The Gospel of Matthew: The Parable of the Tenants. Part One.

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 (Matthew 21:33 (ESV)

Today’s text continues within the context of Jesus teaching the Jewish religious leaders (Matt. 21:23-27). Jesus is speaking to the chief priests and the scribes. This same setting will continue through Matthew 23:39. The Parable of Two Sons is the first of three Jesus gave to His opponents at this time. It is followed by The Parable of the Tenants (Matt. 21:33-46) and The Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14). For the next several days, we will examine the Parable of the Tenants.

Today’s text begins with the phase “Hear another parable.” This is a command from the Lord. Such an order would not have been well received by the Jewish religious leaders. They were used to giving commands, not receiving them.

Jesus told a story about a master of a house (οἰκοδεσπότης; oikodespotes). The English word despot, meaning an autocrat and authoritarian, comes from this Greek word.

The master was a man of means and merchandise. This is supported by the Lord’s ongoing depiction of him. Several items should be noted.

First, the master planted a vineyard. The grammar indicates he did so alone. He took the initiative and actively planted a vineyard on a parcel of his own land. It must be emphasized from the outset the vineyard belonged to the master.

Second, he put a fence around his vineyard. A fence (φραγμός; phragmos) is a hedge or a partition. It may have been an erected stone wall. There are, to this day, many large stones in the Galilean area of Israel ideal for such a wall. This would have provided protection from predators and a boundary discouraging thieves.

Third, the master dug a winepress in the vineyard (ληνός’ lenos) “It consisted of two vats or receptacles, (1) a trough (Heb. gath, Gr. lenos) into which the grapes were thrown and where they were trodden upon and bruised (Isa. 16:10; Lam. 1:15; Joel 3:13); and (2) a trough or vat (Heb. yekebh, Gr. hypolenion) into which the juice ran from the trough above the gath (Neh. 13:15; Job 24:11; Isa. 63:2, 3; Hag. 2:16; Joel 2:24),” explains a commentator in the Easton’s Bible Dictionary.

Fourth, the man built a tower (πύργος; prygos). There were several towers in Judea at this time (Luke 13:4). They were used for observation and defense against enemies.

Fifth, the master leased the vineyard to tenant farmers. He hired them to work the land while he traveled to another country. The master retained ownership of the land even though tenant farmers worked the land and harvested the crop. This practice remains common among landowners today.

“During the first century AD, the agricultural system of Galilee featured landowners who did not supervise the care of their vineyards directly. Instead, these landowners hired tenant farmers to tend their vines on their behalf,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“Jesus’ parable also borrows imagery from the prophets that is key to understanding His teaching. Isaiah 5:1–7 describes Israel as the special vineyard God planted, so we see a correspondence in Matthew 21:33-39; Mark 12:1–9 between the vineyard and the old covenant community and between the owner of the vineyard and the Lord.”  

The stage is set. Act 1 is complete. What will happened in Act 2? We’ll discover the answer to this question when next we meet. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!