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Matthew 21

And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

What does Matthew 21:36 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 21:36 speaks about the continued persistence of a master who sent servants to his tenants to collect his share of the harvest from his vineyard.

The tenants, however, mistreated these servants likewise, paralleling the treatment of the first group of servants mentioned in the preceding verse.

On a literal level, this verse describes an instance of repeated mistreatment of servants by tenants, suggesting a situation of ongoing conflict and disregard for the master's authority.

On a deeper level, the verse is part of a parable Jesus is telling, which is commonly interpreted as an allegory for how the prophets sent by God to the nation of Israel were mistreated, and how the people repeatedly rejected God's messengers.

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Historical Context

Matthew 21:36 is set within the context of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem, just days before his crucifixion.

The verse is part of the Parable of the Tenants, which is told in response to the confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders, who have questioned his authority.

At the time, Israel was under the rule of the Roman Empire, and the religious leaders held significant influence over the Jewish people.

This parable was a direct critique of the leaders' failure to lead the people according to God's will and their rejection of God’s messengers, the prophets.

Theological Insights

Different Christian denominations may offer varied theological interpretations of Matthew 21:36:

Traditional Christian Viewpoint: This verse is seen as a prophetic judgment against the leaders of Israel for their failure to recognize the prophets and, ultimately, Jesus as the Son of God.
Dispensationalism: Dispensationalists might interpret this as an outline of how Israel historically rejected God's messengers and how this rejection will play into the future unfolding of God's plan for the ages.
Covenant Theology: Advocates of this perspective might view the parable as highlighting the continuity of God’s covenant with his people and the unfaithfulness of Israel's leaders, who are custodians of this covenant.

Practical Applications

Matthew 21:36 can be applied in daily life in the following ways:

Accountability: It reminds individuals to be accountable for how they treat others, especially those who come bearing messages or in positions of vulnerability.
Obedience: It emphasizes the importance of obedience to rightful authority, in this case, divine authority symbolized by the servants sent by the master.
Learning from History: It serves as a warning to learn from the mistakes of the past and not to repeat the patterns of rejection and violence.

Cross-References

Matthew 23:34: "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:"
Luke 20:11: "And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty."
John 15:20: "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.

If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also."

Language Study

In the original Greek text of the New Testament, a significant word in this verse is "πάλιν" (palin), meaning "again".

This repetition emphasizes the continuous action of the master sending servants, highlighting the persistence of God in reaching out to His people.

Another term is "δούλους" (doulos), which translates to "servants" or "slaves" and represents the prophets or messengers in the parable.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Comparing this parable with other ancient myths:

Greek Mythology: In certain Greek myths, messengers from the gods are often met with different fates, sometimes honored and other times mistreated, reflecting the tension between divine intention and human action.
Judaism: The Hebrew Bible features numerous prophets who were mistreated or rejected, a theme that Jesus' parable draws from to communicate to a primarily Jewish audience.

Comparing with other religious interpretations:

Islam: The Qur'an also speaks of messengers being rejected and mistreated by their people, a motif in the stories of prophets in Islamic teachings.
Buddhism: While not directly analogous, Buddhist teachings on karma can relate to the idea that actions (such as mistreating messengers) have consequences.

Scientific Perspectives

Scientific viewpoints would not typically have a direct connection to the interpretation of this verse since it deals with spiritual and ethical teachings.

However, behavioral science might offer insights into the patterns of human behavior, such as the rejection of change or authority, which can provide a context for understanding the tenants' reactions in the parable.

Commentaries

Various biblical scholars and commentators have analyzed Matthew 21:36:

John Calvin: Calvin saw the verse as an indication of God's kindness and patience, demonstrating his mercy by continuing to send prophets despite repeated rejections.
William Barclay: Barclay emphasized the challenge posed to the Jewish leaders, interpreting the parable as a call to repentance and a warning of judgment.
**R.T.

France**: France noted that the verse indicates the escalating hostility against God's messengers and reflects the history of prophecy in Israel.

Matthew 21

Matthew 21

What does Matthew 21:36 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 21:36 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?