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Parable of the Wicked Tenants

Using parables, Jesus continued by saying: “A man planted a vineyard, built a fence around it, dug a winepress, and constructed a watchtower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenants and traveled abroad.

 In due time, he sent a servant to collect the fruit from the tenants. 

But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him back empty-handed. 

Again, the man sent another servant. They also struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 

He sent yet another, and they killed him. In the same way, they treated many others: some they beat, and others they killed. 

One was still left, his beloved son. So, finally, he sent him to the tenants, for he thought, ‘They will respect my son.’ 

But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the one who is to inherit the vineyard. Let’s kill him, and the property will be ours.’ 

So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 

Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

And Jesus added:

“Have you not read this passage of the Scriptures:

The stone which the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone; 

this is the Lord’s doing,

and we marvel at it?”

They wanted to arrest him because they realized that Jesus meant this parable for them, but they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.