The Parable of the Wicked Farmers

Topic: Landlord
Passage: Luke 20:9–18

February 16, 2020

Commentary

 

Jesus compares his Father to a landlord in Luke 20. In this parable we learn that the Lord is a perfectly patient landlord (vv. 9-10). After his first servant is roughed up,  he sent a second and they wounded him and threw him out (v. 11). Again he sends a third servant and they wound him and cast him out (v.12). Finally he sends his own son, thinking they will respect him, knowing who he is, and will not harm him, but when they saw him they killed him (vv. 13-18. Of course this would never happen in real life, where an owner shows that much tolerance to treacherous tenants. That is the point Jesus is trying to make in this parable. The Lord has an incredible amount of patience for sinners, far more than sinners deserve.

As we consider the words of this parable of Jesus teaching, we realize that:

  1. Some spurn God’s Word. – The tenants spurned the word of the owner. They had no time  for him and what he had to say. This sounds similar to today. When it comes to the authority of Scripture, the world has little time for what God’s Word says.
  2. Some reject God’s love. – The tenants rejected the love the father had for his son. They rejected the love that the owner was showing these tenants by giving them another chance.
  3. Finally God’s judgment will come. – Jesus says, “He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

Application

 

God is the landlord. He owns everything. He doesn’t just own my house, my car, or my job, He owns me. God doesn’t just like me or is friendly to me, but he truly owns me. I don’t simply HAVE to serve Him, I WANT to serve the landlord who has done so much for me, his tenant.

Luke 20:9– 18 (NET)

9 Then he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time. 10 When harvest time came, he sent a slave to the tenants so that they would give him his portion of the crop. However, the tenants beat his slave and sent him away empty-handed. 11 So he sent another slave. They beat this one too, treated him outrageously, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 So he sent still a third. They even wounded this one, and threw him out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my one dear son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir; let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours!’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “May this never happen!” 17 But Jesus looked straight at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? 18 Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.”