Chapter 21.
The Triumphal Entry
1. And when they were near Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage unto the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2. Saying to them, “Go ye into the village opposite you, and straightway you shall find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; when you have loosed [them], bring [them] to Me.
3. And if anyone say anything to you, you shall say that the Lord has need of them; and straightway he will send them.”
4. And all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was declared through the prophet, saying,
5. “Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King comes to thee, meek, and mounted upon a donkey, and a colt the son of her that is used to the yoke.”
6. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus directed them.
7. They brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their garments on them, and they had [Him]sit on them.
8. And a crowd of very many spread their own garments in the way; and others cut branches from the trees and spread [them] in the way.
9. And the crowds that went before, and they that followed, cried out, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed [is] He that comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.”
As the disciples follow Jesus on the upward journey toward Jerusalem, they come to the Mount of Olives (21:1). In the Word, mountains (because of their power and height) signify the loftiest aspects of God — especially God’s love. And olives (because of the golden color of their oil, and their ability to sooth wounds) signify God’s compassion and power to heal. So, the picture of Jesus on the Mount of Olives suggests that whatever He is about to do will come from the divine love within Him. 1
The first thing Jesus does is to send two of His disciples into the village to get a female donkey (a “she-ass”) and a male donkey (the “colt of the she-ass”). This brings to mind Zechariah’s prophecy: “Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, and a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).
When the disciples return with the female donkey and the colt that Jesus requested, the disciples first put their garments on the two animals, and then they set Jesus upon them. He is ready to begin what is known as His “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem.
At this point, a question arises. The literal text simply says that they set Jesus on them.” Does it mean that they set Jesus on the garments? Or does it mean that they set Jesus on the animals? Also, does it mean that Jesus rode upon one and let the other follow? Or, does it mean that Jesus straddled both animals? From the literal statement alone, even in the most faithful translations from the Greek, it is difficult to determine. However, when we consider the spiritual meaning of this event, we might reasonably conclude that Jesus rode upon both, exactly according to the letter. As it is written, “They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them” (21:7). 2
Because all things in the Word are representative and significative, we need to carefully consider what is meant by Jesus coming into Jerusalem sitting on both a female donkey and a male colt. Taken together, a female and a male represent the two essential principles of spiritual life: goodness (a female donkey) and truth (a colt). Jesus sits above them both, holding them closely together, and leading them along. Meanwhile, the garments of the disciples upon which Jesus sits, and the palm branches that are spread in the way (21:8) represent every derivative good and truth related to the higher principles represented by the female donkey and male colt. 3
This is the beautiful picture that is presented to us as Jesus — sitting above the donkey and colt — now makes His triumphal entry from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem. Beneath Him are every principle of the human mind, signified not only by the donkey and her colt, but also by the garments of the disciples which are laid on the two animals, and the clothing of the multitudes that are spread out on the road, along with branches they have cut from palm trees. This is a picture of the total subordination of the human mind to the leading of the Lord. 4
It is a time to rejoice, not only for the people who have come to Jerusalem to witness Jesus’ triumphal entry, but also for each of us. As Jesus rides into Jerusalem, indicating that He is about to become king, we can acknowledge that everything in us is subject to His rule, and we can cry out along with the multitudes, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (21:9).
The Cleansing of the Temple
10. And when He was come into Jerusalem, all the city was shaken, saying, “Who is this?”
11. And the crowd said, “This is Jesus, the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
12. And Jesus came into the temple of God, and cast out all those that sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of those that sold doves;
13. And says to them, “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a cave of robbers.”
14. And there came to Him the blind and the lame in the temple; and He cured them.
15. But the chief priests and the scribes seeing the marvelous [things] which He did, and the boys crying out in the temple, and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” were indignant;
16. And said to Him, “Hearest Thou what these say?” But Jesus says to them, “Yes; have you never read, that out of the mouths of infants and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?”
