The Parables of The Workers in the Vineyard & of The Tenants

In our April 3 meeting we read two more longer parables recorded by Matthew, the parables of The Workers in the Vineyard (20:1-16) and of The Tenants (21:33-44), and discussed the questions on them from The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups (Zondervan Publishing House, 1988), which Serendipity House Inc. gave me permission to use. The Serendipity Bible questions on a passage consist of OPEN questions to break the ice, DIG questions to interpret the passage, and REFLECT questions to apply the passage to our own lives. Below are the DIG questions and what I remember from our discussion of them.

The Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)

1. To what is the kingdom of heaven compared? Why is this parable told here (see 19:30 and 20:16)? I answered, “The kingdom of God is compared to a landowner’s hiring workers to work in his vineyard.” Other answers given in our discussion were a landlord and a vineyard. The parable is told here because it illustrates what Jesus had said in 19:30, “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”
2. Why are identical wages given to both early and late workers? Who is discontented and why (vv. 10-12)/ Is the landowner’s practice unjust, generous, or both? Why? Both early and late workers received the same amount because they’d agreed to work for that amount (verse 13). The early workers were discontented because they’d worked longer and in hot temperatures. We agreed that the landlord’s practice was generous to the late workers and unfair, at least from their perspective, to the early workers. I also mentioned that the landlord seemed to be rubbing in what he was doing to by having the late workers paid before the early workers.
3. How does this parable apply to the kingdom and to 19:30? Who gets any less of God: The “eleventh hour” converts (Gentiles)? Or those who should have known God all along from the “first hour”(the Jews)? The parable to the kingdom because both early and late converts receive it. Neither receives any less of God.

The Tenants (Matthew 21:33-44; Mark 12:1-11; Luke 20:9-18)

1. In this parable, who is represented as the landowner? The vineyard? Tenants? Servants? Son? The landlord represents God, the vineyard represents Israel (Isaiah 5:1-7; this was my answer; other answers given in our discussion were the world and God’s people), the tenants represent the Jewish leaders, the servants represent the Old Testament prophets, and the son represents Jesus Christ.
   2.What corresponds to the son’s death? To the removal of the wretched tenants? The crucifixion of Jesus corresponds to the son’s death. I said that the replacement of Israel by the Church as God’s people corresponds to the removal of the wretched tenants; other answers given in our discussion were the final judgment and Hell.
2. What is the main point of this parable (vv. 42-44)? The main point of this parable is that the kingdom of God would be taken away from Israel and given to the Church.
3. At whom does Jesus direct the parable? Why don’t they arrest him? Why don’t they repent and follow Jesus? The parable is directed at the chief priests and the Pharisees (verse 45). They didn’t arrest Jesus because they were afraid of the crowd (verse 46). They didn’t repent and follow Jesus because they didn’t believe him (see verses 23-27).

The Parables of the Ten Virgins & of the Sheep and the Goats

In our March 20 Life group meeting we read two parables that Matthew records Jesus as telling his disciples at the same time as he told them the parable of the Talents, which we studied in our previous meeting–the parables of The Ten Virgins (25:1-13) and The Sheep and the Goats (25:31-46)–and discussed the questions on them from The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups (Zondervan Publishing House, 1988), which Serendipity House Inc. gave me permission to use. The Serendipity Bible questions on a passage consist of OPEN questions to break the ice, DIG questions to interpret the passage, and REFLECT questions to apply the passage to our own lives. Below are the DIG questions and what I remember from our discussion of them.

The Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)

2. In what ways were the ten girls alike? Different? What unexpected event takes place (vv. 5-6)? With what embarrassing consequence (v. 8)?
   All ten girls were virgins, went out to meet the bridegroom, took lamps, and became drowsy and fell asleep when the bridegroom was a long time in coming. However five were wise and took oil in jars along with their lamps, and five were foolish and didn’t take oil in jars with their lamps. The unexpected event was that the bridegroom was a long time in coming and the ten virgins became drowsy and fell asleep. The embarrassing consequence was that the foolish virgins had to ask the wise virgins for some of their oil because their lamps were going out.
3. What is the point of this parable (see also 24:42)? The point of the parable is that we must keep watch because we don’t know when Jesus will return.

The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)

1. Does this story seem more like a parable or a prophecy? Why?
   We agreed that the story was more like a prophecy than a parable. Most gave as a reason that it told about the future. I added that the sheep and goats were just referred to in the initial verses, their being described instead as those on the king’s right and those on his left.
2. List the six actions Jesus will use as the basis of judgment? What kind of acts are these? For whom are they done now and ultimately (v. 40)? How do they benefit the doer?
   The six actions were giving something to eat to someone hungry, giving something to drink to someone thirsty, inviting in a stranger, clothing someone needing clothes, looking after someone sick, and visiting someone in prison. These are all acts of compassion or kindness. They are done for needing people now but ultimately for Jesus. They benefit the doer by the doer’s being invited into the kingdom of heaven.
3. How are those who don’t do the acts and those who do them similar? Different?
   Those who do the acts and those who don’t do them have the opportunity to do compassionate acts and address Jesus as “Lord.”
4. What does this section teach about Christian responsibility? Who, besides those mentioned here, might be considered “the least of these”?
   The parable teaches that Christians have a responsibility to show love towards others. We expressed different views as to whom Jesus described as “the least of these brothers and sisters of mine.” I shared the note in my NIV Study Bible, which lists these as the principal views: (1) all who are distressed, (2) apostles and other Christian missionaries, (3) the Jews during the tribulation preceding the millenium, (4) Jesus’ disciples, and (5) God’s people. I criticized (1) as too comprehensive, (2) and (4) as too restrictive, and (3) as not meaning anything to Jesus’ disciples (to whom the parable was told, Matthew 25:3).

