Luke 20:9-19 Meaning: The Long Wait and the Rejected Son
9He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time.
10At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty.
11He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him and threw him out.
13The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’
14“But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’
15Then they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?
16He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard that, they said, “May that never be!”
17But he looked at them and said, “Then what is this that is written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the chief cornerstone’?
18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust.”
19The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.
9Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.
10And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.
11And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.
13Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
14But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
15So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?
16He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
17And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
18Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
19And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
9And he began to speak unto the people this parable: A man planted a vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country for a long time.
10And at the season he sent unto the husbandmen a servant, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.
11And he sent yet another servant: and him also they beat, and handled him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12And he sent yet a third: and him also they wounded, and cast him forth.
13And the lord of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will reverence him.
14But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned one with another, saying, This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
15And they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do unto them?
16He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
17But he looked upon them, and said, What then is this that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner?
18Every one that falleth on that stone shall be broken to pieces; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.
19And the scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him in that very hour; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he spake this parable against them.
9And he began to speak unto the people this simile: `A certain man planted a vineyard, and gave it out to husbandmen, and went abroad for a long time,
10and at the season he sent unto the husbandmen a servant, that from the fruit of the vineyard they may give to him, but the husbandmen having beat him, did send him away empty.
11`And he added to send another servant, and they that one also having beaten and dishonoured, did send away empty;
12and he added to send a third, and this one also, having wounded, they did cast out.
13`And the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my son--the beloved, perhaps having seen this one, they will do reverence;
14and having seen him, the husbandmen reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir; come, we may kill him, that the inheritance may become ours;
15and having cast him outside of the vineyard, they killed him ; what, then, shall the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16He will come, and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others.' And having heard, they said, `Let it not be!'
17and he, having looked upon them, said, `What, then, is this that hath been written: A stone that the builders rejected--this became head of a corner?
18every one who hath fallen on that stone shall be broken, and on whom it may fall, it will crush him to pieces.'
19And the chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him in that hour, and they feared the people, for they knew that against them he spake this simile.
9And he began to speak to the people this parable: A man planted a vineyard and let it out to husbandmen, and left the country for a long time.
10And in the season he sent to the husbandmen a bondman, that they might give to him of the fruit of the vineyard; but the husbandmen, having beaten him, sent [him] away empty.
11And again he sent another bondman; but they, having beaten him also, and cast insult upon him, sent [him] away empty.
12And again he sent a third; and they, having wounded him also, cast [him] out.
13And the lord of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: perhaps when they see him they will respect [him].
14But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir; [come,] let us kill him, that the inheritance may become ours.
15And having cast him forth out of the vineyard, they killed [him]. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do to them?
16He will come and destroy those husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it they said, May it never be!
17But he looking at them said, What then is this that is written, The stone which they that builded rejected, this has become the corner-stone?
18Every one falling on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.
19And the chief priests and the scribes sought the same hour to lay hands on him, and they feared the people; for they knew that he had spoken this parable of them.
Meaning in one sentence
God's patience and judgment in the parable of the wicked tenants. What the long journey means for Israel and for us today.
Context
Jesus has just been questioned about his authority in the temple (Luke 20:1-8). Now he turns to the people and tells a story that cuts straight to the heart of God's dealings with Israel. Drawing on Isaiah's image of a vineyard (Isaiah 5), he sketches a long history: a man plants a vineyard, leases it to farmers, and goes away for a long time. When harvest comes, he sends servants to collect his share. The farmers beat each one, sending them away empty. Finally he sends his beloved son, thinking they will respect him. Instead, they kill him, hoping to seize the inheritance. Jesus then asks what the owner will do: he will destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others. The religious leaders know this parable is aimed at them, and they want to arrest him on the spot.
Key Words
Three Greek words stand out in this passage. First, when the owner decides to send his son, he calls him agapēton (v.13), not just any child, but the beloved, the one set apart. This word carries deep affection and unique status. Jesus is deliberately placing himself in that role, the final messenger after the prophets.
