27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - A

There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey

Mt 21:33-43

MATTHEW 21:33-41

The parable is an allegory of God’s dealings with his people. The description of the vineyard at the beginning quotes a passage from Isaiah, in which the prophet spoke of Israel in terms of a vineyard, and her disobedience in terms of wild grapes. The servants stand for the prophets, and the son and heir for Jesus himself. The tenants are the chief priests and other leaders of the Jews, as they themselves recognize (21:45). The son is killed, the tenants will be put to death, and the vineyard will be let out to other tenants, just as Jesus will be crucified, Jerusalem destroyed, and the Gentiles will replace the Jews as God’s people.

Matthew follows Mark again (12:1-9). Matthew, however, makes small changes to Mark’s text in order to bring the allegory into line with the history of God and Israel.

v.33. Hear another parable. There was a landowner, who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.

Hear another parable: See 13:18 for a similar introduction.

There was a landowner: Mark simply says: “A man”. Matthew uses “land-downer” for God in other parables (20:1).

Who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower: This is a quotation from Is 5:2.

He leased it to tenants: The lease is the covenant which God made with Israel at the time of the Patriarchs and again after the Exodus.

And went on a journey: Many estates in Galilee in the first century were owned by absentee foreign landlords.

v. 34. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants* to the tenants to obtain his produce.

When vintage time drew near: Literally: “When the season of fruit drew near.” The words are similar to Mark’s words at the beginning of his Gospel: “The time (or “season”) is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has drawn near (or “is at hand”)” (Mk 1:15).

His servants: Matthew is thinking of the prophets

His produce: Or “his fruit”. Matthew of thinking of all that is due to God from man.

v. 35. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned.

Another they killed, and a third they stoned: Matthew added “stoned another” in order to recall the persecution of the prophets in Israel (cf. 23:37). The only prophet whose stoning is recorded in the OT is Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada (2 Chron 24:20f). It is possible that there were apocryphal lives of the prophets (for ex., The Martyrdom of Isaiah) which recorded the killing of the prophets. See also Heb 11:37.

v. 36. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way.

Other servants, more numerous than the first ones: Matthew’s second and larger group may correspond to the “latter prophets”. Mark has a third servant being sent but Matthew omits it perhaps in order to fit the Jewish distinction between the “former prophets” and the “latter prophets”. In later Jewish literature, the “former prophets” were from Joshua to 2 Kings (which were thought to be the works of Joshua, Samuel and Jeremiah) and the “latter prophets” were from Isaiah to Malachi, omitting Daniel.

v. 37. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’

Contrast this to Mark’s “He had one other to send, a beloved son”. It is not clear why he has chosen to omit the word “beloved” which he has used at the baptism and transfiguration (3:17. 17:5) and in the quotation from Isaiah in 12:18.

v. 38. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’

If the landlord was a foreigner living abroad, the tenants would have hoped that if he had only one son then at the death of the son and of the owner, they would be able to take possession of the vineyard.

v. 39. They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

Matthew has re-arranged Mark in light of the death of Jesus outside Jerusa-lem. Mark’s order was more natural. See Mk 12:8.

v. 40. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?”

As in vv. 25 and 31, Jesus forces the Jewish leaders to answer the question for themselves and thus condemn themselves. In Mark the question is rhetorical and Jesus answers it himself.

v. 41. They answered* him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.”

He will put those wretched men to a wretched death: Mark simply writes: “He will come, put the tenants to death.” Matthew is more conscious of the wrath of God against the Jews and may have in mind the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

And lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times: Matthew expands Mark’s “and give the vineyard to others”. If the first covenant was suggested by the first lease (v. 33), then this second lease will suggest a new covenant (26:28). Then the other tenants would be the Church, the faithful, from both the Jews and the Gentiles, who give the fruit of their good works to God.

MATTHEW 21:42-43

The parable of the vineyard tells in allegorical form the main events in the dealings of God with his people: covenant, prophecy, the coming of Christ, the crucifixion, the Church. One notable event is absent – the Resurrection. This is now made good by the addition of an OT quotation, which foretells the reversal of men’s judgment by God. And just as men’s rejection of Jesus will be reversed by God, so alsothe plan of the tenants to acquire the vineyard will be forestalled by him, and he will give it to others.

v. 42. Jesus said to them: “Have you never red in the Scriptures….”

This is a quotation from Ps 118:22f. The same verses are quoted in Act 4:11, 1 Pt 2:7. See also Mt 21:9 and 23:19. The stone is Jesus and the builders are the Jewish leaders.

Cornerstone: Or also “keystone”. It is a position of importance. Jesus’ resurrection will be marvelous in the eyes of both the Jews and the Christians.

v. 43. Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.

Already in v. 41 Matthew emphasizes that the kingdom of God (vineyard) belongs to God and not to man and therefore, he can give it to whomever he wills.

And given to a people that will produce its fruit: Produce is the word which is also translated “bear” (3:8 and 10). The Christians are thought of as fruitful trees (Ps 1:3).