What does Luke 20:10 mean?

Jesus is on the Temple Mount telling the parable of the wicked tenants. The lesson begins with a landowner who plants a vineyard and finds tenants to care for it (Luke 20:9). At harvest time, the owner sends a servant to collect some of the grapes. Instead, the hired workers abuse the messenger and throw him out.

In Jesus' audience are chief priests, lawyers, and elders—businessmen (Luke 20:1). They are the leaders of the people: the tenants to whom God has entrusted His "vineyard." They are probably angry that Jesus cleaned the Temple Mount of the merchants who made them rich (Luke 19:45–48). The identity of the vineyard is likely the Jewish people, the fruit being God's followers' worship and obedience (Isaiah 5:1–7). The servant is one of God's prophets whom God sends to ensure the leaders are directing their own and the people's praise and honor to God—that they are living out the righteousness and justice that reflects His character and His commands. God, of course, is the landowner. The tenants send the servant back "empty-handed;" they will not lead the people to God. They'd rather keep the people's praise for themselves (John 12:42–43).

Occasionally in Israel's history, kings and priests would listen to God's prophets. Huldah (2 Kings 22:14—23:3; 2 Chronicles 34:22–33) and Isaiah (2 Kings 19:1–7; Isaiah 37:1–7) are examples of prophets whose words were heard. Often, however, Israel's rulers so resented God's will that they beat (Jeremiah 20:1–2) and even killed (1 Kings 18:13) His prophets (Matthew 23:34–37). Stephen mentions this before he is martyred (Acts 7:51–53) in the early days of the church.

In the parable, the landowner continues to send servants and the tenants continue to beat or kill them. Finally, he sends his son, presuming they will show him honor. Yet they kill him, too. In response, the landowner kills the tenants and replaces them. The listeners are incredulous and respond, "Surely not!" (Luke 20:16). They refuse to believe that the comparison applies to them and their abuse of power. Like the kings and religious leaders of old, they behave as if the leaders' positions are greater than God's words.

The "time" that has come may mean harvest, but because this is a new vineyard it may have been five years if the owner followed the Mosaic law (Leviticus 19:23–25). The landowner in Jesus' parable was in "another country for a long while" (Luke 20:9) so there is a sense of the tenants being given ample opportunity to tend to the land as well as ample opportunity to respond to the multiple servants sent.