Luke 20:15

So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?

Luke 20:15 (KJV)

Context

This verse is the climax of the Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen, which Jesus told in response to the religious leaders’ challenge to His authority (Luke 20:1-8). In the parable, a man plants a vineyard, leases it to tenants, and goes into a far country. When he sends servants to collect the fruit, the tenants beat and mistreat them. Finally, he sends his beloved son, expecting the tenants to respect him. Instead, they cast him out of the vineyard and kill him.

The vineyard represents Israel, God’s chosen people, and the owner represents God. The tenants are the religious leaders of Israel, responsible for caring for God’s people and teaching them His ways. The servants are the prophets whom God sent throughout history, calling Israel to repentance and obedience, but who were often rejected and killed. The beloved son symbolizes Jesus Christ, the ultimate revelation of God’s love and truth.

Meaning

Luke 20:15 describes the climax of the tenants’ rebellion: they cast the son out of the vineyard and killed him. This act symbolizes the religious leaders’ rejection of Jesus as the Messiah and their role in His crucifixion. The detail of casting him out of the vineyard points to Jesus being delivered to the Gentiles, who were outside the covenant community of Israel, and to His crucifixion outside the city of Jerusalem.

Jesus’ question, “What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?” emphasizes the gravity of the tenants’ wickedness and anticipates divine judgment. The owner will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others (Luke 20:16). This judgment was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and in the transfer of God’s kingdom to a people who would bear its fruit (Matthew 21:43).

Biblical connections

The parable connects to Psalm 118:22-23, which Jesus quotes in Luke 20:17, about the stone the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone. This shows that the rejected Son would become the foundation of God’s new work. The religious leaders understood that Jesus spoke this parable against them (Luke 20:19), yet they persisted in their opposition.

Application

This verse teaches that God’s patience has limits. Rejection of His messengers and His Son brings judgment. It warns against pride, greed, and the abuse of authority. The parable reminds us to recognize and accept God’s authority in our lives, responding with humility, obedience, and gratitude.

Reflection

God’s purposes cannot be thwarted by human rebellion. Even when the Son was rejected and killed, God raised Him to become the cornerstone of a new people. This calls us to examine our own hearts: do we honor God’s Son, or do we, like the tenants, seek to control what belongs to Him? The question Jesus poses still demands an answer.