I've been jumping around in the Bible for my nightly devotions over the past couple of days, so I decided to read "The Parable of the Tenants" last night. Activating my prior knowledge and using the text's context, I am fairly certain that Jesus is telling this parable to the Pharisees. The parable itself is about this man who plants a vineyard, builds a winepress, guards the land with a wall and a watchtower, and then he rents his vineyard to some other people while he goes on a trip. The master of the vineyard wants some of the crops at harvest time, so he sends one of his servants to collect them. The renters beat the servant and send him off empty handed. The master sends another servant, and the renters do the same thing. The master then sends his son to collect the crops, but the renters kill him so they can inherit the property. For some reason, this parable really agitates the Pharisees, so they try to arrest him, but the crowd of people serves as a deterrent.
I know based on my prior knowledge that this parable is an allegory for God "the master" sending "servant" prophets to "reap a harvest" of followers, but they are persecuted; the renters killing the master's son are directly symbolic of the people that will crucify Christ. I'm also asking questions of the text, such as, if the master is on a journey, why is he asking his servants to collect the harvest crops? To sell them or to store them for his return? Why would the renters think they would inherit the land if they killed the master's son?
(1984). The holy bible: New international version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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