The Parable of the Tenants, also known as the Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen, is recorded in Matthew Chapter 21 Verses 33 to 41, Mark Chapter 12 Verses 1-9, and Luke Chapter 20 Verses 9-16. This parable was the second of two parables that Jesus told the chief priests and elders in the temple after they questioned His authority.
The first parable, known as the Parable of the Two Sons, Matthew Chapter 21 verses 28 to 30, exposed the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. In that parable, Jesus compared them to a disobedient son who claimed he would work in the vineyard but never did. Through this, Jesus declared that repentant sinners would enter God’s kingdom before them.
Now, in the Parable of the Tenants, Jesus gives an even sharper warning to these religious leaders. This parable is not only a rebuke of Israel’s past unfaithfulness but also a prophecy about Jesus’ impending crucifixion and the coming judgment on Israel’s corrupt leadership.
Before we go deep into its meaning, we must first read and understand the parable exactly as it is written in the Bible. We will then go step by step, verse by verse, to break down its full meaning using Scripture.
Jesus begins by saying
“There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.”
“When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. But the tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.”
“Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.”
“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They replied, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
“Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
“When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.”
Now that we have read the full parable, let us break it down carefully, connecting it with other parts of Scripture and applying it to our lives.
DEEP EXPLANATION OF THE PARABLE (VERSE BY VERSE)
The landowner in this parable represents God, and the vineyard represents Israel. This is not just an illustration that Jesus made up—it is a direct reference to Isaiah Chapter 5 Verses 1 to 7, where God describes Israel as His carefully planted vineyard. In Isaiah, God says He expected Israel to produce good fruit, but instead, they produced injustice and rebellion.
Let’s read
King James Version (KJV):
Isaiah Chapter 5, Verse 1
“Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:”
Isaiah Chapter 5, Verse 2
“And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.”
Isaiah Chapter 5, Verse 3
“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.”
Isaiah Chapter 5, Verse 4
“What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?”
Isaiah Chapter 5, Verse 5
“And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:”
Isaiah Chapter 5, Verse 6
“And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.”
Isaiah Chapter 5, Verse 7
“For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.”
The wall, winepress, and watchtower show how God had protected and provided for Israel. The wall represents God’s law and protection, the winepress represents the work of producing righteousness, and the watchtower represents the prophets and the temple.
However, the landowner rents the vineyard to tenants—these tenants are the religious leaders of Israel, the priests, teachers of the law, and the Pharisees, who were given responsibility over God’s people. Instead of leading them in righteousness, they became corrupt and sought power for themselves.
As the harvest time approaches, the landowner sends his servants to collect his share of the fruit. These servants represent the prophets that God sent to Israel throughout history—men like Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist.
But how did Israel treat these prophets?
Jeremiah was beaten and thrown into a pit (Jeremiah 38:6).
Elijah was hunted down by Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1-2).
Zechariah was murdered at the temple (2 Chronicles 24:20-22).
John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod (Matthew 14:10).
Instead of listening to these men of God, the religious leaders persecuted and killed them, just like the wicked tenants in the parable.
Finally, the landowner sends his son, believing that surely the tenants would respect him. This is a clear reference to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But instead of honoring Him, the religious leaders plotted to kill Him, just as the tenants killed the landowner’s son to steal his inheritance.
This prophecy was fulfilled when the Pharisees and chief priests arrested Jesus, took Him outside the city, and crucified Him.
This also reminds us of Hebrews Chapter 1 verses 1-2, which says:
“In the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets, but in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son.”
The Son was God’s final messenger, but He was rejected and crucified.
Jesus then asks, “What will the landowner do to these tenants?” The people rightly answer, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and rent the vineyard to others.”
This was a prophecy of the coming destruction of Jerusalem in A.D 70, when the Romans burned down the city and destroyed the temple, completely ending the Jewish priesthood.
This also signified that the Gospel would be taken from the Jewish leaders and given to the Gentiles—the apostles and the church.
Jesus then quotes Psalm Chapter 118 verse 22, saying, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”
The builders (Pharisees and priests) rejected Jesus, but He became the foundation of God’s kingdom. The same people who crucified Him ended up losing their place in God’s plan, while Jesus became the King of all.
This verse is also a warning:
Anyone who falls on Christ in humility will be broken in repentance and saved.
Anyone who rejects Him will be crushed in judgment.
WHAT DOES THIS TEACH US TODAY?
- God expects fruit from His people. If we are Christians, we must bear spiritual fruit—love, obedience, and righteousness.
- Rejecting Christ leads to judgment. Just as the Jewish leaders were removed, anyone who rejects Jesus today will face eternal separation from God.
- Jesus is the cornerstone. He is the foundation of our faith. If we build our lives on Him, we will stand. If we reject Him, we will fall.
Jesus gave this parable as a warning, not just to the religious leaders, but to all of us.
The question today is: Will we accept Jesus or reject Him?
If you have not yet accepted Christ, do not be like the wicked tenants. Receive Him, honor Him, and bear fruit for His Kingdom!
