But the tenants seized his servants: one they beat, one they killed, and one they stoned.
The tenants, symbolizing Israel’s religious leaders and the disobedient people, violently rejected the master’s servants—that is, the prophets sent by God. This statement recalls the history of the Old Testament, where prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, and others were persecuted, tortured, or killed by their own people. Jesus shows that violence against the prophets was not a historical accident, but an ongoing rebellion against God’s will. This parable exposes human blindness: instead of bearing the fruit of righteousness, they resort to violence against God’s messengers.