Parables Of Jesus Christ: The Husbandmen
by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

As He had done since He was a child (see Has Anyone Seen Our Son?), Jesus of Nazareth often taught at the Temple when He was in Jerusalem (see The Beautiful Gate and The Messiah's Triumphal Entry Into The Temple). While there, He was frequently confronted by the authorities who were supposed to be the custodians of Christ's Truth (see 'The God Of The Old Testament' and 'Before Abraham Was, I AM').

"21:23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
21:24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 21:25 The baptism of John [see John's Testimony], whence was it? from heaven, or of men?

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 21:26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

21:27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell.

And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." (Matthew 21:23-27 KJV)

"And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them"

The Messiah's parable of the "husbandmen" is also known as the parable of the tenants. A "tenant" is someone who occupies something in place of the owner. A "husbandman" also literally means merely to inhabit, or to cultivate, not own e.g. a husband dwells with his wife, but does not own her.

Temple
"21:33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder [see 'My Father's House' and Abomination of Desolation - Where?], which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 21:34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it." (Matthew 21:33-34 KJV)
The parable was an obvious condemnation of the men who had not only misused the LORD's Truth, but who had abused and killed the LORD's true prophets (e.g. see Jeremiah In Court).

"21:35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 21:36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise." (Matthew 21:35-36 KJV)
The rebellious husbandmen then went even further. When the owner sent His Son, the Heir to His Father's House, the tenants rejected and killed Him too.

"21:37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 21:38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 21:39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
21:40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

21:41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

21:45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 21:46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet." (Matthew 21:37-46 KJV)

Fact Finder: The parable was originally about the "chief priests and Pharisees" back in the time that they had the Messiah crucified (see also Why Can't 'The Chosen People' See? and Was Paul Among Them?). But moreover, who is the parable about now?
See I Did It My Way and War With The Lamb