Parable of the Rebellious Vineyard

There was a powerful and wealthy man, the lord of many vineyards and vast estate, and each of those vineyards bore fruit to him.When the time came to set up a new vineyard in a distant land, the lord called for the steward whom he appointed and, taking an oath of allegiance, bid him and the staff of assistants to go forth and tend the vineyard under the condition that they pay a certain part of the fruits to the lord and keep the rest for their own needs.

For quite some time, the steward of the distant vineyard faithfully discharged his obligations to the lord and the vineyard flourished. However, having been away from his master for a long time and seeing how much respect and honour he enjoys among his servants and all the people, he said to himself: "Am I not worthy of all these honours? Was it not I who arranged everything so well in this vineyard? Surely I have the right to become the master of this land!" And since this unfaithful steward knew that his master, though powerful, is of a meek temper and rejects all violence, he boldly declared to everyone in the vineyard: "I have decided that from now on we will no longer submit to the distant and alien monarch whom none of you have ever seen, and who may not even exist, after all. Since you trust and honour me so much, I shall now be the lord of this land and all of you who support me are henceforth free from obeying the laws of this strange and alien lord. We will no longer give him his portion and these fruits of the vine we shall turn into wine and will give it to the nations to drink. Thereby we shall celebrate our deliverance from the cruel and unjust slavery." Thus they did, betraying their lord and appropriating his vineyard. Soon a great turmoil fell upon the people who were drunk from the wine of rebellious freedom and they trampled upon and burned this vineyard and there were no fruits left therein.

The lord, seeing this iniquity, was very much worried and began to send his faithful servants one after another to the rebellious vineyard, so that they remind who is the real lord of the vineyard and everything in it. However, his servants were ridiculed, beaten, and some even killed. Then the master said to himself: "And yet, I still desire to return them under my wing. Since they do not accept and do not listen to my faithful servants, maybe my beloved son, who resembles me in everything, will be recognized and accepted." The master called his son to him and said: "You are my eldest son and therefore everything that is mine is also yours, for together we work in our possessions. Go now into this rebellious vineyard and, as I desire to save them, testify of this my appeal to them: no matter what crime against me was committed, I will forgive and have mercy on anyone who is ready to become my son. Such will be called my son and he shall enter into my house and my inexhaustible inheritance shall be his."

And when the beloved son of the master came to the rebellious vineyard and did everything exactly as his father ordered, only a few responded to the call of the master. The majority hardened their hearts with their iniquity and recognized neither the son nor his father, but were indignant because he said good things about the master and called himself an heir, for they had been taught otherwise. In their fury, they brutally murdered the son and rejected the offer of his father. Then the fallen steward, wishing everyone to forget quickly the magnanimous offer of the lord proclaimed by his son, declared to them that the cruel and bloodthirsty lord must have sent his son in retribution for their betrayal. Therefore, by killing him, they did a good deed, atoning for their guilt before an exacting master. And many listened to him and hardened their hearts even more.

Then the servants came to their master and asked: "Do you, our master, desire for us to immediately return this vineyard and judge everyone who is in it?" The master answered: "Although I am very saddened, not everyone in that vineyard has found out about the call, declared by my beloved son. I shall give them one hundred generations to change their minds and accept my offer."

By the end of the appointed time, the servants again appeared before their master and said: "Sir, a huge rock will soon fall into the sea and will wash the vineyard and all those in it off the face of the earth. Do you, our lord, wish that we move the rock away, so that your vineyard may not perish?"

Then the lord said: "This barren land, overgrown with blackthorn and with all sorts of weeds, has long ceased to bear fruit for me. Moreover, didn't most of them want to live without me and that I should not interfere in their affairs? Let it be so! Let the events take their course and let them drink this cup to the full. As for those of them who still recognize me as their master, and yet believed my enemy and after his manner told every kind of lie about me, let them be judged by my courts so that the degree of their guilt and their fate is determined.

However, there are still those few for whose sake I was patient with all this lawlessness for so long; those who recognized and obeyed my beloved son, accepted my call and became my sons and daughters. In the place where everyone betrayed me, disparaged my name and hated me, these kept their hearts faithful to me and I will reward them.

Therefore, I command my servants — even before the rock falls, take my sons and daughters from the dying land and settle them in one of the many mansions of my house, prepared for my children. Let the doors of the new ministry open wide before them. And although it is no longer possible to save that vineyard, I have acquired beloved children and they will be with me forever, and I with them."