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Daily Devotions

Matthew

Matthew 
Day 
Day 273

An Even More Pointed Parable

Text: Matthew 21 : 23 - 46

The chief priests and elders had hoped they would be able to trap Jesus. Instead they found that He had turned the tables on them. But Jesus did not intend to humiliate them. He wanted them to see their need to repent from their misdeeds. To this end He gave another parable to the chief priests and elders.

“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner
who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it,
dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it
to vinedressers and went into a far country.
Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants
to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.
And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one,
and stoned another. Again he sent other servants,
more than the first, and they did likewise to them.
Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying,
‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vinedressers
saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took
him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.'”
MATTHEW 21:33-39

OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS OF JESUS’ PARABLES

There were many outstanding characteristics in the parables that Jesus told. Let us appreciate the following features that may be noted. Let’s look at three features.

1. Elegantly simple

If there were children listening in, they would be able to grasp the story-line Jesus established.

2. Engagingly interesting

The stories were so interesting that the audience was able to interact with Jesus. An example of interaction may be found in the following text. Jesus raised a question to His audience.

“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes,
what will he do to those vinedressers?”
MATTHEW 21:40

The audience readily interacted with Jesus. To this question, they gave this reply.

“They said to Him, ‘He will destroy those wicked men miserably,
and lease His vineyard to other vinedressers who will render
to Him the fruits in their seasons.'”
MATTHEW 21:41

3. Deeply profound

The storyline had much to suggest itself for further reflection. The following questions may be raised.

a) Who was the vinedresser?

Obviously, God was the Owner of the Vineyard. A good example of God being compared to a Vineyard owner may be found in Isaiah 5.

b) Who were the lessees?

In this case here, the chief priests and the elders appear as the lessees of the vineyard. They were not the owners, but they behaved as if the vineyard belonged to them.

c) Who were the servants sent by the owner?

The servants of God, the prophets of old would fit in well in this parable. Let us take time to read a portion of Scripture from 2 Chronicles.

“And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them
by His messengers, rising up early and sending them,
because He had compassion on His people and on
His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God,
despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets,
until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people,
till there was no remedy.”
2 CHRONICLES 36:15-16

d) Who was the Heir?

There was no mistaking the fact that Jesus portrayed Himself as the Son of the Vineyard Owner! He too would be killed by the lessees!

MORE THAN JUST COMING UP WITH THE RIGHT ANSWER

The audience came up with the right answer! They figured that the Owner of the Vineyard had every right to punish the lessees for their wickedness to His servants and His Son! The right answer was not hard to come by. The real challenge was the application of the truths contained in the parable.

1. There should have been a sense of fear of God.

2. There should have been repentance of the evil done.

3. There should have been a new-found faith in Jesus.

a) A faith born out of recognition of who Jesus really was!

b) A faith that causes a person to examine his life and his walk with God!