By Tuong Nguyen
The Parable of the Landowner and his Vineyard, which is found in Matthew 21:33–43, 45–46, is a powerful and thought-provoking narrative that touches on many facets of human experience. The parable's fundamental message is one of warning against the perils of greed, envy, and pride and how they can lead to destruction and despair. The parable tells the story of a landowner who plants a vineyard and leases it out to tenants. When the time comes for the landowner to collect his share of the harvest, he sends his servants to collect what is due to him, only to have the tenants beat and kill his servants.
Unfazed, the landowner sent more servants, but they all suffer the same fate. Ultimately, the landlord sends his son, believing that the tenants will respect him without a doubt, but they also murder him out of envy and greed. At first glance, the parable may seem like a simple story about the consequences of disobeying authority. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the story is actually a metaphor for the larger human experience, and the ways in which our own greed and pride can lead us down a path of destruction.
The vineyard in the story represents the world we live in, and the tenants symbolise each and every one of us. The landowner, meanwhile, represents God, who has entrusted us with the care of his creation. The servants that the landowner sends to gather his share of the harvest symbolise the prophets and messengers that God has sent throughout history to remind us of our responsibility for the preservation of his creation.
The tenants' response to the servants is telling. Rather than welcoming them and sharing the harvest, they beat and kill them in a fit of rage and jealousy. This reaction is not unlike our own when we are faced with difficult situations or challenges. Rather than working together and supporting each other, we often turn on each other in a fit of anger or jealousy. The parable emphasises the value of showing respect for people in authority. The ultimate cause of the tenants' failure is their refusal to accept the landowner's authority. Similar to this, our own denial to acknowledge the legitimacy of God and his messengers can lead to disaster and despair.
The parable concludes as the landowner announces at the end of the story that he will evict the tenants from the vineyard and give it to another. This declaration is a stark reminder that we are not entitled to anything in this world, and that everything we have is borrowed from God. When we fail to recognize this and act accordingly, we risk losing everything we have.