English
He said, ‘A creditor owned a vineyard. He leased it to some farmers so that they would work it and he would collect the produce from them. He sent his slave so that the farmers would give him the produce of the vineyard. They seized his slave and beat him, almost killing him. The slave went and told his master. The master said, “Maybe they did not recognize him.” He sent another slave. The farmers beat that one too. Then the master sent his son and said, “Maybe they will be ashamed in front of my son.” Since the farmers knew that he was heir to the vineyard, they seized him and killed him. Whoever has ears, let him hear.’
Interpretation
Matthew and Luke received the parable of the vineyard through Mark. Thomas and Matthew both situate it alongside the parable of the dinner, due to the similar themes, but in opposite order. Psa 118.22–23 was popular in early Christian literature, and its function as an interpretive lens for the parable of the vineyard—Jesus is the ‘rejected’ son who was ‘seized and killed’—indicates the two did not originate together. However, for the pairing to be found in both Thomas and Mark suggests the psalm quotation was attached to the parable quite early, so that both Saying 65 and 66 likely belong to the oldest version of Thomas.
Parallels
Mark
12.1–9 Then he began to speak to them in parables. ‘A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent another slave to them. This one they beat over the head and insulted. Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others. Some they beat, and others they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.’
Matthew
21.33–41 ‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’
Luke
20.9–16 He began to tell the people this parable. ‘A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went to another country for a long time. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants in order that they might give him his share of the produce of the vineyard, but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Next he sent another slave. That one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed. And he sent still a third. This one also they wounded and threw out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, “What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.” But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, “This is the heir. Let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours.” So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.’ When they heard this, they said, ‘Heaven forbid!’