Mark 12:1 (NET) Then he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey. 2 At harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his portion of the crop. 3 But those tenants seized his slave, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 So he sent another slave to them again. This one they struck on the head and treated outrageously. 5 He sent another, and that one they killed. This happened to many others, some of whom were beaten, others killed. 6 He had one left, his one dear son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw his body out of the vineyard. 9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 11 This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 12 Now they wanted to arrest him (but they feared the crowd), because they realized that he told this parable against them. So they left him and went away.
The Courage of Jesus
Jesus was on the Pharisee’s turf. They had the power of their position. They had official status. Yet, he taunted them.
As he was speaking, they quickly realized it was them he was talking about. They were the tenants.
God Owns the Vineyard and the Wine Press
God is the owner. The Pharisees are the tenants. The slaves were the prophets, ending with John the Baptist. Jesus, the son.
Jesus, the Stone the Builders Rejected
Jesus identified himself as the stone the builders rejected. He is the son the tenants killed. In another place Jesus said the world would hate us because it hates him. We see this world wide. Never in the history of man have so many Christians all over the world experienced the persecution they face now.
Because we belong to Jesus, the world hates us. Even more reason to love one another.
Dana Roseman's Thoughts on Scripture 