17. And leaving them, He went out of the city to Bethany, and stayed there.
It is one thing to proclaim that the Lord is our King, and to welcome Him as the ruler of our lives. We can rejoice with the multitude who cried out “Hosanna,” an echo from the Hebrew scriptures when the people cried out, “O, Lord, save us, grant us prosperity” (Psalm 118:25). There is a part of us that wishes it were that easy. If we could be saved from our sins by merely calling upon the Lord, as the literal teachings of scripture seem to indicate, there would be nothing for us to do. But the real work of salvation requires effort on our part. The Lord cannot save us apart from our willingness to deeply examine our innermost thoughts and desires, acknowledge those that are contrary to the Lord’s will, fight against them, and pray for deliverance from them. 5
This is not an easy process, and often does not look like a victory parade. And so, even while we are receiving the Lord, and rejoicing at His coming into our lives, He enters the temple — the sacred place within us where our innermost thoughts and feelings reside. This should be a temple of God, a place that hallows every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord, a place of devout worship and continual prayer. But when Jesus comes to the temple, He does not find this sort of worship and prayer. Instead, He finds that the temple is filled with people making profit, buying and selling — instead of worshipping and praying. It is a picture of our own minds, whenever they are pre-occupied with selfish gain and material profit rather than focusing on God and the things of heaven.
It is true that Jesus comes into our lives — as He came into Jerusalem — to bless us. But before He can do so, we need to remove every thought and feeling that prevents us from experiencing His presence and doing His will. Therefore we read that “Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of those who sold doves” (21:12).
his dramatic incident pictures the way Jesus can enter our minds, clearing out the thieves and robbers that would take away our faith in God. The human mind, like a holy temple, should be free from selfish interests; it should be a holy place, a sacred dwelling, a “house of God” ready to receive the Lord at His coming. And so, as Jesus clears the temple, He says “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves’” (21:13).
If we read these words merely at the literal level, there is a danger that it will encourage contempt for the corrupt religious leaders, and for the people who bought and sold in the temple. While it was certainly sacrilegious for them to use the temple for selfish profit,
there is no point now in condemning them. Rather, we should examine our own hearts and minds, and recognize how we, like those religious leaders can also use the things of religion for our own advantage. In what ways might we also be using the scriptures and the things of faith to justify our selfish ambitions, advance our own agendas, and justify feelings of contempt for others? 6
Every now and then we hear about religious leaders who inordinately profit from their ministries, living in luxury while members of their congregation go hungry. This is an obvious example of how the things of religion can be used for selfish gain. Also, whenever “people of the cloth” attribute to themselves the honor and dignity which belong to their sacred office — and not to the person — they also use the things of religion for selfish gain. They “steal” the honor and glory that belong to God alone, and attribute it to themselves. Truly they make the house of God a den of thieves. But each of us does similarly whenever we attribute to ourselves the true thoughts we think (moneychangers) and the good things we do (selling doves), taking credit for our accomplishments rather than attributing everything to God. 7
Out of the mouth of babes
Historically, the temple at Jerusalem had become entirely corrupt. Divine worship had been perverted into a form or self-aggrandizement among the priesthood. The pride of self-intelligence was rampant. The truths of doctrine and the letter of the Word were perverted and profaned in the hands of a self-serving religious establishment.
When God came into the world through the life and teachings of Jesus, a central part of His mission was to restore a proper understanding of the Word. This is represented by His efforts to clear out the temple. of course, there were some who vehemently resented what Jesus was doing. These are the parts of our mind that do not want to change. These strongholds of selfishness strenuously resist any attempt we make to drive them out.
But there are other parts of our mind that welcome Jesus. These are represented by the blind and the lame who come to Him while He is still in the temple and ask to be healed (21:14). This is a picture of our willingness to approach the Lord, humbly recognizing our spiritual blindness, and our tendency to hobble through life without the light of truth to guide us. We mean well, but we acknowledge that we have been stumbling along in darkness, making poor choices because we lack spiritual discernment. Jesus responds to these states in us, always ready to provide the healing truths that we need. Therefore, we read that Jesus “cured them” (21:14). 8
This healing in the temple did not go unnoticed. Not only did the religious leaders see what Jesus had just done, but also children were present to witness the event. These children represent the innocent parts of us that can never be lost, those deep, innocent affections that remain with us wherever we go. Just as they were there in the temple two thousand years ago, they are there with us today, in the innermost parts of our mind — our holy temple. These are the parts of us which cry out again and again, not just in the streets outside of the temple, but within the very temple itself. Therefore, we read that
“the children were crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’” (21:15).
When the religious leaders see what is happening and hear the children shouting, they are outraged, not just because the children are crying out in the temple, but because they are praising Jesus. Even worse, these children are repeating the same words that were shouted when Jesus rode through the streets of Jerusalem, “Hosanna to the Son of David” — words that welcomed Jesus as the coming king who would save them.
