The Gospel of Mark
The Tenants of the Vineyard: Mk 12,1-12
The background to this parable is the song of the vineyard found in Isaiah chapter 5. The description of the planting of the vineyard is the same in both. Yet then they go different ways. Isaiah is telling about God's judgement on his vineyard. Here in Mark God is the absentee landlord and the story is about the tenants to whom he has leased his vineyard. It is not about the fruitfulness of the vineyard as in Isaiah (Is 5,4).
The rejected servants in this story recall a long history of the people of Israel rejecting the prophets. "They killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you" (Neh 9,26).
In verses 4-5 matters just get progressively worse, as in Jeremiah 7,25-26 where God says he has persistently sent his servants the prophets.
Finally the owner sends his son. "Beloved Son" has already been used by the voice from the cloud at the baptism, 1,11, and at the Transfiguarion, 9,7. That highlights the point here. The application of the story is clear.
It is perverse of the tenants to think they will inherit the vineyard (12,7). The landlord is far more powerful than they are (12,9). The thought here concerns God and his people, but the Romans also had the power to suppress the Jewish rebellion. This would have been about the time the Gospel was written, though this is more a theme found in chapter 13.
Jesus quotes from Psalm 118 in verses 10-11, Ps 118,22-23. This psalm is often quoted in the New Testament because for Christians it is the Easter Psalm. The rejected stone becoming the corner stone is also found in Isaiah 28,16.
Then, in verse 12 we see the authorities understanding Jesus' message only too well (unlike the disciples earlier, 6,52). They were unable to act because they feared the crowd. Unlike Matthew (Mt 21,45), Mark says they left Jesus and went away. This provides the link to the next episode where they will be sending some Pharisees and Herodians to trap Jesus (12,13).
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