Matthew 21:33-46

The Parable of the Vineyard (Mark 12:1 *, Luke 20:9). The chief peculiarities of Mt.'s version are (Matthew 21:39) the slaying of the heir outside the vineyard (perhaps a recollection of Jesus suffering without the gate), (Matthew 21:41) the opponents of Jesus pronouncing sentence on themselves and their class, and Matthew 21:43, where the word nation need not exclude Jews. Note that Mt. here (as in Matthew 12:38) has kingdom of God. His usual expression, kingdom of heaven, denotes the eschatological realm to be inaugurated at the Second Advent. This Kingdom had never been in the possession of the Jews, and so could not be taken from them. Mt. therefore uses kingdom of God in the theocratic sense familiar to the Jews of the time. Its use here may have led to its introduction in Matthew 21:31.

Matthew 21:46. Cf. Matthew 21:26, also Matthew 14:5, and in another light Matthew 21:11.