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 Jesus and His disciples leave Jericho, they travel north to Jerusalem. When they are about a mile away from their destination, they stop at a village called Bethphage, situated on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives (see Matthew 21:2). This is the beginning of Jesus’ last week on earth, and the last time He will be in Jerusalem for the annual celebration of the Passover.
The journey from Jericho in the Jordan Valley to the Mount of Olives, is a journey from a lower elevation to a higher one. In this regard, mountains often signify the highest, most loving aspects of God. And the golden oil of the olive, which was used to soothe wounds, signifies the healing power of God’s love. Therefore, 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. And that divine love, which is His very soul, will be expressed in His words and actions. 1
When Jesus and His disciples arrive at the Mount of Olives, the first thing He does is to send two of His disciples into the village to get two donkeys. One is a female donkey, called in the original Greek, a “she-ass,” and the other is a male donkey, called in the original Greek, the “colt of the she-ass.” This is the fulfillment of 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 her colt, the disciples put their garments on the two animals so that Jesus can sit on them. In doing so, the disciples are following an ancient tradition in which the casting down of one’s garments recognizes one’s willingness to submit to a new king.
For example, in the Hebrew scriptures, a story is told about a military commander named Jehu. When it is announced that the Lord has chosen Jehu to be the new king, Jehu’s officers immediately place their outer garments at his feet so that Jehu might stand upon their clothing. This gesture reflected their willingness to acknowledge Jehu as their new king and follow his leading. As it is written, “They immediately placed their garments under Jehu…. And they blew trumpets, saying, ‘Jehu is king!’” (2 Kings 9:13).
Similarly, the willingness of the disciples to place their garments under Jesus represents their acknowledgment of Jesus as their king. As it is written, “They brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their clothes on them so that Jesus might sit on them” Matthew 21:7 2
It should be noted that Matthew is the only gospel that mentions two animals, the female donkey and her offspring, the male colt. The gospels of Mark, Luke, and John only mention one animal, the male colt. This is because Matthew, which is the first gospel, records the most general principles of spiritual life. In this regard, the female donkey represents love and affection. And the male colt represents the truth and understanding that is born from a loving heart. Moreover, Jesus sits above them both, keeping them together as He rides along, even as He strives to keep goodness and truth together in each of us. 3
As Jesus rides into Jerusalem, seated upon the garments of the disciples, the people spread their own garments on the road along with the branches of trees. As it is written, “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” Matthew 21:8.
In the Word, clothing signifies truth. This is because clothing protects our body the way truth protects our soul. When we are in goodness alone, without the protection of truth, we can be deceived, misled, and taken advantage of. The protective truths of the Lord’s Word are given to protect us from being misguided and led astray. Therefore, when garments are laid under the Lord and on the road, it represents our willingness to submit all of our thoughts to the Lord’s protection and leading. In the Word, being stripped of clothing represents being deprived of truth. 4
There is also symbolism in the branches that are spread along the road. Just as the many branches of a tree can rise to great heights, higher perceptions can arise within us as we study the scriptures. Even so, these higher perceptions of goodness and truth must be laid before the Lord just as the people placed the branches of trees along the road. This represents the humble acknowledgement that every perception we have must be laid before the Lord and subject to His direction and leading. 5
This is the beautiful picture that is presented to us as Jesus 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, the clothing of the multitudes, and the branches that have been placed along the road. 6
Through this divine imagery, we are given a glimpse of what takes place when we first receive the Lord in our life, then become willing to do what is good, and therefore desire to understand what is true. Finally, we acknowledge that the goodness we have gained, the truth we have learned, and the perceptions we have received, are all from the Lord, the divine Ruler who governs each of our lives.
As Jesus rides into Jerusalem, indicating that He is about to become king, the people are jubilant. They have been waiting and hoping for the day when Jesus would save them from Roman oppression. For them, this day of salvation has finally arrived. Feeling triumphant, they cry out “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest” Matthew 21:9.
In the original Greek, the word Hosanna [ὡσαννά] is a transliteration of the Hebrew word hôsî-âh-nā [הֹשִׁיעָה נָא] which means “Save now” or “Save us now.” In the Hebrew scriptures, this term conveys a deep longing for immediate help. For example, in the psalms of David, the people cry out, “This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. O, Lord, save us [Hosanna] we pray. Send now prosperity. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 118:24-26).
Verses like this from the psalms of David were most likely in the minds of the people as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that memorable day. Ever since then, this event has been known as “The Triumphal Entry.”