Therefore, the religious leaders confront Jesus, saying, “Do You hear what these are saying?” (21:16). Jesus has not only heard what they are saying, but He commends them for praising Him: “Yes,” He says, “have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” (21:16).
These “babes” and “nursing infants” are those parts of ourselves which can still honor and praise the Lord, no matter how much the temple of our mind has been desecrated by “thieves” and “robbers.” It is because of these tender states, stored away in the deepest part of ourselves, that there is always hope for each of us. Though these states may seem weak and helpless, they are in reality our strength, for they acknowledge that the Lord alone is the strength of our lives. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “O, Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, You who have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies. That You may silence the enemy and the avenger” (Psalm 8:1-2).
Just as the words of scripture have the power to silence our inner enemies, Jesus has temporarily silenced the religious leaders. They say nothing. It is time for Jesus to move on. As it is written, “Then He left them and went out of city to Bethany, and He lodged there” (21:17).
The Tree and the Mountain
18. And in the morning, as He went up into the city, He hungered.
19. And seeing one fig tree on the way, He came up to it, and found nothing on it except leaves only, and says to it, “No more shall there be fruit from thee to eternity”; and immediately the fig tree dried up.
20. And the disciples, seeing, marveled, saying, “How immediately has the fig tree dried up!”
21. And Jesus answering said to them, “Amen I say to you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree, but should you just say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up, and be thou cast into the sea, it shall come to pass.
22. And all things whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”
The cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem represents how the Lord comes into the very interiors of our mind to cast out every selfish concern and arrogant attitude. As a result, we discover there are still places within us that are “blind” and “lame” as well as places of child-like humility. These are the places in us that acknowledge our need for the
Lord’s guidance at every moment of our lives. In this way, the temple of our mind is re-ordered by the Lord; “the last” (heavenly thoughts and feelings) which had been buried for so long, resurface. Once again, they are “first,” and this time they will not be silenced. Instead, they cry out within us, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
But this is only a beginning. The Lord still desires that these heavenly thoughts and feelings be actualized in works of useful service to others. The useful deeds that we perform, in the name of the Lord, are His food. He hungers to see us loving and serving one another. Therefore, as the next episode begins, we read that Jesus arises the next morning and returns to the city. Along the way He hungers. So He stops by a fig tree to eat some of its fruit, but finds nothing on it but leaves (21:18-19). On one level, the fig tree with only leaves on it represents the corrupt religious establishment of the time. It taught truth (leaves) but did not live according to truth (fruit). At a more interior level, however, the fruitless fig tree represents our tendency to get caught up in knowledge about heaven, rather than leading the live of heaven. We learn truths in abundance (leaves), but do not do any good; that is, we produce no fruit. 9
Just as fruit trees are meant to produce fruit, not just leaves, human beings are born to be of service to others, not just to study how to be of service. In a dramatic representation of what can happen to us if we spend our time learning truth, rather than using it to do good, Jesus says to the fig tree, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately, “the fig tree withered away” (21:19). Through this illustration, Jesus teaches that if we do not put the truth that we know to use, it will wither and die, just as the fruitless fig tree perishes before the eyes of the disciples.
The disciples, amazed at what they have just seen, turn to Jesus and ask, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” (21:20). Jesus replies, “Assuredly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to this fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (21:22).
Here Jesus speaks of a great promise that will be fulfilled if we, on our part, do two things. First, we must be willing to put aside our tendency to value the pursuit of knowledge over the dedication to useful service. This is represented by the fig tree filled with leaves but without any fruit. We should remember that knowledge is a means, but not an end. The Son of Man (the divine truth of the Word) comes to serve, not to be served.
Secondly, we must be willing to put aside our tendency to love ourselves and the things of the world more than the Lord and our neighbor. We must never exalt ourselves over others, feel proud of ourselves in comparison with others, or adopt a “high and mighty” attitude when dealing with others. These kinds of attitudes are represented by the mountain which must be cast into the sea. As it is written by the prophets, “Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low (Isaiah 40:4); also, “The Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up, and it shall be brought low…. The loftiness of man shall be bowed down…. The Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:14-17). 10
To the extent that we strive to remove the unfruitful fig tree of mere knowledge without service, along with the towering mountain of haughtiness and pride, Jesus promises wonderful things. “All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (21:22). We must be aware, however, that these answers to prayer will not come by merely believing. We must first remove the unfruitful tree and the prideful mountain!
