Matthew 21:33-34

Jesus alluded to Isaiah 5:1-7 and Psalms 80:8-16 where the vineyard is Israel and the landowner God. The care the landowner took with his vineyard shows God’s concern for Israel. He had a right to expect that it would be a fruitful vineyard and yield much fruit. The tenants to whom the landowner entrusted his vineyard represent Israel’s leaders. The harvest time (lit. the season of the fruits) stands for the time when God could expect to obtain some reward for His investment in Israel. The slaves (Gr. douloi) are God’s faithful servants the prophets. In Jesus’ society slaves were not necessarily on a low social level; many of them held important positions in their owners’ households. [Note: France, The Gospel . . ., p. 812.]