The parables concern the secrets of the Kingdom. But they also address how and why the period during which the Kingdom would remain hidden came about. The parable of the wicked tenants is a fine example of this.
It is a parable rich in imagery, rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures. The story Jesus tells is not very long, but it is followed by a conversation with the chief priests and Pharisees in which the Lord explains His words to some extent — something unique, as He usually did this only for His disciples. As a result, the chief priests understood at least part of what Jesus said: He was speaking about them (Matt. 21:45).
Matthew 21 (based on ISA)
33 Hear another parable. There was a certain man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard.
another parable
This parable is part of a series of parables the Lord delivered in succession: the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (20:1–16), the parable of the two sons (21:28–32), and—following the parable of the wicked tenants (21:33–46) — the parable of the royal wedding feast (22:1–14).
a certain man, a landowner
We find various parables that begin with “a certain man” (Luke 14:16; 15:11) or “a certain king” (22:2), who is portrayed as the owner of something — in this case, a vineyard. Here, he is further described as a “householder”— a term we also frequently encounter in the parables (Matt. 13:27, 51; 20:1). In both instances, this refers to the Lord Himself. He is the owner of the house of Israel (e.g., Jer. 18:6).
vineyard
The vineyard, therefore, represents Israel. We must bear in mind that the chief priests and Pharisees, to whom the Lord addressed this parable, were familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures. They knew that the vineyard is a type of Israel, as the prophets had declared it to be.
Isaiah 5 NBG
1 I will sing of my beloved, the song of my beloved concerning his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill;
2 He dug it up, cleared it of stones, planted it with choice vines, built a tower in it, and also hewed out a winepress within it.
(…)
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel…