Matthew 21:43Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In Isaiah, He poses the rhetorical question, “What more should I have done for My vineyard that I have not done to it?” (Isaiah 5:4). Additionally, in Jeremiah, He asks, “What unrighteousness have your fathers found in Me?” (Jer. 2:5), and in Micah, He queries, “My people, what have I done to you, and what have I burdened you with?” (Micah 6:3). This imagery serves to illustrate the ingratitude of the Jewish nation, which, despite receiving His abundant blessings, responded in opposition to Him. The intensity of this message is heightened here. Instead of merely asking, “What more should I have done... that I have not done?” He poses the scenario where they themselves pronounce the verdict that all has been provided for them, thus condemning themselves. Their statement, “These evildoers shall be put to an evil death, and the vineyard shall be given to other vinedressers,” signifies that they have issued the harshest sentence upon themselves. Moreover, Stephen admonishes them for this, particularly emphasizing how, despite continuously enjoying God's profound care, they have repaid their Benefactor in a grievous manner (Acts 7:51-52). This clearly illustrates that it was not the punisher but the punished who were responsible for the judgment rendered against them. This truth is further affirmed through both parable and prophecy. Christ did not limit Himself to a single parable; He also referenced two additional prophecies, one from David and another concerning Himself. When the Jews heard these words, what should have been their response? Should they not have worshiped the Lord? Should they not have marveled at God’s providence towards them, both in ancient times and thereafter? If no amount of grace could lead them to improvement, should they not have at least been stirred to awareness by the fear of impending judgment? Yet, they did not.

Just as there is a hierarchy of punishment for wickedness, with each person receiving consequences according to their deeds, so too is there a hierarchy of glory for righteousness, where each is rewarded in accordance with their good works. The chief priests of the Old Testament, having lost faith in God due to their overwhelming wickedness, openly confronted God Himself (recognizing Christ as the Son of God) and were no longer restrained from committing evil. Does this strike you as startling? Every evildoer, through the exercise of his will, raises his hand against God and seeks to extinguish Him. Those who do not hesitate to provoke God's anger violate His commandments, disregard His name, blaspheme, and complain against Him. They look up to heaven with ire, gesture angrily towards God, and if it were possible, would wish to eliminate Him so that they could sin without consequence.

St. Chrysostom notes that even at this moment, the Lord refrained from directly identifying the Gentiles as heirs to the Kingdom of God, seeking to avoid provoking the Jews against Himself, merely indicating that it would be given to the nation that yields its fruits. It is likely for this reason that He shared this parable, so that the Jews themselves would render a judgment, much like David responded to Nathan's parable. Consider how just the judgment is when those being chastised condemn themselves! To illustrate that this is not only demanded by justice, but also foretold by the grace of the Holy Spirit, which God has ordained, Jesus Christ references a prophecy. He describes Himself as the stone, with the Jewish leaders as the builders; a sentiment echoed by the prophet Ezekiel, who states that when they construct a wall, they cover it with plaster (Ezekiel 13:10). How did they "reject it"? When they claimed, "This man is not from God" (John 9:16), and "You are a Samaritan, and you have a demon" (John 8:48). Ultimately, to make it clear that they risk more than just one form of rejection, the implications of their actions lead to their own demise.

This first shattering represents the repentance that leads to embracing the kingdom of the Messiah, while the second shattering signifies the divine judgment, akin to the vision Daniel received, which resulted from a stone striking the feet of the statue (Dan. 2:45; cf. Is. 8:14-15).

Archbishop Innocent elucidates these words in this manner: "Psalm 118 contains the solemn hymn through which David expresses gratitude to God in the temple following the defeat of his foes. The Jewish people are likened to a structure, with Saul and the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel serving as the builders. The rejected stone represents David, whom the Lord appointed as the cornerstone—making him king and granting him victory. David serves as the archetypal figure of his great descendant, the Messiah, and many aspects of his reign and personal experiences mystically connect to Jesus Christ. We can infer that Jesus had in mind these verses from the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 8:14-15): 'And He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel...' Many will stumble and be broken. In this context, Jesus identified Himself as the rock. Those who fall upon this rock are the Jews who, lured by His humbled appearance, failed to receive His message. For them, repentance was accessible, and their consequence was merely the loss of divine favor. However, there were others among the non-believers upon whom the stone would fall to bring destruction, as their sins arose from malice and defiance, not from ignorance and weakness; they were unrepentant and thus undeserving of mercy. One such disastrous fall was witnessed during the destruction of Jerusalem."

They are seen as one people, reflecting the one nation historically chosen by God (the physical Israel is now represented by the spiritual Israel), illustrating the unity of this community and the essence of the law of love. "To him that bringeth forth his fruits" refers to the genuine fruits of faith and virtue that define the new kingdom, as noted in Matthew 3:8.

Others, who stubbornly cleared their path through malice and unyielding hearts, prepared themselves for ultimate destruction through their disbelief. The overwhelming force of this stone was witnessed by the apostate Jews when the Romans ultimately subjugated them, and all who replicate their lack of faith will face a similar fate at the final judgment.