Second, the builders apodokimazō the stone (v.17), they 'disapprove, reject, repudiate' it. The word suggests a careful examination followed by a verdict of worthless. Yet God takes that very stone and makes it the cornerstone, the most important piece in the building. Human judgment and God's reversal stand in stark contrast.
Third, the stone that falls on anyone will likmēsei them (v.18), grind them to powder. This word comes from winnowing grain, scattering chaff to the wind. It is a picture of final, complete judgment. Christ is either the foundation we build on or the stone that crushes us. There is no middle ground.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this parable as a compressed history of salvation. The vineyard is Israel, entrusted to leaders who reject God's messengers. The servants are the prophets, beaten and killed through the ages. The son is Christ himself, sent in love.
Catholic and Orthodox interpreters often highlight the transfer of the vineyard to 'others' as the inclusion of the Gentiles in the Church, the new people of God. Many Protestant traditions emphasize the warning: religious privilege does not guarantee faithfulness. Both point to Psalm 118:22, which Jesus quotes, the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone. The parable ends with a stark choice: fall on that stone in humble faith and be broken of pride, or have it fall on you in judgment. Either way, the stone stands.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading assumes the servants are just any messengers, and the son is simply a final human teacher. In fact, the Greek term agapēton (beloved) sets the son apart as uniquely divine, not another prophet. Jesus is identifying himself as the heir of all things. The parable is not a general warning about being nice to messengers, it is a specific claim that God's final word is his Son.
Living This Out
This parable asks a direct question: what do you do with what God has entrusted to you? The tenants acted as if the vineyard belonged to them. They forgot they were caretakers, not owners. When you treat your time, money, relationships, or even your church as yours to control, you step into the tenants' shoes.
This week, try noticing one area where you've been gripping tight, where you fear losing control. That grip is a clue. The owner keeps sending reminders: maybe a Scripture that won't leave you alone, a friend's gentle challenge, a quiet discomfort in prayer. Don't send those away empty. The son has come. You can trust him with everything.
Main takeaway: God's patience is real, but his Son deserves our full trust; rejecting him brings ruin, but building on him makes us part of his forever vineyard.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God gave us everything good, like a beautiful garden. He wants us to share the fruit with him. Jesus is his special Son. We should listen to Jesus and love him, not pretend we don't need him.
For ages 9, 12
The farmers in this story thought they owned the vineyard. They forgot it was a gift. When God sent his son, they rejected him. Jesus is the stone that builders threw away, but God made him the most important stone of all. You can build your whole life on Jesus. If you try to push him away, you'll end up crushed. But if you let him be your foundation, you'll stand strong forever.
Questions People Ask
What does the vineyard represent in this parable?
The vineyard represents Israel, God's chosen people, whom he planted and cared for (based on Isaiah 5). More broadly, it can represent any community or person entrusted with God's blessings. The owner is God, and the tenants are the religious leaders of Israel who were supposed to care for the people and bear fruit for God.
Who are the servants the owner sends?
The servants represent the prophets God sent to Israel throughout the Old Testament. They came to call the people back to faithfulness and to collect the spiritual fruit God expected. Many were rejected, beaten, or killed, as the parable describes.
Why does Jesus call himself the 'beloved son'?
The Greek word 'agapēton' means dearly loved, unique, set apart. Jesus is distinguishing himself from all previous messengers. He is not just another prophet; he is the heir, the Son of God. This is a direct claim to divine identity and authority.
What does it mean that the stone will crush whoever it falls on?
Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22 about the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone. Then he adds two images: falling on the stone means being broken (humbling yourself before Christ), and the stone falling on you means final judgment. It pictures Christ as the unavoidable point of decision, you either submit to him now or face his judgment later.
Why did the religious leaders want to arrest Jesus immediately?
Verse 19 says they knew he had spoken this parable against them. They understood he was accusing them of rejecting God's messengers and planning to kill the Son. Rather than repent, they hardened their hearts and sought to silence him. Their fear of the people alone kept them from acting that day.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study