Parable on the Wicked Vinedressers.

(Mat. 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19)

A certain landowner, meaning Father God, established a “vineyard,” which means the Church of the Old Testament. Having set a hedge around it, which the analysts interpret as being the law of Moses and all institutions in general, elected so as to safeguard God’s chosen people — Jews — from the heathen’s influence; dug a “winepress” in it, in which the juices were extracted and erected a “watchtower” for the guards, to guard the vineyard against robbers and wild animals. The Holy Fathers reasoned that the words “winepress” and “watchtower” meant altar and church. Having arranged everything for the comfort of the vinedressers, “he leased it” to them — as was the custom — with the understanding that after harvesting the grapes, they supply the landowner with the entire crop, or a pre-determined portion of it. “Vinedressers” are meant to mean the leaders of the Jewish people, primarily the high priests and members of the Sanhedrin. The landowner then left: which meant that the Lord entrusted to them His full authority over the Jewish people, so that at a later date they may present to Him the fruits of their management — showed that they raised the people properly, in the spirit of God’s law. After a while, the landowner sent his “servants” — meaning Prophets. But the wicked vinedressers “took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another” — this is how the Jewish leaders treated God’s messengers, the Prophets. They governed the people without caring for their spiritual development, pursuing their own personal avarice and interests, which prompted them to viciously assault God’s Prophets, who reminded them of their responsibilities.

The whole of the Old Testament attests to this (Jerem. 44:4-6; 2 Chron. 24:20-21; Nehem. 9:26 and others). Finally, the landowner sent “his son” (according to Mark, his only beloved son); the last extraordinary God’s messenger to the Jewish people was the One and only Son of God, Jesus Christ Himself. “This is the heir,” said the evil vinedressers: “Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.” The Lord Jesus Christ is called “heir,” in the sense that everything was given to Him by His Father. So as not to lose their authority over the Jewish people, the Jewish high priests and elders decided to kill Him. “So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him — that’s how the Jews, in taking the Lord Jesus Christ outside the walls of Jerusalem (which was the holy focus of the Old Testament Church) killed Him.

Having finished His parable, the Lord wished that the listeners pronounce judgment on themselves, which according to Saint Matthew they indeed did do, while according to Saint Mark, the Lord on His part confirmed the justness of the judgment. While according to Saint Luke, having realized that they pronounced sentence upon themselves, the high priests and elders exclaimed: “Certainly not,” i.e. this will not happen with us. When the owner “will come,” must not be understood as Christ’s Second Coming, because further on it says that God Himself will “give the vineyard to others.” Consequently, life will continue after the destruction of Jerusalem, the abolition of services by the high priests and the Sanhedrin’s authority. The cultivation of God’s vineyard will then be handed over “to others” — the Apostles and their successors, pastors of Christ’s Church.

In concluding His parable, the Lord likens Himself to the 22-23 verses of the 118^th Psalm, calling Himself the Rock, which the builders have rejected i.e. the leaders of the Jewish people, and Which became “the chief cornerstone” — the keystone of the grand building of the New Testament Church. From a human point of view, the coming of the Son of God Himself was the “Lord’s doing” and “it is marvelous” in the eyes of people. In calling Himself a rock, the Lord is showing the two types of people who will not believe in Him and who will, for this, be subject to punishment: the first type will be those to whom He will be a Stumbling Block i.e. temptation, while the others, remaining unrepentant, that rise up obdurately against the Lord and begin to struggle against the spread of His Kingdom. The guilt of the latter is heavier. Those who have stumbled over the stone and crashed, can be restored and healed, while erasure of faith expresses final destruction, which will overtake all those embittered enemies of Christ. As a result of this disobedience by the Jews, who were initially appointed as God’s chosen people, “the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it,” i.e. God’s new people — all future members of God’s Kingdom or Christ’s Church — which are presented here as one people, the new Israel. Having realized the full deep meaning of the parable, the high priests and Pharisees…”they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude,” i.e. insurrection by the people in defense of the Lord, Whom they revered as a Prophet.