Slices
Prepare
‘The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the ones he delighted in’ (Isaiah 5:7a). If possible, read Isaiah 5:1–7.
Bible passage
The parable of the tenants
33 ‘Listen to another parable: there was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall round it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35 ‘The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them in the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son,” he said.
38 ‘But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.” 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 ‘Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’
41 ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,’ they replied, ‘and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.’
42 Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvellous in our eyes”?
43 ‘Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.’
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
Explore
Not only does our passage provide two powerful metaphors for the kingdom of God, but we also discover a beautiful play on words, highlighting the destiny and purpose of Jesus, hidden within the stories of the vineyard and the rejected stone.
This parable of the vineyard with the wealthy landowner renting out his field to tenants, reflects the bitter resentment felt by many tenants in Galilee. This was a familiar story, but as the mutinous outcome unfolds, it becomes clear that Jesus is engaging with the flagrant disloyalty of the Jewish leaders, caretakers of Israel, who have both ignored the prophets and will eventually kill the Son of God. Justice will prevail, warns Jesus, and the vineyard will be given to others who share their fruit.
Reflecting on the second parable, we discover that the stone the builders reject, not only becomes the cornerstone of a new kingdom, but represents the son whose life is vindicated in the parable. The Hebrew for son is ben and for cornerstone is eben; what an extraordinary Spirit-filled coincidence affirming Jesus as the chief cornerstone of the new Temple: ‘in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:22).
Respond
‘The Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad’ (Psalm 118:23,24). What are you rejoicing for?
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Jeremiah 34,35; John 13
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray that churches across the country would use our Light Party resources to celebrate Jesus joyfully this All Hallows’ Eve. Pray that many children and families would encounter the light of Christ in fresh and meaningful ways.
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