Into the Temple, Again
23. And coming into the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching, saying, “By what authority doest Thou these things? And who gave Thee this authority?”
24. And Jesus answering said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25. The baptism of John, whence was [it]? From heaven, or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we shall say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why did you not then believe him?’
26. But if we shall say, ‘From men,’ we fear the crowd, for all hold John as a prophet.”
27. And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” And He declared unto them, “Neither do I say to you by what authority I do these things.”
After teaching His disciples about the fig tree and the mountain, Jesus goes back into the temple. He is immediately confronted by the religious leaders who ask, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” (21:23). Instead of answering them directly, Jesus asks them a question: “The baptism of John,” He says, “Where was it from? Was it from heaven or from men?” (21:25).
This is an important question, not just for the religious leaders to consider, but for each of us as well. John the Baptist represents the letter of the Word. To a certain extent it is from men, because it is written by men and contains their many misconceptions about God and the life that leads to heaven. And yet, it is also from heaven because it contains infinite divine truth. Even the misconceptions, when understood more deeply, and interpreted according to the things they signify, contain beautiful truths waiting to be received by all who have ears to hear.
The answer, then, is that the literal sense alone — when separated from its internal meaning — is from man. But when the internal meaning can be seen within it, it is from heaven. Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for the coming of Jesus, the letter of the Word prepares the way for the coming of the internal sense.
The religious leaders, however, are not aware of this. But they are aware that if they say that John’s authority is from heaven, Jesus will then be able to ask, “Why did you not believe Him?” (21:25). On the other hand, if they say that John’s authority is from men,
they will displease the multitudes who believe that John is a prophet. So they merely say, “We do not know” (21:27).
These words, so simple, and yet so expressive, demonstrate the Lord’s ability to humble the proud. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled: “The loftiness of man shall be bowed down.” These knowledgeable religious leaders, so proud of their learning and their intellect, are unable to answer Jesus’ question. All they can say is, “We do not know.” Once again, the arrogant religious leaders are silenced by the wisdom of Jesus who came to exalt every humble valley and cause every mountain of prideful self-love to be brought low. 11
The Parable of the Two Sons
28. “But what do you think? A man had two children, and coming to the first he said, ‘Child, go, work today in my vineyard.’
29. And he answering, said, ‘I am not willing’; but afterwards being remorseful, he went.
30. And coming to the second, he said likewise; and he answering said, ‘I [go], lord’; and went not.
31. Which of the two did the will of the father?” They say to Him, “The first.” Jesus says to them, “Amen I say to you, that the publicans and the harlots shall go before you into the kingdom of God.
32. For John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him; but the publicans and the harlots believed him; and seeing [it] you were not remorseful afterwards, that you might believe him.”
Still in the temple, Jesus delivers a series of parables that reveal the true motives of the religious leaders. The first parable concerns a landowner who has two sons. One of the sons says he will not work in the vineyard, but afterwards he regrets his decision and says he will. But the second son does just the opposite. He says he will work in the vineyard, but he doesn’t. “Now which of these sons,” says Jesus, “did the will of his father?” (21:31). Although this appears to be a simple and straightforward question, it is much more than that. It’s about the religious leaders who are confronting Jesus at that very moment. They are the ones who say they will work in the vineyard, but do not. They may occupy places of importance in the temple and in the community, but as far as Jesus is concerned, they are not doing their Father’s will.
But there were other people — sinners, tax collectors, harlots — who initially refused to do their Father’s will, and later on regretted it. They saw the error of their ways, returned to their Father, determined to do His will. Such are those whom Jesus is speaking about when He says, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you, for John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him” (21:32).
With these words, Jesus comes closer to removing any ambiguity about whom the parable is about. It’s about the religious leaders who will not believe the words of John the Baptist, nor will they accept the Lord’s leading. They continue to do their own will,
rather than the Lord’s. The case is similar for each of us whenever we refuse to live by the plain, open teachings of John the Baptist — the plain, literal, unmistakably true teachings of the Word. Even tax collectors and harlots may relent and decide to accept the basic truths of the Word as the guide for their life, but the religious leaders do not. Therefore, the tax collectors and harlots will enter the kingdom of God before the religious leaders — if they enter at all. 12
The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers
33. “Hear another parable: There was a certain man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and put a hedge around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to farmers, and went abroad.
