Matthew 21:33-46 “Wanted: Faithful Tenants in the Vineyard”

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 26 May 2013

Translation

21:33 Listen to another parable:

There was a man – a head of a household – who planted a vineyard

and put a fence around it and dug out a winepress in it and built a tower,

then he leased it out to farmers and went abroad.

21:34 Now, when the appropriate time for the fruits drew near,

he sent his servants to the farmers to get his fruits,

21:35 but the farmers got his servants,

one of which they beat up,

one of which they killed,

and one of which they stoned.

21:36 Again he commissioned other servants – more than the first ones,

and they acted likewise toward them.

21:37 Then later he sent his son to them, saying, “They will be ashamed before my son!”

21:38 However, once the farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, “This is the heir! Here, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance!”

21:39 So after getting him, they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

21:40 Therefore, whenever the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”

21:41 They say to Him, “He will maliciously destroy those malicious men and lease out the vineyard to other farmers which will pay him the fruits in their seasons.”

21:42 Jesus says to them, “So, haven’t you ever read in the scriptures,

‘This stone which the builders rejected, became the corner-stone;

it was by the Lord that this happened, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

21:43 On the basis of this I’m telling y’all that the kingdom of God

will be removed from y’all and will be given to a people which is producing its fruits,

21:44 and the one who falls upon this stone will be smashed,

and upon whomever it happens to fall, it will blow him to smithereens.

21:45 And upon hearing His parable, the chief priests and the Pharisees knew that He was speaking concerning them,

21:46 yet, as they were seeking to grab Him, they were frightened of the crowds since they were treating him like a prophet.

Introduction

In the early 1980’s, the country of Jordan had a king by the name of Hussein bin Talal. One night, King Hussein was informed by security forces in his palace that a large group of army officers were in the barracks nearby, plotting a coup d’état. His bodyguard suggested that the security forces immediately surround the building and arrest those army officers for treason. The king, however, decided upon a different plan. He asked for a small helicopter and a pilot, then told his bodyguards to go home. That evening, he flew to the roof of the army barracks. As he stepped out of the helicopter, he instructed the pilot to fly away immediately without him if he heard gunshots. King Hussein then walked down the stairs and into the room where the officers were plotting his overthrow and addressed them in this manner: “Gentlemen, it has come to my attention that you are meeting here tonight to finalize your plans to overthrow the government, take over the country, and install a military dictator. If you do this, the army will break apart, and the country will be plunged into civil war. Tens of thousands of innocent people will die. There is no need for this. Here I am! Kill me and proceed. That way, only one man will die.”

 

King Hussein chose total vulnerability in the face of violence. The room went very quiet for a while, and then suddenly, all those army officers came forward and kissed the feet of their king.[1]

 

Although the ending of the story is different, the parable that Jesus told of the tenants in the vineyard presents a similar situation where a nobleman chooses grace and vulnerability in the face of violent opposition. “[T]he story is one of the most beautiful and touching ever told… depicting sin most unreasonable and love incomprehensible!” ~William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary

Exegesis

21:33 Listen to another parable: There was a man – a head of a household – who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug out a winepress in it and built a tower, then he leased it out to farmers and went abroad.

Αλλην παραβολην ακουσατε, Ανθρωπος τις[2] ην οικοδεσποτης ‘οστις εφυτευσεν αμπελωνα και φραγμον αυτω περιεθηκεν και ωρυξεν εν αυτω ληνον και ωκοδομησεν πυργον και εξεδοτο[3] αυτον γεωργοις και απεδημησεν.

 

21:34 Now, when the appropriate time [season] for the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers to get [collect] his fruits,

‘Οτε δε ηγγισεν ‘ο καιρος των καρπων απεστειλεν τους δουλους αυτου προς τους γεωργους λαβειν τους καρπους αυτου,

 

21:35 but the farmers got his servants, one of which they beat up, one of which they killed, and one of which they stoned.

και λαβοντες ‘οι γεωργοι τους δουλους αυτου ‘ον μεν εδειραν ‘ον δε απεκτειναν ‘ον δε ελιθοβολησαν.

 

21:36 Again he commissioned other servants – more than the first ones, and they acted likewise toward them.

