The Husbandman Beating, Killing and Stoning His Servants - Matthew 21:35

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus asked the chief priests and the elders of Jerusalem, “Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dug a wine-press 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 they might receive the fruits of it” and in chapter twenty-one and verse thirty-five of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus said, “the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, … killed another, and stoned another” where we read:

And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

The verse reads, “And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and the husbandmen” which means “tillers of the soil, farmers and vine dressers” “took his servants” or “laid hold on and apprehended the householder's slaves, bondmen and men of servile conditions”, “and beat one” which means “and flayed, skinned, thrashed and smote one of the servants”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the caretakers of the householder's vineyard apprehended his “servant” and “thrashed and smote” him.

The verse goes on to say, “... and killed another, and stoned another.” Matthew continued with the words, “and killed another” which means “and destroyed, abolished and inflicted with mortal death another servant”, “and stoned another” or “and pelted and cast stones at another servant”. Matthew wrote how Jesus said the “husbandmen” “murdered” and “stoned” two other of the householder's “servants”.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how ill-treated the “servants” of the “householder” were. We can imagine how this affected the “householder”, and let us keep in mind this is a representation of God with the earth. God loves people, and His disciples are to tend to His Kingdom upon earth which is His “vineyard”. Those who are wise will never be involved with those who are mistreating God's servants, and should they decide otherwise, woe be to them when the ultimate and eternal “householder” returns.

Next time Matthew writes how Jesus tells what happens when, “he sent other servants more than the first”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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