We want to be wanted, trusted, and given a place to produce fruit. The parable of the wicked husbandmen cuts through that longing: it asks who we are as stewards of what God has given and whether we'll hand back life or hand back violence. What makes this story urgent is that it’s not an abstract lesson—Jesus tells it to religious leaders who are sitting in judgment, and it lands like a mirror on all of us.

In simple terms: a landowner plants a vineyard and rents it to tenants. When harvest time comes, he sends servants to collect his share; the tenants beat or kill the servants. Finally the owner sends his son, thinking they’ll respect him—but the tenants kill the son to seize the inheritance. The owner punishes those tenants and gives the vineyard to others. Matthew (21:33–46), Mark (12:1–12) and Luke (20:9–18) each tell this parable; Matthew and Mark give more detail about the leaders’ reaction and explicitly connect the story to Psalm language about the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone. Luke’s account is concise but reaches the same verdict. (This parable is in the Synoptics; John has no parallel story, though he has other vine imagery.)

What this exposes about Jesus, the Kingdom, and us is stark: God patiently sends messengers; people often respond with entitlement, violence, and theft. Jesus identifies himself as the Son—rejected but central—the foundation of a new order. The parable is both an indictment and a warning: stewardship matters. It’s heavy because it confronts religious hypocrisy and cruelty, yet it’s full of grace because the vineyard is ultimately entrusted to faithful hands. Don’t miss how personal this is—Jesus is naming real failure but also opening the way for a new community built on repentance and faith.

Practical, today: take five minutes and list three things God has entrusted you (time, money, relationships, influence, work). Ask: am I protecting, producing, or exploiting these? Then do one concrete act—call to reconcile with someone, give away a portion of income, or rearrange your schedule to serve someone in need this week. Close by praying a short honest prayer: “Lord, I’m yours—teach me to tend what you’ve given.”