A practical application
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the people shouted, “Hosanna in the highest,” praying that the Lord would save them. Today you can pray in that same spirit, crying out to the Lord for immediate help, especially when you find yourself in a challenging situation or have a difficult decision to make. Know that He is riding into your Jerusalem — the place in your mind where you have learned and stored up spiritual truth. As a practical application, then, allow the Lord to help you decide how to make use of what you have learned. Let Him show you how to apply the truth you have learned in a way that is most loving and most useful. These truths are the garments and branches that you lay before Him, submitting everything you know and believe to the Lord’s guidance. Pray that you might receive the highest guidance and the highest insights possible. In so doing, you will be crying out to Jesus as He enters your Jerusalem while you say, “Hosanna! Save now, I pray. Hosanna in the highest.”
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 pleasing to proclaim that the Lord is our King and wonderful 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 now, grant us prosperity” (Psalm 118:25).
At the same time, however, 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, there would be nothing for us to do. There would be no inner growth and no spiritual development. In brief, without effort, we would be spiritual weaklings.
That is why the real work of salvation requires effort. 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. While it is true that the Lord supplies everything we need for this battle, and that every effort to do good and think truth is from the Lord, we still must do our part. Without Him we can do nothing; but without effort we cannot grow. 7
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 we 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 that prevents us from experiencing His presence and remove every feeling that prevents us from doing His will. Therefore, it is written 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” Matthew 21:12.
This 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’” Matthew 21:13.
These words, which were proclaimed by Jesus as He was about to enter the temple, have become well-known. It is less well-known, however, that Jesus was quoting from the book of Jeremiah. In that book, the Lord warns the people about hypocritical worship, especially the kind of worship that consists in idle prayers and meaningless sacrifices without first striving to put away one’s sins. As the Lord says in Jeremiah, “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name?... Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves?” (Jeremiah 7:9-11). 8
If we read these words merely at the literal level, there is a danger that it will encourage contempt for the people who bought and sold in the temple, as well as contempt for people who go through the external aspects of religion without first cleansing their thoughts and intentions. While it is most certainly sacrilegious for anyone to use religion for selfish profit, we cannot grow by condemning them.
Rather, we should examine our own hearts and minds, and recognize how we, like those who bought and sold in the temple, can use the things of religion for our own advantage. In what ways might we also be using sacred scripture to justify our selfish ambitions, advance our own agendas, and justify feelings of contempt for others? 9
At a deeper level, whenever we attribute to ourselves the honor and glory that belong to the Lord, we are commit spiritual theft. We are making “the house of God” — that is, our own minds — a “den of thieves.” 10
Out of the mouth of babes
When Jesus made His triumphal entry, the people shouted “Hosanna,” fully expecting that He was about to sit on His throne, reign as their new king, and save them from Roman oppression. As a first step, it might be expected that Jesus would go directly to the palace, unseat the Roman governor, and seize the throne. But this is not the kind of takeover that Jesus has in mind. His mission is not to bring about a political revolution, but rather to bring about a revolution in human consciousness.
Therefore, instead of heading for the palace, the seat of Roman government, Jesus heads for the temple, the center of religious worship. This pictures God Himself coming into the world as a spiritual king, a divine lawgiver who comes to defeat spiritual enemies, restore a proper understanding of the Word, and lead all people to the kingdom of heaven. This is represented by what Jesus does immediately after He clears out the money changers and those who sold doves. As it is written, “Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He cured them” Matthew 21:14.
In each of our lives, the coming of the Lord as a divine king begins with the clearing out of those thoughts and feelings that oppose, pervert, or use for selfish advantage the truth of the Lord’s Word. This, as we have mentioned, is represented by the clearing out of the moneychangers and those who sold doves. This is followed immediately by the healing of the blind and the lame in the temple. The healing of blindness represents deliverance from falsity so that we might see the truth. We are no longer “blind.” And once we see the truth, we can walk in the way of truth. We are no longer “lame.”
Nevertheless, there are always parts of our mind that vehemently oppose what Jesus is doing. These are the parts of our mind that do not want to change. These strongholds of selfishness strenuously resist any attempt we might make to change the course of our lives. This is because our old habits of thought and our customary responses, no matter how destructive, feel comfortable. On the other hand, new ways of thinking and responding, no matter how healing they might be, are seen as difficult, painful, and not worth the effort.
This clash between the part of us that resists any change, and the part of us that welcomes change is represented by the two types of people who witness Jesus’ healing miracles in the temple. On one side are the chief priests and scribes who bitterly resent what Jesus is doing. On the other side are the children who are crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David” Matthew 21:15.
These children who are praising Jesus and calling out to Him represent the innocent parts of us that can never be lost. These “children” are those deep, innocent thoughts and feelings that remain with us wherever we go. These are the holy places within us, stored deeply in the innermost parts of our mind. These are the parts of us which cry out again and again, not just in the streets of Jerusalem outside of the temple, but also within the very temple itself. In spiritual reality, these innermost places of worship are our “holy temple.”
