Matthew 21:38

“But the vineyard workers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and take his inheritance.' ”

The reaction of the husbandmen is then given. ‘Said among themselves' was a hint of what Jesus' listeners were already secretly doing. They were whispering among themselves. They would kill the heir so that they might retain control of the inheritance. For the Law allowed for the fact that if those in physical possession of land were able to farm it untroubled by anyone for a number of years they could claim legal possession of it for themselves, and they had probably gained the impression that the owner was unwilling to come himself. Thus they may well have thought that if the heir was slain they would be left alone. Perhaps they also saw his coming as signifying that the father was dead. They certainly saw it as a display of weakness. They could not understand His longsuffering.

Certainly as the Jewish leaders saw the great crowds hanging on to Jesus' every word they must have felt that ‘their inheritance' was slipping away from them. Thus the picture is graphic, and in view of their plans to kill Jesus (Matthew 12:14; Mark 3:6; John 11:50; John 11:53; see also Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:23; Matthew 20:18), a telling one. And they would feel that once He was out of the way they would be able to get a grip on things and regain control over the inheritance.

‘Let us kill him.' The words are similar to those used by Joseph's brothers in Genesis 37:20 (see LXX). Jesus was likening these men to Joseph's brothers, full of hate and jealousy towards a brother. Joseph's brothers had been forerunners of the persecutors of the prophets, and of these men who now planned Jesus' downfall.