This is the longest parable in Mark's gospel and is treated allegorically, each point symbolizing something significant, unlike the brief parables which concentrate on one pointed saying. The meaning is clear enough. The owner represented God, the vineyard was Israel, the tenants the unfaithful Jews, the slaves the prophets and the son Jesus. The parable begins with words similar to those of Isaiah 5: 1-2; in 12: 10-11 words are quoted from Psalm 118:22-23. This quotation is also found in 1 Peter 2:7 and in both Mark's gospel and Peter's letter .it is clear that the rejected stone represents Jesus. The Jewish leaders understood that the parable condemned them; they tried to arrest Jesus but were afraid of the crowd who were listening to him.