When the religious leaders see what is happening and hear the children shouting, they are indignant, not just because the children are crying out in the temple, but because they are praising Jesus. Moreover, 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?” Jesus has not only heard what they are saying, but He commends the children for praising Him: “Yes,” Jesus says. And then He adds, “Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” Matthew 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 spiritual 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. Although these states may seem weak and helpless, they are our greatest 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 the city to Bethany, and He lodged there” Matthew 21:17.
A practical application
The blind and the lame who approach Jesus in the temple represent not only our spiritual blindness, but also our tendency to blindly hobble through life without the light of divine truth to guide us. Even though we might mean well, we still find that we are in the darkness, making poor choices, and unintentionally hurting people. This is because we have been blind to those truths that could open our spiritual eyes, cure our spiritual lameness, and give us spiritual discernment. As a practical application, then, acknowledge that the noble thoughts you think and the kind deeds that you do are not your own but are from the Lord who is working in you and through you. Unlike those who profited from exchanging money and selling doves, give God the credit for every noble thought you think, represented by exchanging money, and every kind deed you do, represented by selling doves. In other words, give credit where credit is due. 11
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 that there are still places within us that are “blind” and “lame.” At the same time, we also discover places of innocence in us that acknowledge our need for the Lord’s guidance. In this way, the temple of our mind is re-ordered by the Lord. The “last,” the innocent 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 (Matthew 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 life of heaven. We learn truths in abundance (leaves), but do not do any good; that is, we produce no fruit. 12
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” Matthew 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?” Matthew 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” Matthew 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 in the Hebrew scriptures, “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). 13
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” Matthew 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?” Matthew 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?” Matthew 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?” Matthew 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” Matthew 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 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 cause every valley of humility to be exalted, and every mountain of prideful self-love to be brought low. 14
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.”
While Jesus is still in the temple, He 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 later he regrets his decision and goes to work in the vineyard. 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?” Matthew 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, and were 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” Matthew 21:32.
With these words, Jesus removes any ambiguity regarding 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 will. The case is similar for each of us whenever we refuse to live by the plain, open teachings of John the Baptist. Like the call to repentance, these are the 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, Jesus says that the tax collectors and harlots will enter the kingdom of God before the religious leaders. 15
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 a parable about a landowner who leased his vineyard to vinedressers. 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” Matthew 21:33. When it is harvest time, the landowner sends his servants to the vinedressers “that they might receive its fruit” Matthew 21:34. The emphasis, once again, 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 Matthew 21:18). 16
But the vinedressers give them no fruit. Instead, “the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another” Matthew 21:35. Not only do they give no fruit, but they also 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” Matthew 5:12.
When Jesus speaks about the beating, killing, and stoning of the landowner’s servants, 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 were mistreated whenever they spoke about repentance and the necessity of returning to the Lord.
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). Also, “Your sword has devoured your prophets like a roaring lion” (Jeremiah 3:29-30 ). 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.’” Matthew 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 without following Jesus’ teachings. Jesus puts it this way: “They took him, cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him” Matthew 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?” Matthew 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” Matthew 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. 17
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.” 18
So far, the religious leaders still do not get the point. Nor do we if we 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. “Have you never read the scriptures?” says Jesus. Then quoting from the psalms, He says, “The stone which the builders rejected has been made into the head of the corner. This was made by the Lord. And it is marvelous in our eyes” (Matthew 21:42; see also Psalm 118:22, 23).
Continuing to address the religious leaders directly, Jesus says, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” Matthew 21:43. 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” Matthew 21:44.
What is this stone? Jesus has already told them 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 that time, Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build My church” Matthew 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” Matthew 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).
In these concluding words, Jesus is telling the religious leaders that truth is given so that people might live fruitful lives. This is also a reminder that whoever hears His words and lives according to them will be able to meet adversity like a house built upon a rock. On the other hand, those who doubt His words will stumble and be broken. And those who willfully reject His words will be ground to powder and utterly destroyed.
While the literal sense conveys the impression that the Lord will exact judgment upon those who doubt or deny His words, the spiritual sense speaks about the misery that ensues as a natural consequence when we misunderstand or reject His teachings.
When we misunderstand the truth, we stumble in the darkness, fall, and are broken. But we can rise again, learn the truth, and heal the broken parts. If, however, we stubbornly persist in denying the truth, we are not just “broken,” but are “ground to powder.” In other words, if we persist in rejecting the Lord, charity, and faith, we destroy spiritual life in ourselves. 19
As this episode comes to a close, it seems that the religious leaders finally get the point. As it is written, “They perceived that He was speaking about them” Matthew 21:45. Unfortunately, they stubbornly reject the truth and refuse 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” Matthew 21:46.