Παλιν απεστειλεν αλλους δουλους πλειονας των πρωτων και εποιησαν αυτοις ‘ωσαυτως.

 

21:37 Then later he sent his son to them, saying, “They will be ashamed before my son!”

‘Υστερον[12] δε απεστειλεν προς αυτους τον ‘υιον αυτου λεγων Εντραπησονται τον ‘υιον μου.

 

21:38 However, once the farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, “This is the heir! Here, let’s kill him and seize [take] his inheritance!”

‘Οι δε γεωργοι ιδοντες τον ‘υιον ειπον εν ‘εαυτοις ‘Ουτος εστιν ‘ο κληρονομος, δευτε αποκτεινωμεν αυτον και [κατα[16]]σχωμεν την κληρονομιαν αυτου.

 

21:39 So after getting him, they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Και λαβοντες αυτον εξεβαλον εξω του αμπελωνος και απεκτειναν.

 

21:40 Therefore, whenever the owner [lord] of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”

‘Οταν ουν ελθῃ ‘ο κυριος του αμπελωνος τί ποιησει τοις γεωργοις εκεινοις;

 

21:41 They say to Him, “He will maliciously destroy those malicious men and lease out the vineyard to other farmers which will [render/give] pay him the fruits in their seasons.”

Λεγουσιν αυτω Κακους κακως απολεσει αυτους και τον αμπελωνα εκδωσεται[18] αλλοις γεωργοις ‘οιτινες αποδωσουσιν αυτω τους καρπους εν τοις καιροις αυτων.

 

21:42 Jesus says to them, “So, haven’t you ever read in the scriptures, ‘This stone which the builders rejected, became the corner-stone; it was by the Lord that this happened, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

Λεγει αυτοις ‘ο Ιησους ουδεποτε ανεγνωτε εν ταις γραφαις Λιθον ‘ον απεδοκιμασαν ‘οι οικοδομουντες ‘ουτος εγενηθη εις κεφαλην γωνιας, παρα κυριου εγενετο ‘αυτη και εστιν θαυμαστη εν οφθαλμοις ημων;

 

21:43 On the basis of this I’m telling y’all that the kingdom of God will be removed from y’all and will be given to a people which is producing its fruits,

Δια τουτο λεγω ‘υμιν ‘οτι[22] αρθησεται αφ ‘υμων ‘η βασιλεια του θεου και δοθησεται εθνει ποιουντι τους καρπους αυτης,

 

21:44 and the one who falls upon this stone will be smashed, and upon whomever it happens to fall, it will blow him to smithereens.

και ‘ο πεσων επι τον λιθον τουτον συνθλασθησεται, εφ ‘ον δ’ αν πεσῃ λικμησει αυτον[24].

 

21:45 And upon hearing His parable, the chief priests and the Pharisees knew that He was speaking concerning them.

Και[28] ακουσαντες ‘οι αρχιερεις και ‘οι Φαρισαιοι τας παραβολας αυτου εγνωσαν ‘οτι περι αυτων λεγει,

 

21:46 yet, as they were seeking to grab Him, they were frightened of the crowds since they were treating him like a prophet.

και ζητουντες αυτον κρατησαι εφοβηθησαν τους οχλους επει[δη[29]] ‘ως[30] προφητην αυτον ειχον.

Conclusion: What about you? How can we apply the lessons Jesus put to the priests and elders?