34. And when the time of the fruits was near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive the fruits of it.
35. And the farmers taking his servants, beat one, and killed one, and stoned one.
36. Again, he sent out other servants, more than the first; and they did unto them likewise.
37. And last of all he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will have respect for my son.’
38. But the farmers, seeing the son, said in themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and have his inheritance.’
39. And taking him, they cast [him] out of the vineyard, and killed [him].
40. When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”
41. They say to Him, “He will destroy those evil [ones] with evil, and will let out the vineyard to other farmers, who will render him the fruits in their times.”
42. Jesus says to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this has been made into the head of the corner; this was made by the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes?’
43. Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth its fruits .
44. And whoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but on whomever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.”
45. And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that He spoke of them.
46. And when they sought to take hold of Him, they feared the crowds, since they held Him as a prophet.
Jesus then tells another parable, apparently about a landowner who leased his vineyard to vinedressers, but more specifically about the religious leaders. If the previous parable was not direct enough to let the religious know that it was about them, this next parable gradually becomes an obvious condemnation of their behavior. In this parable, Jesus compares authentic religion — that which is consistent with God’s will for humanity — to a “vineyard.” The owner of the vineyard is the Lord, and the vinedressers whom He initially hires are the religious establishment of that day — especially the religious leaders at the temple in Jerusalem.
At first, Jesus keeps the connection to the religious leaders deliberately vague. He simply says, “There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard . . . And he leased it to vinedressers” (21:33). When it is harvest time, the landowner sends his servants to the vinedressers “that they might receive its fruit” (21:34). Here we note once again, that the emphasis is upon fruit. The Lord wants to see the fruits of our labors in the vineyard; He wants us to be involved in useful service to others. For this He hungers (see 21:18). 13
But the vinedressers give them no fruit. Instead, “the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another” (21:35). Not only do they give no fruit, but also they cruelly abuse and murder those who come to collect it. Jesus is here referring to the many prophets who have preceded Him. Each of them warned that people should turn to the Lord, remove evil from their hearts, and live in righteousness. But the people, and especially the religious leaders, refused to listen. Instead, as Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount, they “persecuted the prophets who were before you” (5:12).
When Jesus speaks about the beating, killing, and stoning of the servants of the landowner, He is referring to a time in history when the human heart had become so hardened that it was outraged at any attempt to correct it. The Hebrew scriptures record numerous examples of how God’s prophets, who all spoke about the necessity of returning to the Lord, were treated. For example, we read that “The children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword” (1 Kings 19:10). “Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the Lord” (1 Kings 18:4), and “Your sword has devoured your prophets like a roaring lion.” (Jeremiah 2:29-30). This history of reckless rejection of the prophets did not cease. Even in Jesus’ day, the prophet John the Baptist was at first rejected, then imprisoned, and finally beheaded.
Similarly, the religious leaders have rejected every attempt to soften their hardened hearts. The human race was headed for spiritual destruction. God had no other recourse than to come in person. Therefore, we read, “Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when those wicked vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come let us kill him and seize the inheritance.’” (21:38).
Jesus is talking about Himself as the “son of the landowner.” He knew that in their hearts these religious leaders wanted to destroy Him. They thought that they could secure their positions of power and maintain their influence by denying the divine truth. We do something similar whenever we believe that we can find happiness by avoiding the spiritual work of keeping the commandments. Our avoidance and denial might take the form of self-defensive lies, shrewd rationalizations for not keeping the commandments, and clever ways to twist the truth in order justify our selfish desires. The ways and opportunities are myriad. And yet, each time we do this, we murder the son of the landowner thinking that we can “seize the inheritance” — that is, we think we can secure what we believe is our happiness. Jesus puts it this way: “They took him, cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him” (21:39).
The religious leaders still do not see the connection between themselves and the wicked vinedressers. So, Jesus asks them, “Therefore, when the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” (21:40). Not realizing that Jesus is talking about them, and what the Lord will do to them, they reply, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons” (21:41).
