And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.
All Commentaries on Mark 12:12 Go To Mark 12
Bede
AD 735
In Marc., 3, 42: Or else, the hedgeis the wall of the city, the wine fat is the altar, or those wine fats, by which three psalms receive their name.
Not by any change of place, but He seemed to go away from the vineyard, that He might leave the husbandmen to acton their own freewill. It goes on: “And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.”.
By the servant who was first sent we must understand Moses, but they beat him, and sent him away empty, because “they angered Moses in the tents.” .
Or else, this is not said in ignorance, but God is said to doubt, that freedom of will may be left to man.
The Lord proves most clearly that the chiefs of the Jews did not crucify the Son of God through ignorance, but through envy; for they understood that this was He to whom it was said, “I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance.” But these evil husbandmen strove to seize upon it by slaying Him, when the Jews crucifying Him tried to extinguish the faith which is by Him, and rather to bring forward their own righteousness which is by the Law, and to thrust it on the nations, and to imbue them withit.There follows: “And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.”.
Or, as far as in them lay, they cast Him out of their own borders, and gave Him up to the Gentiles that they might receive Him. There follows: “What then will the Lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy those husbandmen, and give the vineyard unto others.”.
But that this was done by Divine interposition He affirms, by immediately afterwards adding, “And have ye not read this Scripture, The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone in the corner? "As if He had said, how is this prophecy tobe fulfilled, save in that Christ, being rejected and slain by you, is to be preached to the Gentiles, who will believe on Him? Thus then as a corner stone, He will found the two people on Himself, and of the two people will build for Himself a city of the faithful, one temple. For the masters of the synagogue, whom He had just called husbandmen, He now calls “builders”, because the same persons, who seemed to cultivate His people, that they might bear the fruits of life, like a vineyard, were also commanded to construct and adorn this people, to be, as it were, a house worthy to have God for its inhabitant. The Church indeed is wonderful, as it were resting on wonders, for the Lord worked with the Apostles, and confirmed the word with signs. And this is what is meant, when it is said, “This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.”.
But the Chief Priests showed that those things which the Lord had spoken were true; which is proved from what follows: “And they sought to lay hold on him;” for He Himself is the heir, whose unjust death He said was to be revenged by the Father. Again, in a moral sense, each of the faithful, when the Sacrament of Baptism is intrusted to him, receives on hire a vineyard, which he is to cultivate. But the servant sent to him is evil intreated, beaten, and cast out, when the word is heard by him and despised, or, what is worse, even blasphemed; further, he kills, as far as in him lies, the heir, who has trampled under foot the Son of God. The evil husbandman is destroyed; and the vineyard given to another, when the humble shall be enriched with that gift of grace, which the proud man has scorned. And it happens daily in the Church, that the Chief Priests wishing to lay hands on Jesus, are held back by the multitude, when some on, who is a brother only in name, either blushes or fears to attack the unity of the faith of the Church, and of its peace, though he loves it not, on account of the number of good brethren who dwell together within it.
