THE Lord then asks the chief priests and the elders, those religious leaders, a question. He tells the story of the two sons in which he convicts them of being farther away from God then the publicans and harlots, whom they scorned. “A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not; but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir; and went not.” The Lord asks them which did the will of their father, and they answer, The first. Then He says to them, “The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom before you.” These leaders covered up their pride and self-will with a cloak of religiousness, which made them harder to reach than the most depraved, whom they despised. The latter had believed the preaching of John the Baptist and had repented. But the leaders had not received the testimony of John, and now after hearing and seeing the testimony of Jesus, they still refused to believe.
Next, the Lord gives them the parable of the householder and the wicked husbandmen, in which He describes with wonderful exactness the conduct of the nation of the Jews toward the messengers of God, even His own Son. He makes them pronounce their own sentence. “There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard,... and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants... that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, 1;1 sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them like. wise.” How patient God had been to them — “daily rising up early and sending.” Jer. 7:2525Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: (Jeremiah 7:25).
“But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.” It was a last hope. But alas, His presence brought forth their crowning act of iniquity, for when they saw Him they planned to kin Him, thinking that having done so the vineyard would be theirs. “And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew Him.” This was the climax of man’s sin. All was over as far as man under responsibility to God was concerned. Not only had the Jew — the natural man — failed to bring forth fruit for God, not only had he failed to appreciate the mercy and goodness of God by whom he had been blessed, but he slew His Son who came in grace.
The Lord then asks those leaders, “When the lord of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?” They reply rightly, “He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.” Thus they pronounce their own sentence.
Jesus then goes on and quotes to them from Psalm 118:2222The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. (Psalm 118:22): “The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner.” The rejected Saviour would be the exalted One in that coming day. “And whosoever shall fall on this stout shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” These leaders saw that He spoke these parables of them and would like to have laid hands on Him but were afraid to do so for they feared the people.
ML-12/09/1962