1.06 The Wicked Husbandmen
VI. THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN.
Matthew 21:33 - Matthew 21:46; Mark 12:1 - Mark 12:12; Luke 20:9 - Luke 20:19. This parable was spoken by Jesus in the Temple a few days before His death. It sets forth in a dramatic manner a summary of God’s dealings with Israel from of old, and the ingratitude of the chosen people. In a few days they would fill up the measure of their guilt by putting to death the last envoy whom God had sent them, His own well-beloved Son. The parable is based upon that of the Vine yard (Isaiah 5:1 ff.) 9 though there is consider able difference between them. In the latter it is the vineyard itself that is at fault, inas 62 THE PARABLES OF JESUS much as it failed to respond to the care bestowed upon it, and, instead of producing choice fruit, produced only wildings: in our parable it is the husbandmen who incur condemnation. The reason of the difference is obvious. In the Old Testament parable it is the people at large who are arraigned and menaced; while Jesus had primarily in view the religious rulers of the people. A certain man planted a vineyard, fenced it in, digged a winepress in it, and set up a watch-tower. He let it out to husbandmen, on the condition that he should receive a certain proportion of the fruits; and he then with drew to another country where he made a long stay. When the vintage season was come, he sent his servants to receive the share of the produce for which he had stipulated; but the husbandmen, instead of fulfilling their pact, laid violent hands upon them, slew some of them, and sent the rest empty away. The three Evangelists reproduce the parable with differences in the details; but these variations do not affect the spiritual sense.
According to St. Matthew, two groups of servants, the second more numerous than the THE PARABLES OF JESUS 63 first, were sent, some of whom were beaten, others stoned, and others slain. According to St. Mark, three servants were sent, one by one, of whom the first two were maltreated, the third was killed; then several servants were sent, whether one by one or in a group does not appear the former is more probable of whom some were beaten, others slain. St. Luke narrates that three servants were sent n succession, all of whom, though ill-treated, escaped with their lives. Our object in bringing these divergences into relief is to show how unwise it is to attempt to press minor points so as to give them greater significance than they really possess, or, in other words, to allegorize excessively. Had the three Evange lists agreed as to every detail, then we should have thought ourselves justified, or even perhaps obliged, to identify the several messengers or groups of messengers with particular legates or groups of legates sent by God. The variations, however, are against this: and the lesson which they thus teach us need not be restricted in its application to any one parable. The patience of the lord of the vineyard is not yet exhausted. Those whom 64 THE PARABLES OF JESUS he had sent were only servants, for whom he could expect that the husbandmen would have but scant respect. He has a beloved son; he will send him: surely they will reverence him at least. The son is sent, but the very sight of him suggests the thought: “ This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and the heritage will be ours.” They carry out their design, they seize him, cast him out of the vineyard, and put him to death. They have accom plished their purpose, and the retribution, though it may tarry, is certain. The three Synoptists represent Jesus as putting the question: “ What will the lord of the vineyard do (to those husbandmen)?” According to St. Matthew, His hearers give the answer: “ He will bring those miserable men to a miserable end, and he will let out the vineyard to other husbandmen who will render him the fruits in their seasons.” In St. Mark and St. Luke, Jesus Himself gives the answer one similar to the above whereupon, according to St. Luke, the hearers utter a fervent “ God for bid!” In confirmation of His prophecy, Jesus appeals to a passage in the Psalms 118:22): “ The stone which the builders THE PARABLES OF JESUS 65 rejected is become the head of the corner; this is the Lord’s doing: it is wonderful in our eyes.” According to St. Matthew, He adds, “ Therefore I say unto you: the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation that bringeth forth the fruits thereof “(i.e, of the Kingdom). A menace couched in different terms is given in St. Luke: “ Whoso ever shall fall on that stone shall be broken to pieces, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” The high-priests, Scribes, and Pharisees, were aware that the parable was directed against them; and it was only the fear of the people that kept them from laying hands upon Him. A brief explanation of the parable will suffice. God is the Lord of the vineyard, which itself typifies Israel. He fenced it round: this mystic fence which separated it from the wilderness of heathendom served the double purpose of a bulwark and of a line of demarcation. The winepress and the tower represent in a general way the measures which He took for the furtherance of the welfare of His people; while the husbandmen are the priests, Scribes, and Pharisees, the successors 66 THE PARABLES OF JESUS of Moses, to whom God entrusted His spiritual vineyard. He then withdrew i.e, no longer made His presence felt in so sensible and striking a manner as He had done on Sinai. From time to time He sent them Hismessengers the prophets, whom He commissioned to collect the fruits; but these when they escaped with their lives were not only sent empty-handed away, but subjected to out rage and ignominy. The sad history closed with the murder of the Baptist, the greatest of the prophets. And now God’s beloved Son Himself appears on an embassy to them.
They wilfully shut their eyes to His credentials, and, far from submitting themselves to the Divine will as revealed to them by Jesus, they are planning the overthrow of the theocracy by substituting their own uncontrolled and unhampered rule for it. As the surest means of effecting their purpose, they are plotting the murder of the Son; but their triumph in His death will be of short duration: their crime will entail the definite rejection of Israel.
Rationalistic critics bring forward this parable as the classical example of the trans- THE PARABLES OF JESUS 67 formation by the Evangelists into an allegory of what, as spoken by Jesus, was a pure parable. Such a view is based on the erroneous notion that a parable with an allegorical element could not have emanated from Jesus. Such a notion cannot be sustained, for Jesus the matter, not the form of the parable, was of primary importance; and besides, those who uphold such a pedantic opinion are confronted with the fact that many of the rabbinical parables are allegories, or at least contain a mixture of the allegorical. This parable is neither a pure parable nor an allegory: it is of a mixed character; and so we must be on our guard against pressing the details too far: the very divergences of the Evangelists, as we have seen, are sufficient to warn us against it.
TAGS: [Parables]