Matthew 21: 33-46; Mark 12: 1-12; Luke 20: 9-19 33
Hear another parable. Once upon a time there was a landowner who planted a vineyard and surrounded it with a wall, and dug a winepress in it and built a tower there, rented it to the peasants and went on a trip. , sent his subjects to the peasants to collect their fruit. 35 But the farmers took the servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent another group of subjects, larger than the original; 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 workers saw the son, they said among themselves: “This is the successor; Come, let’s kill him and we will take his inheritance. 39 And seizing him, they threw him except into the vineyard and killed him. 40 So when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do with these workers? 41 They said to him, he will destroy the poor, and rent the vineyard to other peasants, who will pay him the fruits in due time. 42 Jesus Christ * said to them: Have you ever read in the Scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected, which has become a cornerstone; it was made by the Almighty, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” 43 That is why I say to you that the kingdom of the Lord will be taken away from them and given to a nation that produces its 44 And whoever falls on this slab will be smashed to pieces; however, on whoever falls, it will sprinkle it as dust. 45 When the main religious and the infidels heard their parables, they understood that ‘he was referring to them .46 And when they tried to stop him, they feared the crowd, because’ they considered him a prophet. who will pay you the fruits in due time. 42 Jesus Christ * said to them: Have you ever read in the Scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected, which has become a cornerstone; it was made by the Almighty, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” 43 That is why I say to you that the kingdom of the Lord will be taken away from them and given to a nation that produces its 44 And whoever falls on this slab will be smashed to pieces; however, on whoever falls, it will sprinkle it as dust. 45 When the main religious and the infidels heard their parables, they understood that ‘he was referring to them .46 And when they tried to stop him, they feared the crowd, because’ they considered him a prophet. who will pay you the fruits in due time. 42 Jesus Christ * said to them: Have you ever read in the Scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected, which has become a cornerstone; it was made by the Almighty, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” 43 That is why I say to you that the kingdom of the Lord will be taken away from them and given to a nation that produces its 44 And whoever falls on this slab will be smashed to pieces; however, on whoever falls, it will sprinkle it as dust. 45 When the main religious and the infidels heard their parables, they understood that ‘he was referring to them .46 And when they tried to stop him, they feared the crowd, because’ they considered him a prophet. The stone that the builders rejected, which has become a cornerstone; It was made by the Almighty, and it is admirable in our eyes. “43 That is why I tell you that the kingdom of the Lord will be taken away and given to a nation that produces its 44 And whoever falls on this slab will be smashed; However, on whoever falls, he will sprinkle them like dust.45 When the leading religious and infidels heard his parables, they understood that ‘he was referring to them .46 And when they tried to stop him, they feared the crowd, because’ they considered him a prophet. The stone that the builders rejected, which has become a cornerstone; It was made by the Almighty, and it is admirable in our eyes. “43 That is why I tell you that the kingdom of the Lord will be taken away and given to a nation that produces its 44 And whoever falls on this slab will be smashed; However, on whoever falls, he will sprinkle them like dust.45 When the leading religious and infidels heard his parables, they understood that ‘he was referring to them .46 And when they tried to stop him, they feared the crowd, because’ they considered him a prophet.
REFLECTION:
As a prelude, it is important to look at the context of the parable that Jesus gave in meeting the high priests, scribes, and elders of Israel, when they ask Jesus, with what authority are you doing this? Who gave you that authority? (Matthew 21:23), and he in turn asks them another question: John’s baptism, where did it come from? From the sky or from humans? And when they answered that they did not know, Jesus said to them: I do not pretend to tell you by what authority I do all these things; the peasants, which is the one that touches us in this section, and the third is the wedding. party. All had as a central message the love of God for his people so that they would receive the kingdom of God through his Son and the consequences of the high priests, the Jewish leaders and the people for not recognizing Jesus as salvation. of their sins,
Regarding the presentation of the similarities, we have:
1) The vineyard is Israel, as the Jews clearly show by the references in Isaiah 5.
2) The one who planted the vineyard, closed it, adorned it and put a tower, is God, because he chose it, armed it, decorated it and built a winepress, so that it would bear fruit in its time as more valuable.
3) The tenants are high priests, scribes, elders and all the people.
4) The appointed time of harvest is the time of the fruit of the vineyard.
5) The servants who went to receive the harvest were the prophets who were stoned, beaten and killed over and over again when they were sent to Israel and proclaimed the word of God.
6) The owner’s son is sent to the tenants, because he thought they would receive him and honor him, but they beat him and killed him and took him out of the vineyard, this is Jesus, and that is exactly what happened when he died and was taken out of Jerusalem.
Then Jesus asked them a question: “When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do with these husbandmen?” and he tells them that they will be destroyed and that he will give the vineyard to others who will deliver the expected fruits. He immediately tells them that they have not read in the Scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected, the same stone has become the head of the corner; this was done by the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes ”? With reference to Psalm 118: 22-23, that cornerstone is Jesus Christ, through which the foundation of the apostles and prophets is built, where it continues to grow until it becomes a holy temple in the Lord for God to dwell there in the Spirit (Ephesians 2: 20-22).
Although this parable was given to the chief priests, the scribes, the elders of Israel and the majority of the people of Israel for the rejection of the Messiah (Jesus), and they understood that it was referring to them (verse 45), it also has a direct application for us Gentiles (non-Jews), because it says that the kingdom will be taken away from a nation that produces fruit (verse 43), and they are all Jews and Gentiles who have faith (recognize) in Jesus. Christ as the only Lord and Savior in your life, so that your sins may be forgiven through repentance * and bear the fruit that he wants us to bear, in the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God.
Tip: Read Matthew 21, 22 and 23.