The religious leaders answer in a way that reveals their incorrect understanding of God. Not yet realizing that the lord of the vineyard is God Himself, they say, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably.” It’s an idea of God based on their own level of consciousness, or to put if differently, according to what was in their hearts. They see God in terms of their own nature — a God of vengeance and destruction. 14
In saying that these wicked vinedressers should be killed for the way they treated the son, the religious leaders are condemning themselves for the way they have been treating Jesus. Additionally, they are predicting the eventual demise of the religious establishment they represent. It will be taken away from them and given to others. This becomes clear when they add that the lord of the vineyard will not only destroy those wicked men, but also “lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”
The beautiful phrase, “render to him the fruits in their seasons,” although spoken by the religious leaders, contains a blessed truth. Every time we perform some act of unselfish service, acknowledging that the love, wisdom, and power to do so come from the Lord alone, we “render to him the fruits in their seasons.” 15
So far, the religious leaders still do not get the point — nor do we if believe that this parable refers simply to the religious leaders of that time. It is about us — not just them. It is about our tendency to reject the truth when it comes into our lives by not living according to it. While the language in the parable is strong, it is useful to understand that in some way we murder the truth in ourselves every time we refuse to live what that truth teaches. Truth not lived will wither and die, like the fig tree that bore no fruit in the previous parable.
Jesus now gets very direct with the religious leaders. It’s time to let them know that this parable, like the preceding parable, is about them. Did you never read the scriptures?” He says. “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (21:42). Jesus then adds, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” (21:43). If they haven’t gotten the point before, they are surely getting it now. “The kingdom of God will be taken from you,” says Jesus. And He concludes with these words: “Whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder” (21:44).
What is this stone? Jesus has already told that this is the stone that “the builders rejected.” It is the same stone that Jesus referred to when Peter confessed that Jesus is the Son of the Living God. At the time, Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build My church” (16:18). It is the same stone that Jesus referred to when He concluded the Sermon on the Mount, saying “a wise man built his house upon a rock” (7:24). It is the same stone that Isaiah referred to, many years before, when he said that the Lord is “a sanctuary” to those who trust in Him . . . “but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense . . . to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken” (Isaiah 8:14-15).
This is the conclusion of the parable. Jesus is telling the religious leaders that whoever hears His words and lives according to them will be able to meet adversity like a house built upon a rock. But those who doubt His words will not only “fall upon the stone” but also be “crushed to powder.” To “fall upon the stone” is to question divine truth; but to utterly reject it is to be “ground to powder.”
As this episode comes to a close, it seems that the religious leaders finally get the point: “They perceived that He was speaking about them” (21:45). Unfortunately, they remain true to form, stubbornly rejecting the truth about themselves, and refusing to believe that this is their call to repentance. Instead, they are so infuriated that they desire to “lay hands on Him.” But they refrain, because “they feared the multitudes who took Him for a prophet” (21:46).
A practical application
It can be hard to take criticism. An overinflated, puffed-up ego resists being brought down to size. But it is far better to suffer from wounded pride, and learn from our errors, than to stubbornly resist criticism, and hate those who deliver it. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
Fotnoter:
1. Apocalypse Explained 405: “Jesus went from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem and suffered; and by this was signified, that in all things He acted from Divine love, for the Mount of Olives signified that love.” See also Arcana Coelestia 9680[12]: “The Mount of Olives represented heaven in respect to the good of love and of charity.” And Arcana Coelestia 886: “It was with olive oil, together with spices, that the priests and kings were anointed, and it was with olive oil that the lamps were trimmed. The reason olive oil was used for anointing and for lamps was that it represented all that is celestial, and therefore all the good of love and of charity.”
2. Arcana Coelestia 9212[5]: “When Jesus drew nigh unto Jerusalem they brought the ass, and the colt, and put upon them their garments, and set Him upon those [garments].” [Latin: et imposuerunt super eos vestimenta sua, et collocarunt Ipsum super illa].
3. Arcana Coelestia 2781: “In old times a judge rode upon a she-ass, and his sons upon young asses [colts], for the reason that the judges represented the goods of the church, and their sons the truths thence derived.”
4. Arcana Coelestia 886[6]: “By the disciples putting their garments on the ass and her colt, was represented that truths in the whole complex were submitted to the Lord as the Highest Judge and King; for the disciples represented the church of the Lord in respect to its truths and goods, and their garments represented the truths themselves. The like was represented by the multitude strewing their garments in the way, and also branches of trees. The reason why they strewed them in the way was that by ‘a way’is signified the truth whereby a person of the church is led. The reason why they strewed branches of trees, was that trees signified the perceptions and also the knowledges of truth and good, consequently ‘the branches’ denote the truths themselves.”
