Jul. 16, 2024

The Parable of the Tenants

Mar 12:1  Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 

Mar 12:2  At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 

Mar 12:3  But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 

Mar 12:4  Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 

Mar 12:5  He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. 

Mar 12:6  "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 

Mar 12:7  "But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 

Mar 12:8  So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 

Mar 12:9  "What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 

Mar 12:10  Haven't you read this passage of Scripture: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 

Mar 12:11  the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" 

Mar 12:12  Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.