The Tenants in the Vineyard, Sunday reflection, oct 4th, 2026

The Tenants in the Vineyard, Sunday Reflection – Oct 4th, 2026

Matthew 21:33-42

Today’s gospel picks up where we left off last week with Jesus in a confrontation with the Chief Priests and elders questioning Jesus’ authority. It is leading up to Holy week, Jesus have already triumphantly ridden into Jerusalem, cursed the fig tree when he sees it bearing no fruit, and the following day went into the temple overthrowing the tables of the money changers. The Chief Priests and elders feeling threatening by this, question Jesus authority. Jesus telling the parable of the two sons, the first one when the father told him to go into the vineyard, he says no, but later went. And the second son though he said he would go work into the vineyard, he did not go.  When Jesus asked which one did the well of the father, the chief priests and elders answered the first.  While the first son was like the tax collectors and sinners, though they had not believed, when John came they believed him, repented and turned their lives around.  Unlike the chief priests and elders, though they believed they however rejected both John and Jesus, like the second son, revealing their own disobedience and need for repentance.  (Matthew 21:23-32)

This is where we pick up today’s gospel with Jesus and the religious leaders in this confrontation in the temple, with Jesus telling them another parable about a landowner who planted a vineyard.  The vineyard owner put everything in it to assure a good harvest, and keep it well guarded and protected. He then leased it to some tenants and went out of the country. He left it in the capable hands of these tenants to work it for him, while he was away.  When it came time of the the harvest, the landowner sends in his servants to collect the produce.  (Mt 21: 33-34)

Instead of being thankful for all that the landowner had done for them, in letting them stay, live and work on his property, they however refuse to give him any of what was rightly his. “They seize the servants, beat one, kill one, and stone another.” (v.35)   They turned renegade you might say, against the owner, though he had entrusted them with so much, they treated him as the enemy. 

The landowner not about to give up on his property or the tenants for that matter, sends in more servants, more than he had the first time.  The tenants however treat them the same as they did the first. So the landowner then decides to send the son, saying “they will respect my son” (v: 37)

As ruthless as these tenants have been the landowner in this parable has had a lot of patience with them, giving more chances then we likely ever would; and so we know too as the vineyard owner in this parable, our God shows much patience with us, when we fail him, go our own way instead of keeping to his word and trusting him for what we need, we too as the tenants did refuse him.

When they see it is the son, they say this is the heir, “let us kill him, so we will get his inheritance”(v.38).  They see themselves as entitled, his inheritance should be theirs; they have been there all along, they have done the work, they have been the ones put in charge of the vineyard, so shouldn’t it be theirs. They in other words, want the gift without the giver. “They seize him, throw him out of the vineyard and kill him.”

And while we know the son to be Jesus, in this parable, the Chief priests and elders do not, and when Jesus asks them, “when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these tenants.” They answered him, “he will put those wretched tenants to a miserable death, and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time” (v.41). Not realizing they were in fact casting judgment on themselves. 

“Have you never read in the scriptures’, Jesus says, ‘the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (v.42). 

Jesus is the cornerstone, the one from which all other stones take their bearing, are aligned with; he is the stone that holds everything else together, and yet they reject him;

“Therefore I tell you Jesus says, the kingdom of God will be taken from you, and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.” (V. 43)

You see, God’s vineyard was still intact, despite the corrupt leadership that had been there, and there was an harvest even though it may not have been as expected, it however did produce; and God will always come for that which is his own; so no matter how corrupt things may seem we can count on our God being there, as Jesus was then. 

“The one who falls on this rock will be broken to pieces, he says, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”  (v.44). In other words, there will be a reckoning, one way or another, we can count on it.

And so as much as we might want to think this parable was about what was happening then, we know however it is meant to speak to us as well.  We have all failed God in some way or other, not living as we should, not holding to his truths in our lives; going our own way at times as such as if he is not there.  And while we know he kept trying in the parable, that the tenants might turn their lives around, they didn’t….let us hope however that we will be more open to hearing his voice speak to us through his word, …..give ear to his promises, hold to his truths, living for the day that he will one day return. That is what this parable is wanting us to understand that regardless of how corrupt things might seem, God will one day return for his own, and let us hope that we will be found working not building up kingdoms of our own making, that of self-worth, self-sufficiency, self-importance, for ourselves; but building on the foundation of which Christ is the Cornerstone, bearing fruits for God’s kingdom, fruits of justice, peace, love, mercy and compassion, that the world is so in need of today. 

May we always be the bearers of good fruit for the kingdom of our God.

Amen, God Bless

Thank you for reading,

Hannah+