5. In the Greek “Hosanna” is ὡσαννά (hósanna) which means, “Save us.” It is based on a Hebrew expression of adoration. See Psalm 118:25-26: “Save us, O Lord … send now prosperity. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”
6. Apocalypse Explained 840: “‘Those that sold and bought’ here signify those who make gain for themselves out of holy things; the ‘tables of the moneychangers’ signifies those who do this from holy truths; and the ‘seats of them who sold doves’ those who do it from holy goods; therefore it is afterwards said that they made the temple ‘a den of thieves,’ ‘thieves’ meaning those who pillage the truths and goods of the church, and thus make to themselves gain.”
7. True Christian Religion 236: “A person understands ‘stealing’ to mean stealing, defrauding, and depriving the neighbor of his goods by any pretext. A spiritual angel understands ‘stealing’ to mean depriving others of their truths and goods of faith by means of evils and falsities; while a celestial angel understands ‘stealing’ to mean attributing to oneself what belongs to the Lord, and claiming for oneself the Lord's righteousness and merit.”
8. Apocalypse Explained 455[20]: “Those who are ‘lame’ signify those who are in good but not genuine good, because they are in ignorance of truth.”
9. Arcana Coelestia 885: “Those who say that they know truth or the things of faith but have nothing of the good of charity are only fig-leaves, and they wither away.” See also Arcana Coelestia 9337: “Faith without fruit, that is, without the good of life, is only a leaf; and thus when a person (here meant by ‘the tree’) abounds in leaves without fruit, he is the fig tree which withers away and is cut down.”
10. Apocalypse Explained 510[2]: “The word ‘mountain’ means love in both senses…. When a ‘mountain is mentioned, heaven is meant, and according to the ideas of angelic thought, which are abstracted from persons and places, that which constitutes heaven is meant, that is, celestial love. But in the contrary sense ‘mountain’ signifies the love of self…. In a word, those who are in the love of self are always aspiring after high things, so after death, when all the states of the love are changed into things correspondent, in their fancy they mount aloft, believing themselves, while in the fancy, to be upon high mountains, and yet bodily they are in the hells.”
11. Arcana Coelestia 1306: “The worship of self exists when a man exalts himself above others Therefore, the love of self, which is arrogance and pride, is called ‘height,’ ‘loftiness,’ and ‘being lifted up.’ It is described by all things that are high.”
12. Apocalypse Explained 619[16]: “And as John represented the Word, therefore he represented the most external sense of the Word [literal meaning of scripture], which is natural, by his raiment and also by his food, namely, by his raiment of camel’s hair and the leathern girdle about his loins; ‘camel's hair’ signifying the most external things of the natural body, such as are the exterior things of the Word…. The Word in its most external sense is called ‘the sense of the letter’ or ‘the natural sense,’ for this was what John represented.”
13. Arcana Coelestia 1690[3] “The love that was the Lord’s very life is meant by His being hungry.”
14. Arcana Coelestia 6832[2] “When the Lord appears, He appears according to the quality of the person, because a person receives the Divine no otherwise than according to one’s own quality.” See also Arcana Coelestia 2395: “It is frequently said in the Word that Jehovah ‘destroys,’ but in the internal sense it is meant that man destroys himself…. The angels, being in the internal sense, are so far from thinking that Jehovah destroys anyone that they cannot endure even the idea of such a thing. Therefore, when these and other such things are read in the Word by a person, the sense of the letter is cast away as it were to the back, and at last passes into this: that evil itself is what destroys a person, and the Lord destroys no one.”
15. Doctrine of Life 65: “Among all nations throughout the world with whom there is religion, there are precepts similar to those in the Decalogue; and all who live according to them from religion are saved while all those who do not live according to them from religion are damned. Those who live according to them from religion, being instructed after death by angels, receive truths and acknowledge the Lord. The reason is, that they shun evils as sins, and hence are in good; and good loves truth, and from the desire of love receives it. This is meant by the Lord’s words, ‘When the Lord of the vineyard cometh, He will destroy the wicked ones and will let out His vineyard unto other husbandmen who shall return Him the fruits in their time.’”
