days following His entry into Jerusalem on what we celebrate today as Palm Sunday. Throughout His ministry many of the Pharisees and other religious leaders had been trying to stop His work, and this accelerated during that final week. This parable that Jesus told echoes the same message that the psalmist and Prophet Isaiah had given. The landowner represents God the Father, and the vineyard is Israel. The workers or vinedressers were the religious leaders of the nation (vs. 33). The Owner, or God, expected fruit from these workers, or religious leaders. This represents spiritual evidence of true conversion, which should be the end result of the work of the religious leaders (vs. 34). The servants sent by the Owner represent the Old Testament prophets sent by God (vs. 34-36). These were all rejected by the people, particularly by the priests. They were abused, and many of them killed.
Finally, the Owner of the vineyard sent His Son, which is the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 37-39). The religious leaders, like the vineyard workers, took the Son Jesus, brought Him out of Jerusalem, and had Him executed. Jesus is God’s final emissary. He has not sent anyone else since Jesus. When He returns again, the Jewish people will finally recognize Jesus as their final prophet and Messiah sent by God.
Jesus then turned to the Pharisees and asked them what the Owner should do (vs. 40). These religious leaders pronounced their own judgment, which was also Jesus Christ’s judgment (vs. 41). The kingdom and all spiritual advantages given to Israel would now be given to “other vinedressers”. These other vinedressers are the Gentiles, and symbolize the Church, which consists primarily of Gentiles.
This Son, who was killed and thrown out of the vineyard, is also the “chief cornerstone” in God’s redemptive plan (vs. 42). Jesus quoted to those He told this parable to from Psalm 118:22-23, which relates to His present rejection and His ultimate triumph. They rejected the real Cornerstone of God who is Jesus, the true Cornerstone of the Church. Although Jesus was rejected by many of His people, He will become the Cornerstone of His new building, the Church (Acts 4:10-12). The Church is the “nation bearing the fruit of it” (vs. 43). The Apostle Peter called the Church a “holy nation” (I Peter 2:9).
Jesus is a “stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” to unbelievers (Isaiah 8:14-15; Isaiah 28:16; I Peter 2:7-8). Jesus offers mercy to those falling on this stone, to those who fall upon Him in repentance and faith (vs 44). However if they don’t, He will fall upon them in judgment, and will grind them to powder. Ideally people should build on the Cornerstone of Jesus who was sent by God. However, many will trip over this Stone. At the Last Judgment, God’s enemies will be crushed by the Cornerstone. Jesus will then become the crushing stone. He offers mercy and forgiveness now, and promises judgment later.
The question falls to each of us today. Will we accept God’s Son, Jesus Christ, whom He has sent to redeem us? Or will we reject Him and fall into judgment and eternal damnation? Don’t wait to make your decision.
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