A practical application
It can be hard to take criticism, even constructive criticism. It can feel like a “stone of stumbling” or a “rock of offense.” A prideful ego can become defensive or dismissive. It resists anything it perceives as disapproval. But it is far better to learn from our errors than to stubbornly resist criticism and resent those who deliver it. Even though your ego might feel insulted, injured, or offended for the moment, you can use this experience as an opportunity for greater awareness and deeper growth. As a practical application, then, notice the tendency to resist any form of criticism. Instead, consider that you might have blind spots about yourself. With this in mind, strive to see if there is any truth in the criticism or complaint. If so, receive it graciously, learn from it, and use it to refine your spirit. As it is written, “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand” (Psalm 37:24).
Footnotes:
1. Apocalypse Explained 405: “Jesus went from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem and suffered. This signified that in all things He acted from divine love, for the Mount of Olives signified that love.” See also Arcana Coelestia 9780:12: “The Mount of Olives represented heaven in respect to the good of love and of charity.” See also 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.” See also Arcana Coelestia 9296:5: “Oil, which is a product of the press, signifies goodness which is the source of truth.”
2. Apocalypse Explained 1232: “The ‘disciples’ signify all who acknowledge and receive the Lord.”
3. Arcana Coelestia 54: “The inner meaning of male and female was very familiar to the earliest people…. Because of this, they called the understanding in the spiritual person ‘male’ and they called the will in the spiritual person ‘female.’” See also Arcana Coelestia 8761: “The union of divine goodness and divine truth is the soul and life of heaven.”
4. Conjugial Love 325: “Goodness cannot protect itself except by means of truth. Therefore, truth is the defense and, as it were, the arm of goodness.” See also Arcana Coelestia 2454: “In the Word, ‘garments’ signify truths, for truths act as garments in clothing good.” See also Apocalypse Explained 187:5: “By being ‘naked’ represents the deprivation of truth.”
5. Arcana Coelestia 9212:6: “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 signify the truths themselves.” See also Arcana Coelestia 102: “In the Word, a ‘tree’ signifies perception; a ‘tree desirable to behold’ signifies the perception of truth; a ‘tree good for food’ signifies the perception of good; and the ‘tree of lives’ signifies the love and the faith that comes from that perception.”
6. Arcana Coelestia 9212:6: “By the disciples putting their garments on the she-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.” See also 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.”
7. True Christian Religion 331:4: “People ought to purify themselves from evils and not expect the Lord to do this for them. Otherwise, it would be like a servant with face and clothes covered with soot and filth, who goes to his master and says, ‘My lord, wash me.’ Would not his master say to him, ‘You foolish servant, what do you mean? See, there are water, soap, and a towel; have you not hands of your own and power to use them? Wash yourself.’ And the Lord God will surely say, ‘You have from me the means of purification, and also the will and the power. Therefore, use these my gifts and endowments as your own, and you will be purified.’” See also Arcana Coelestia 5759: “At last people acknowledge that their every effort of doing good and thinking truth was and is from the Lord.”
8. Apocalypse Explained 325:10-12: “Jesus said, ‘It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of robbers…. People do not know that their life and their prayers make one…. Moreover, when people are in a life of charity, they are continually at prayer, if not with the mouth yet with the heart; for that which is of the love is constantly in the thought, even when they are unconscious of it. From this is clear that ‘praying’ in the spiritual sense is worship from love.”
9. Apocalypse Explained 840: “‘Those that sold and bought’ here signify those who make gain for themselves out of holy things of the church…. They are ‘thieves’ because they pillage the truths and goods of the church, and thus make to themselves gain.”
10. 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.”
11. 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.” See also Heaven and Hell 302: “If people only believed, as is really true, that all good is from the Lord and all evil from hell, they would not take credit for the good that is in them…. Instead, they would look to the Lord in all the good they think and do, and all the evil that flows in would be cast down to hell from which it comes. But because people do not believe that anything flows into them either from heaven or from hell, and therefore suppose that all things that they think and will are in themselves and therefore from themselves, they appropriate the evil to themselves, and they defile the good that flows in by taking credit for it.”
12. 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, that person is the fig tree which withers away and is cut down.”
13. 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 to be upon high mountains, and yet bodily they are in the hells.”
14. Arcana Coelestia 1306: “The worship of self exists when people exalt themselves 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.”
15. 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.”
16. Arcana Coelestia 1690:3 “The love that was the Lord’s very life is meant by His being hungry.”
17. 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.”
18. 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 comes, He will destroy the wicked ones and will let His vineyard unto another husbandman who shall return Him the fruits in their time.”
19. True Christian Religion 336:3: “The Lord, charity, and faith make one, like life, will, and understanding in a person. If they are divided, each is destroyed, like a pearl reduced to powder.”
