Luke 20:9-19
The Vineyard and the Beloved Son
Read the passage
9Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time.
10At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.
11So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed.
12Then he sent a third, but they wounded him and threw him out.
13‘What shall I do?’ asked the owner of the vineyard. ‘I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’
14But when the tenants saw the son, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” And when the people heard this, they said, “May such a thing never happen!”
17But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?
18Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
19When the scribes and chief priests realized that Jesus had spoken this parable against them, they sought to arrest Him that very hour. But they were afraid of the people.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Jesus tells the people a parable. A man plants a vineyard, leases it to tenants, and travels to another country for a long time. At harvest he sends a servant so the tenants will give him the fruit, but they beat him and send him away empty-handed.
The owner sends another servant. They beat and shame him too. He sends a third, and they wound him and throw him out. The tenants reject every representative who comes asking for the fruit.
The owner decides to send his beloved son. He hopes they will respect him, but the tenants see the heir and decide to kill him so the inheritance will be theirs. They throw him out of the vineyard and kill him.
Jesus asks what the owner will do. He will come, destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others. The people answer that this must not happen. Jesus quotes the rejected stone that becomes the cornerstone. The leaders understand the parable is against them and begin looking for a way to seize Him.
Jesus stands before them as the beloved Son whose authority they refuse. Killing the heir does not make the vineyard theirs. Nor will rejecting Jesus prevent God from establishing him as the cornerstone. The parable exposes their rebellion, while the Scripture he quotes shows that their rejection will not have the final word.
How We Know
Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22 about the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone. The next verse calls this the Lord's doing. Read beside the murdered son in the parable, the Psalm explains why rejection by the leaders cannot defeat God's purpose for Jesus.
Questions
1 What do the tenants do to the servants?
AnswerThey beat, shame, wound, and send away the servants whom the owner sends to collect the vineyard's fruit.
2 Why does the owner send his beloved son?
AnswerHe hopes the tenants will respect his son. Instead, they recognize the heir and kill him to seize the inheritance.
3 What will happen to the tenants?
AnswerThe owner will destroy them and give the vineyard to others. The parable warns leaders who reject God's messengers and seek ownership.
4 What does the rejected stone become?
AnswerThe stone rejected by the builders becomes the cornerstone. Jesus identifies rejection as part of the path through which God establishes His work.
What This Means for Us
The vineyard belongs to the owner, and the tenants are accountable for how they treat both the servants and the son. Leadership is stewardship, not a license to control people or claim God's work as personal property.
Families and churches should welcome correction, protect messengers who speak truth, and examine whether authority has become self-preservation. Their responsibility is to serve the owner, not to take his place. We need to hear that warning whenever defending our position matters more to us than receiving the Son.
Prayer
God of the vineyard, keep us faithful with every responsibility You entrust to us. Give leaders humility, protect people who speak truth, and turn our household away from control and toward grateful stewardship. Amen.