02/09/2026
Sunday Feb 8, 2026
Matthew 21:33–46 (NKJV)
Today, I heard about the parable of the wicked vinedressers.
In this passage, the landowner represents God, and the vinedressers represent us.
“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.” (Matthew 21:33, NKJV)
Here, the landowner prepared everything and invited the vinedressers into the vineyard. It was not because they were especially good, but because the owner had prepared everything and allowed them to receive all things.
At first, the vinedressers must have entered with thankful hearts. They probably taught their children, “Live with gratitude toward the owner.” But something strange happened.
When the time of harvest drew near, the owner sent his servants to receive his fruit.
“Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.” (Matthew 21:34, NKJV)
Considering the grace they had received, one would expect them to serve the servants with gratitude. But Scripture says they beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
This is how people treated Jesus when He came into the world. The chief priests, Levites, and scribes—who knew the Scriptures and claimed to seek God—said, “By what authority are You doing these things?” They despised Him, rejected the Savior whom God had sent, and eventually crucified Him.
The vinedressers in Matthew 21 are not only people who despised Jesus 2,000 years ago. They represent us.
Even today, as we live our lives, God has granted us all things. Yet in our hearts, we forget God. We work hard in the vineyard, cultivate it, harvest its fruit, and what we have done becomes large in our hearts. Then, when the servants come saying, “Give the fruit that God has granted,” in our hearts we beat them, kill them, and stone them.
What do we have that we did not receive? We received all things. In truth, we were sold under sin, slaves of sin, destined for hell. But God sent His Son, forgave our sins, and purchased us with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Yet what caused God and Jesus to be rejected was that our righteousness was established—I am right, I worked hard, I did well. As “my” things grow larger—my job, my family, my time—what God has granted fades from our hearts. Gratitude toward God disappears, and everything He has given begins to feel burdensome.
In the same way, let us look at Abraham and his nephew Lot. God blessed Abraham, and Abraham became a blessing. Lot was blessed because he walked with Abraham. But later, Lot could no longer remain with Abraham because his possessions increased.
“Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.” (Genesis 13:6, NKJV)
Everything Lot gained came through Abraham, because God blessed Abraham. Yet in his heart, he began to think that he himself was capable and successful. Wanting to prosper himself, his flocks, and his family, he chose according to what seemed good to his eyes.
“And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere… like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt.” (Genesis 13:10, NKJV)
Because Lot could not see the future, he chose what looked best to him—and that place was S***m and Gomorrah. At first, it seemed prosperous. His flocks increased, and he appeared to live well. But in the end, when God judged S***m and Gomorrah, God remembered Abraham and sent angels to bring them out. Yet Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt, and his two daughters committed in**st with their father, producing Moab and Ammon, who were excluded from the assembly of the LORD.
The result of Lot’s path was this: as he sought his own good, his possessions grew, and he could no longer remain with Abraham. Following his own eyes, he lost everything he wanted to protect.
The vinedressers in Matthew 21 and Lot in Genesis 13 are the same. They received everything by God’s grace, but as their own things grew larger in their hearts, everything became burdensome. They began to think that what they had done was greater than the owner, forgot the owner’s grace, killed the owner’s servants, and even killed the owner’s son.
Even in our spiritual life, Satan leads our hearts this way. Our works and our confidence in ourselves cause us to lose sight of who the Owner is, lose the church, and live according to our own thoughts—without realizing the outcome of such a life.
Satan works powerfully in our hearts, especially in those who have been saved for a long time. As self grows larger, gratitude for the gospel disappears. The gospel is no longer preached, and people live to establish themselves and their own works. This is what Matthew 21 reveals as it shines light on our hearts.
