Mark 12:1-12

Probably the delegation from the Sanhedrin was still standing before Jesus as he turned to the crowd and delivered what has been called the parable of the vine-growers. The details of the parable were all too clear to the religious leaders.

The vineyard is Israel (Isaiah 5:1-7). The owner of the vineyard is God. The wocked growers are the scribes, the elders, and the chief priests. The servants that were sent to the growers by the owner are the prophets of Israel, some of whom had been violently abused by the religious leaders and the people of their day.

The owner's son is the promised deliverer - Jesus himself, whom the religious leaders, at the moment standing before him, had already determined to destroy. But they would not be able to destroy him, really, for Jesus went on to say that their own scriptures foretold, The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes? (Mark 12:10). The reference here is to Psalms 118:22.

The point of the parale is that God is still the owner of the vineyard, regarldless of what the tenants may do to his Son.

This parable was directed primarily to the Jewish nation and especially to its leaders. Nevertheless, there is a timeless lesson in this story for all of us as Christians. It is that privilege invariably entails obligations. As Jesus said on another occasion: From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. (Luke 12:48)