Matthew 21:28-46--ParableS of the Two Sons and the Tenants

Matthew 21:28-46 English Standard Version (ESV)
LISTEN:  https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Matt.21.28-Matt.21.46
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants
33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord's doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

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As Jesus often does, He is now going to tell two parables, one right after the other which have a common theme.  Retelling the same story different ways but with the same application reinforces the principle and reaches a broader audience who may connect with one story or the other.  The people following Jesus were from a diverse set of background.  Some would connect well with agrarian reference (farming, shepherding, etc), but some people then were like people today.  They were living the lives of the rich and famous and had never gotten their hands dirty.  How would they connect with such references?  So Jesus often would switch metaphors to reach the intended audience.  This is important to us as we share the gospel--we need to know our audience and be able to adapt our presentation without changing the message.

​Jesus first tells a story about two sons--something most of the crowds (but not all of them) would be able to connect with.  One son quickly agreed to everything his father asked of him but never followed through on anything.  The other son was a bit more stubborn and rebellious.  That son's first response usually was to say "No," but he would later come back and do the thing he was asked to do anyways.  Then Jesus asked the question, "Which of these sons did the will of his father?"

I love how Jesus made them tell him the interpretation themselves to see if they really caught what was supposed to be taught.  They correctly replied by indicating the one who had begrudgingly been obedient, but eventually did what the father asked.  Then Jesus dropped a "truth bomb" on them as my friends and I like to say.  The sinners and tax collectors are going to make it into heaven and you're not because they are repenting and turning form their sins, just like God the Father asks them to do and you who are self-righteous and say that you are the children of God are refusing to admit that  you have any sin to repent of and are going to miss the salvation being offered to you.  Ouch!  But this is a message that we still need to hear today.  Some of us will be surprised who we are going to see in heaven--that person that we refused to share the gospel with because they were too much of a heathen or they were a street person and it was uncomfortable to be around them and some of us will be surprised that some kings and queens and politicians and socialites will not be there (some of us will also be surprised that some of them will be there).  Those who know they are sick go to the doctor to get well, but those who are stubborn and refuse to admit they are sick and don't go to the doctor just die at home (that's probably a little too real with what's going on right now, but it is another metaphor that Jesus uses when He talks about the tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners getting to heaven before the Pharisees).

He then switches the story around to talk about tenants of a vineyard that they did not own, but were entrusted to take care of.  This is imagery from the Old Testament that the scholarly would understand.  It was the Lord's vineyard and it represented the house of Israel and the priests and the kings had been put in charge by God to protect the vineyard and take care of the harvest (the people).  Every time God used this reference in the Old Testament it was a message of condemnation of how the priests and kings had become corrupt and had let the walls be torn down and let the grapes grow wild and had let the animals and enemies in to destroy the harvest.  They're probably expecting the same message and thinking, "Yeah, we know this one Jesus, we're such terrible leaders because we haven't protected the Law and the people the way God told us to, and haven't made sure that the people were obedient to the Law of God."

But Jesus catches them off guard, the story starts off much like the condemnations of the Old Testament where the tenants and stewards of the vineyard are corrupt and refuse to give to God what belongs to Him and they kill the messengers that God sends (the prophets), but something changes in the story that has never been said before--the vineyard owner (God) sends His own Son (Jesus) saying, "Surely they will listen to Him," and they plot to kill Him so that they can take His inheritance (the people of God and the kingdom of God and to themselves be like God).  Jesus tells them this story knowing the priests, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducee are all in the crowd listening to Him (remember He's in the temple when He's teaching this) and He knows they are all plotting to kill Him.  The irony is thick here and probably the disciples and the rest of the crowd are missing what's going on at this point because they are no longer the intended audience.  Jesus is taking the lesson about being obedient to the commandments of the Father and putting it right up in their faces and saying, "Not only do you not obey, and take advantage of your position and the people that you should be protecting, but you plot to kill those very messengers, even the one that comes to you from heaven--the Son of God Himself."  Jesus Was giving them one last chance to repent and become obedient and to not go through with the plan that He knew they were plotting.

He asks them like the crowd to apply the truth to themselves, "What do you think the master will do to these men when he comes?"  They also correctly answer, but probably without making the application that Jesus was talking about them, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."  They didn't know just how right they were.  God was going to bring in new tenants (the Church) to be entrusted with the things of God.  He is not done with the Jews, but the leaders who had been unfaithful stewards of His covenant should not expect to be a part of part of His eternal kingdom.

Then Jesus deals with the religious leaders much the same way that He usually does, asking them "Have you not read...." and "Have you not understood....?"  Jesus is telling them that they would reject Him but God was going to build something new from that act they were about to commit.  He then ties the two parables together to say that the kingdom of God will be taken away from them and given as an inheritance to those who have been faithful and obedient in doing the will of the Father as show by them producing fruit (going all the way back to the analogy of a tree and its fruit from the Sermon on the Mount).

The one to whom Christ is a stumbling block will fall on Him and be dashed to pieces, and the one on whom Christ comes down on will be crushed.  The indictment had already been given and this was the reading of the verdict.  This is not a message of falling broken before God and being saved, Jesus is talking about stubborn, stiff-necked group of people that will be brought to submission on day and will face total judgment.

I love the last line...they finally get the idea that Jesus is talking about them, but instead of applying the truth to themselves, they set out to be exactly like the people in the parable, and plot all the more to arrest Him and do away with Him.  At least they had the awareness to realize He was a prophet, but they did not have the faith to realize that the Son in this parable was Jesus--again they were missing the thing that the blind man on the road to Jericho could so clearly see.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me., I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see."  The first step in the process is realizing that you're a wretched sinner who cannot stand in the presence of holy, righteous and just God.  You are dead in your sins because you do things that you shouldn't do and don't do things you should do.  Your sin is too great for you to ever pay (like the parable of the unmerciful servant who owed billions if not trillions of dollar in debt that would take him multiple lifetimes to pay back).  Your only chance is to cry out like David, "Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me.  And cast me not away from thy presence, O Lord.  Take not they Holy Spirit from me.  Restore unto me, the joy of they salvation, and renew a right spirit within me."  Our only hope--our only prayer is forgiveness through the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Which son are you?  Isn't there a better option than either son in this story to be both quick to listen and quick to obey?  Why don't you be that son today to respond to the call of God in your life, especially if He is calling you to repent and be saved, as is His desire for every man, woman and child.  if you are already saved, then what has God called to to that you have promised "Wherever He leads, I'll go," but your life says otherwise?  Is Jesus really Lord of all of your life?  Are you holding anything back and refusing to be obedient in even one area?

There is so much more I could ask you, but I will let the Holy Spirit do the work of convicting and seeking out your heart and showing you where application needs to be made.  Do not grieve the Holy Spirit by refusing to be obedient when He points these things out to you.