Matthew 21:38
“But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and seize his inheritance.’”
What does Matthew 21:38 mean?
In this parable, Jesus describes tenants who are renting land from a landowner. When the owner sends his son to collect what's owed, the tenants recognize him as the heir and realize that if they kill him, they can claim the property for themselves. Their logic is twisted but clear: they want to steal what doesn't belong to them by eliminating the rightful owner. Jesus is speaking directly to religious leaders who understood exactly what he meant. He's describing how they rejected God's messengers (the prophets) over time, and now they're planning to reject God's own Son. The parable reveals how fear and greed can push people toward terrible choices, and how resisting God's truth often leads to hardening our hearts rather than softening them. It's a sobering picture of what happens when we choose self-interest over what's right.