What motivations led the tenants to say, "Let us kill him"? Setting the Scene In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19), Jesus pictures Israel’s leaders as tenant-farmers leasing God’s vineyard. The climactic statement is: “‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’” (Matthew 21:38; cf. Mark 12:7; Luke 20:14) Immediate Motivations in the Text • Recognition of the heir: “This is the heir.” • Greed for the vineyard’s profits: “Take his inheritance.” • Elimination of accountability: killing the son would sever their connection to the owner. • Groupthink and mutual reinforcement: “they said to one another,” encouraging each other in sin. Deeper Heart-Level Motivations • Rebellion against rightful authority – Psalm 2:2-3: “The kings of the earth… say, ‘Let us break their chains.’” • Envy toward the beloved Son – Genesis 37:18-20 shows Joseph’s brothers using almost identical words. • Presumption on the owner’s patience – Ecclesiastes 8:11: “Because the sentence… is not executed quickly, the hearts of men are fully set to do evil.” • Hardened hearts through repeated sin – Hebrews 3:13 warns that sin’s deceitfulness hardens. • Spiritual blindness engineered by the evil one – 2 Corinthians 4:4: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers.” Old Testament Echoes • Isaiah 5:1-7 — Israel as God’s vineyard, yielding “wild grapes.” • Psalm 118:22 — “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” • Jeremiah 7:25-26 — rejecting the servants (prophets) leads to rejecting the Son. Layers of Rebellion Revealed 1. Contempt for the Owner’s rights 2. Contempt for the Servants’ messages 3. Murderous intent toward the Son 4. Delusional claim to the Inheritance 5. Invited judgment from the Owner Messiah Explicitly Targeted Jesus interprets the “heir” as Himself. Acts 3:14-15 notes the leaders “killed the Author of life.” Their motivations mirror the tenants’: • Greed for position (John 11:48) • Fear of losing authority (Matthew 26:4) • Hatred of His exposure of their sin (John 3:19-20) Takeaway for Today Greed, pride, and rejection of God’s authority can still harden hearts to the point of open hostility toward Christ. Scripture’s literal record stands as a sober warning and a call to honor the Son, “that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father” (John 5:23). |
    |