  1. Respond when God gives you a second chance.
    1. When you realize that you did something wrong and yet God did not strike you with a lightening bolt, stop and confess your sin to God and take steps to remove that sin from your life.
    2. At some point His anger will reach fullness, and there will be no more second chances.
    3. Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek Jehovah while He is to be found, call Him while He is to be near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and a man of iniquity his thoughts, and let him turn to Jehovah and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will be great to pardon.” (NAW) Fall upon that grace now while He still extends it to you!
    4. “What then ought they to have done on hearing these things? ought they not to have adored, to have marvelled at the tender care, that shown before, that afterwards? But if by none of these things they were made better, by the fear of punishment at any rate ought they not to have been rendered more temperate?” ~Chrysostom
  2. Re-process anger into vulnerable grace when other people offend you.
    1. “Believers who rely on [the promises of God] scorn the perverse pride of men and cheerfully rise above it.” ~John Calvin
    2. God says, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Eph. 4:32, NASB)
    3. and, “Let your graciousness be known to all people; the Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:5, NAW) God is close to you, so He sees the outrageous things that other people have done to you, and He will not leave the guilty unpunished, in fact, His return is soon, and justice will soon be settled.
    4. Take comfort in that knowledge, and train your hearts to act like God does during His grace-periods. We can line up with Christ our cornerstone and be graciously patient in the face of opposition. We can give other people second chances.
  3. Recognize that all you have is a gift from the Lord; act like a steward rather than an owner.
    1. Treat your things, not as possessions to bring you comfort, but as resources available for whatever God’s kingdom might need.
    2. “[N]othing so urges men headlong and drives them down precipices, nothing so makes them fail of the things to come, as their being riveted to these decaying things. Nothing so surely makes them enjoy both the one and the other, as their esteeming the things to come above all. For, ‘Seek ye,’ saith Christ, ‘the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.’” ~John Chrysostom
    3. “The Jews thought the Kingdom of God abode with them as by hereditary right, and so continued obstinately in their vices without a care. We have suddenly come into their place, against natural order: far less will the Kingdom cleave to us if it is not rooted in true godliness.” ~John Calvin
    4. 1Pet. 4:10 “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (NASB).

[1] This apparently-true story comes from Kenneth Bailey’s book, Jesus through Middle-Eastern Eyes, p.418.

[2] Critical editions of the Greek New Testament (GNT) do not have this word “some/a certain,” although it is in the majority of Greek manuscripts. Nestle-Aland offers no explanation for this. It serves to underscore that the story is fictional, but because we’re already told it is a parable, it does not change anything to omit the word.

[3] Critical editions of the GNT have an alternate spelling (εξεδετο) which is also AMI 3s, so no difference in meaning. Nestle-Aland offers no explanation for this.

[4] Compare similar Greek wording from the LXX of Isa. 5:2: καὶ φραγμὸν περιέθηκα καὶ ἐχαράκωσα καὶ ἐφύτευσα ἄμπελον σωρηχ καὶ ᾠκοδόμησα πύργον ἐν μέσῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ προλήνιον ὤρυξα ἐν αὐτῷ...

[5] “By winepress and tower you must understand the aids that were added to strengthen the faith of the people in the teaching of the Law, such as sacrifices and other rites. God like a provident and careful head of the house spares no effort to arm His Church with every means of defence.” ~John Calvin

[6] This word does not occur in the N.T. outside of this parable. The only other uses of this word in the Bible have to do with giving a daughter in marriage (Exodus 2:21; Leviticus 21:3; Judges 1:14-15), and one instance of distributing pay to laborers (2 Kings 12:11).

[7] There is a specific Greek word for vineyard-worker (αμπελουργος – found in 2 Kings 25:12; 2 Chronicles 26:10; Isaiah 61:5; Jeremiah 52:16; Luke 13:7), but the term γεωργοι used here in Jesus’ parable appears to be the general term for anyone who works the ground to grow crops (2 Tim. 2:6, James 5:7), and its use in the Septuagint indicates it is not limited to those who grow grapes, for Joel 1:11 mentions gewrgoi also growing wheat and barley.

[8] Chrysostom said, “by His going into a far country, He means His great long-suffering.”

[9] “God waits to be gracious, that he may give us time.” ~Matthew Henry

[10] Mark 12:4 adds that they wounded one in the head and treated him shamefully.

[11] “He sent both a second, and a third company, both that the wickedness of these might be shown, and the love towards man of Him who sent them.” ~John Chrysostom

[12] Hendriksen asserts that this is a superlative and should be translated “last of all.”

[13] Bailey shows this through the prodigal son’s soliloquy in Luke 15:17-19, the unjust steward’s speech in Lk. 16:3-4, the compassionate employer’s speech in Mt. 20:8, and the elder son’s speech in Lk. 15:29-30. He also quotes a story from the Jewish midrash in which a priest who owns a fig orchard asks a messenger to tell the workers in his orchard to bring him two figs. The workers in the orchard tell the messenger to go away, claiming that the priest doesn’t own the orchard. So the priest says, “I will go myself to the orchard… Even if there be a hundred forms of uncleanness, I will go, so that my messenger may not be put to shame.”

