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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
20:9-18 The Parable of the Wicked Tenants. This parable, while spoken to the people (vv. 1, 9), is directed to Jesus' opponents (19:47; 20:1, 19) and is intended as an analogy (with many referents) to show that God (the "owner," v. 13) is taking away the kingdom from Israel (see note on Mark 12:1-12).
20:10-12 He sent. The man sent three servants, probably representing the OT prophets, to check on the tenants. The second and third servants each received greater abuse than the one preceding him. Cf. the three servants in 19:15-25.
20:13 My beloved son recalls the words spoken by the Father to Jesus at his baptism (3:22; cf. Matt. 3:17), and therefore here it surely alludes to God's sending of Jesus to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom to Israel, and their widespread rejection of him (see John 1:9-11).
20:14-15a Let us kill him. Cf. 19:47; 20:19. they . . . killed him. A clear allusion to Jesus' approaching death.
20:15b What then will the owner . . . do to them introduces Jesus' interpretation of the parable. The "owner" (lit., "lord") represents God.
20:16 God will destroy those tenants. In a preliminary sense this happened during the destruction of Jerusalem in , but in a fuller sense it refers to the final judgment. Surely not! The hearers have some sense that the parable applies to the people of Israel, and they are hoping that it does not mean that God will give the land of Israel or the kingdom to others.
20:17 The stone . . . rejected has become the cornerstone (quoted from Ps. 118:22; see note on Mark 12:10). The rejected Son will become the Head of the church, the people of God. Psalm 118:22 is also quoted in Acts 4:11 and 1 Pet. 2:7.
20:18 Everyone who falls (cf. Isa. 8:14-15; 1 Pet. 2:8) means everyone who stumbles at and rejects Jesus as the Messiah. When it falls on anyone refers to Christ coming back in judgment.
