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Parable of the vineyard tenants

A parable Jesus told to those plotting to kill Him.
Contributed by Richard Gunther
Story also available on our translated websites: Spanish, Portuguese
1
Jesus was teaching in the Temple courts and the Chief Priests who wanted to kill Jesus were listening. He told them this parable. – Slide 1
2
It was a parable about a vineyard. Remember that parables have a hidden meaning. Can you work out the hidden meaning of this parable. – Slide 2
3
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. – Slide 3
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He built a wall around it. – Slide 4
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He dug a winepress where people could trample the grapes to get the juice from them. – Slide 5
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He also built a watchtower for a lookout to protect his crop from wild animals and thieves. – Slide 6
7
The owner then rented the vineyard to some tenant farmers who would look after it for him and give him his share of the harvest. The owner then moved to another land. – Slide 7
8
When harvest time approached, the owner sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. But when the tenants saw the owner’s servants they beat one of them and he left empty handed. – Slide 8
9
They stoned another and killed a third servant. <br/>When the owner heard what had happened, he decided to send a larger group of servants to get the harvest that belonged to him. – Slide 9
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The tenants treated them the same way. The wicked tenants wanted to control the vineyard and take the whole harvest for themselves. – Slide 10
11
On hearing this news the owner of the vineyard decided to send his one and only son to them. The owner dearly loved his son. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. – Slide 11
12
The wicked tenants saw him coming. ‘This is the heir,’ they muttered. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ – Slide 12
13
They attacked the vineyard owner’s son. Then threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. – Slide 13
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Jesus then turned to His listeners and asked, ‘What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do to those tenants?’ – Slide 14
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‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,’ they replied … – Slide 15
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‘… and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.’ – Slide 16
17
Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes.”’ – Slide 17
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Jesus continued, ‘The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and those who will produce its fruit. – Slide 18
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‘Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces … – Slide 19
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‘… anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.’ – Slide 20
21
The chief priests knew Jesus was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that Jesus was a prophet. – Slide 21
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Slide 22