[14] See use in a few earlier and later passages: Isaiah 54:4; Ezekiel 36:32; 1 Corinthians 4:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:14, etc.

[15] Cf. A.T. Robertson, “It is the picture of turning with respect when one worthy of it appears.”

[16] Although in the majority of Greek texts (incl. C, W, f13), a significant number of early Greek manuscripts do not have this prefix (א, B, D, L, Z, Θ, f1), so the word is shortened to its root form in Critical editions. The shortened form is a more generic word for “have” which can be translated to include the negative or intensive connotations of the more narrowly-defined compound form in the Majority, so meaning is not necessarily changed.

[17] http://come-and-hear.com/bababathra/bababathra_28.html#28a_1

[18] Textus Receptus editions of the GNT have an alternate spelling (εκδοσεται) which is also FDI 3s, so no difference in meaning.

[19] Cf. Hendriksen’s transalation: “bring those dreadful scoundrels to a dreadful end”

[20] Statements of the priests’ rejection of Jesus can be found particularly in: John 7:12, 8:48, and 9:16.

[21] “There is some ingenious argument over the word corner, that Christ is placed in the corner because He brings together the two different walls, that is to say, the Gentiles and the Jews.” ~John Calvin

[22] “That” is omitted in 3 of the earliest Greek manuscripts (א, B, Θ), turning Jesus’ indirect quote into a direct quote. Not even Critical editions of the GNT follow this omission, however.

[23] “[N]ot even so did He plainly reveal the Gentiles, that He might afford them no handle, but signified it darkly by saying, ‘He will give the vineyard to others.’” ~Chrysostom

[24] Because the Bezae manuscript (which is not considered entirely accurate – for instance, Critical editions reject its reading at the end of v.43) and miniscule #33 omit this verse, some scholars consider this verse questionable, but I don’t think it’s enough evidence to question the authenticity of this verse. It is not disputed where it occurs in the parallel passage in Luke 20:18.

[25] Compare to LXX: καὶ οὐχ ὡς λίθου προσκόμματι συναντήσεσθε αὐτῷ οὐδὲ ὡς πέτρας πτώματι· ὁ δὲ οἶκος Ιακωβ ἐν παγίδι, καὶ ἐν κοιλάσματι ἐγκαθήμενοι ἐν Ιερουσαλημ. διὰ τοῦτο ἀδυνατήσουσιν ἐν αὐτοῖς πολλοὶ καὶ πεσοῦνται καὶ συντριβήσονται, καὶ ἐγγιοῦσιν καὶ ἁλώσονται ἄνθρωποι ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ ὄντες. (Brenton’s translation of the LXX: and ye shall not come against him as against a stumbling-stone, neither as against the falling of a rock: but the houses of Jacob are in a snare, and the dwellers in Jerusalem in a pit. Therefore many among them shall be weak, and fall, and be crushed; and they shall draw nigh, and men shall be taken securely.)

[26] “The Hebrew word ben means “son.” Eben in Hebrew is a “stone.” The ‘eben (stone) that was rejected is the ben (son) of the parable.” ~Kenneth Bailey

[27] “Some make this an allusion to the manner of stoning to death among the Jews. The malefactors were first thrown down violently from a high scaffold upon a great stone, which would much bruise them; but then they threw another great stone upon them, which would crush them to pieces.” ~Matthew Henry

[28] A few early manuscripts (א, L, Z) substitute the synonymous conjunction “de.”

[29] Although in the majority of Greek texts (incl. C, W, f13), a significant number of early Greek manuscripts do not have this suffix (א, B, D, L, Θ, f1), thus it is not in Critical editions of the GNT. Although it technically adds some emphasis or immediacy to the word (“now”), both the KJV (which followed a majority-type edition of the GNT) and the NAS, NIV, and ESV (which followed a Critical edition of the GNT) translated it with the same English word, “because.”

[30] Critical texts read εις “into,” based on א, B, L, Θ, f1, whereas the majority (including C, D, W, f13) read “as.” The meaning is not changed by this. KJV reads “for” and NAS, NIV, and ESV read “to be/was” (without any preposition).