Salvation cannot be bought, at the same time, it is not free. Accepting Jesus brings responsibilities. Correction by Jesus (his authority) was rejected by the leadership, even as it is to this day. The leaders understood Jesus expectation and realized the identity of the Son of God. The mistake of their rejection did not lead to the path of humility and repentance – falling on the rock. Rather, they sought to destroy the son of the Lord of the vineyard. Jesus did not back down. They understood the message. They rejected their LORD.
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95: Jesus Tells Three Parables of Warning
Matthew 21:28-22:14; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19
The Two Sons
Refusing to tell the chief priests, scribes, and elders the source of his authority, Jesus told a parable to his questioners, saying:
“But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ and went not. Which of the two did the will of his father?”
The chief priests, scribes, and elders answered Jesus, saying:
“The first.”
Jesus replied:
“Verily I say unto you that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not. But the publicans and the harlots believed him. And ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”
The Vineyard And The Husbandmen
Then Jesus told another parable to the chief priests, scribes, and elders, saying:
“Hear another parable: ‘There was a certain householder 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. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that he might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, “They will reverence my son.” 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.” And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.’ When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?”
The scribes, chief priests, and elders replied:
“He will miserably destroy the wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.”
Jesus said to 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 marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I say unto you, ‘The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.’ And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”
When the chief priests, scribes, elders, and Pharisees heard this, they knew Jesus had spoken regarding them. They would have attacked him, but they feared the multitude who considered Jesus a prophet.
The Wedding Feast
Jesus told another parable, saying:
“The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding. And they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, ‘Tell them which are bidden, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come unto the marriage.”’ But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. And the remnant took his servants, and treated them spitefully and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth. And he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Then he saith to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.’ So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good. And the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. And he saith unto him,
‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”