We discussed whether the parable implied that works, as well as faith if Jesus, are necessary for salvation. We concluded that faith in Jesus will be manifested in love for him and others. I can’t remember what evidence we proposed in the meeting for this. However it is certainly indicated by John 15:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

The Parables of the Pharisee and the Tax-Collector and of the Talents

In our March 6 Life group meeting we read the parables of The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14) and The Talents (Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27) and discussed the questions on them from The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups (Zondervan Publishing House, 1988), which Serendipity House Inc. gave me permission to use. The Serendipity Bible questions on a passage consist of OPEN questions to break the ice, DIG questions to interpret the passage, and REFLECT questions to apply the passage to our own lives. Below are the DIG questions and what I remember from our discussion of them.

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)

1. If Jesus told this parable today, what group of people would be the “Pharisee”? The “tax collector”? What would be the “Pharisee’s” prayer?
   Our most popular answer for the “Pharisee” was the legalist whom our pastor warned us against in his sermon the previous morning, and our most popular answer for the “tax collector” was the person who didn’t win any souls for the Lord. We thought that the legalist’s prayer would be similar to that of the “Pharisee.” (The pastor’s sermon was the second in a series called “You Can Be Free.” The first sermon in the series was on being free from sin.)
2. How does the parable complement the one on the persistent widow (Verses 1-8)? How do both demonstrate faith? What do both teach about God? In both parables one of those involved persisted in asking his/her request in faith that it would be answered, and both parables taught that God his merciful.

The Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
I noted that Luke’s version of the parable differed in some details but taught the same lesson.

1. In this parable, who does the master represent? The journey? The talents? The servants?
   The master represented Jesus, the journey represented his ascension to heaven, the talents represented our abilities and our possessions, the servants represented us. (We noted that a “talent” was a coin and that some versions have “bag of gold/silver” instead.)
2. What happens to the two servants who doubled their investment? To the servant who hides his talent? On what basis were they rewarded?
   The two servants who doubled their investment got to keep what they’d been given and what they’d gained and were put in charge of many things. The servant who hid his talent had it taken from him and was thrown “outside, into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” All three were rewarded on the basis on what they’d done with their talents.
3. How does the master’s treatment of the one-talent servant seem to you? Fair? Harsh? Lenient? Why?
   Most of us felt that the master’s treatment of the one-talent servant was harsh, but we also expressed the view that it could be considered fair because the servants had been given the talents according to their abilities and so the master must have felt that each of them could have done something with what he/she was given.

The Parables of Jesus – Why Jesus Spoke in Parables

In our previous meeting we’d decided that when we finish studying What Happens When I Die?, we’d resume our earlier study of the parables of Jesus. The chapter of What Happens When I Die? that we studied in this meeting being short, we followed our study of it by redoing the first lesson that we’d done in that earlier study of the parables of Jesus. In that lesson we’d considered Matthew 13:10-17 in which Jesus answered his disciples’ question, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

I’d introduced that lesson thus: “‘Parable’ has been defined as ‘an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.’ Jesus told numerous parables during his ministry, of which we’re going to consider the nine for which The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups gives a questionnaire for beginning groups.” I’d then listed the nine parables.

I’d gone on to say: “This evening though we’re going to consider Matthew 13:10-17 in which Jesus answered his disciples’ question, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’ We’d then read Matthew 13:10-17 and discussed these questions asked by The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups on the passage:

1. Why do you think Jesus used parables as his teaching device? What do parables accomplish that simple and direct speech lacks?
2. How does Jesus’ challenge in verse 9 help explain verses 11-12? How does faith open you up to more spiritual insight?
3. How does the quotation from Isaiah (vv. 14-15) explain the difficulty of understanding parables (v. 13)?
4. In verses 16-17, Jesus gives a new beatitude. What have these disciples seen and heard that the prophets longed to see and hear? Are we included in this blessing, or was it only for the original disciples? Why do you think so?
   (I’d used the questions by permission of Serendipity House, Littleton, Colorado 80160.)

I can’t remember much of what we said in our discussion of the questions in redoing the lesson. Thus I’ll just copy here my report on our earlier discussion of the questions followed by comments in square brackets on our present discussion of them:

1. One of us suggested that a parable makes hearers think about how it applies and we discussed how this is true. In his commentary on Matthew, C. H. Spurgeon observes, “The usual reasons for the use of parable would be to make truth clear, to arrest attention, and to impress teaching upon the memory” (The Gospel of Matthew, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Fleming H. Revell, page 167). [We had a lengthy discussion which included the preceding.]
2. In verse 9 Jesus concluded his telling of the parable of the sower by issuing the challenge “Whoever has ears, let them hear” (ESV). We discussed how the believer’s faith enables him or her to find meaning in a parable and the unbeliever’s lack of faith prevents him or her from finding meaning in it. I noted that Jesus’ going on to explain the application of the parable of the sower to the disciples suggests that sometimes even believers need help (from the Holy Spirit and others) in understanding how a parable applies. [We said much the same thing.]
3. I shared my answer with the group: “In Isaiah 6:9-10 God decreed that Isaiah’s ministry to the people of Judah as they are described in Isaiah 1-5 would harden them and ensure their judgment. Similarly the ministry of Jesus, including the parables, would harden the hearts of those who didn’t believe in him, in particular the religious leaders, and so ensure their judgment.” [We considered instead the response of people today to the parables.]
4. We agreed that what the disciples saw which the prophets had longed to see and hear was the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and we agreed that we are included in this blessing. One of us suggested a Scripture passage confirming the latter, but I neglected to write down its reference–sorry! [We said much the same thing.]