George A. Buttrick, “God’s Appraisals and Rewards,” The Parables of Jesus, p. 158-165
“God’s Appraisals and Rewards”
Is a man out of work because of the callousness of a society which will not seriously grapple with the curse of unemployment? That tragedy smites Jesus to the core! He could never have told this story if He had not been moved with pity as He saw men idle in the market place. (p. 161)
“These last—” they murmur; and forget that the “scorching heat” is harder on the man who waits despairingly than on the laborer who toils in assurance of his livelihood! Idleness in appearance may not be idleness in motive. (p. 165)
Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 121
L. William Countryman, Forgiven and Forgiving, p. 118
Forgiven and Forgiving
John Dominic Crossan, “Parables of Action,” In Parables, p. 111-115
John Dominic Crossan, The Essential Jesus, p. 137, 168
John Dominic Crossan, “The Parables of Jesus,” Interpretation, (July 2002), p. 251
“The Parables of Jesus”
But most of the parable is about the owner going out at 6 a.m., 12 noon, 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. and always finding daylaborers waiting for work. He does not have to hire all he can at dawn and pay them what they demand. He knows that there is such high unemployment that he controls the hiring even at harvest-time and even late in the day. And, of course, he can call them lazy when they are not hired. … the parable’s main content raises a question of systemic justice: is the situation of maximum unemployment normal or abnormal, right or wrong?
John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed, Excavating Jesus, p. 165
Andrew Greeley, “Can You Be Too Generous?,” When Life Hurts, p. 47-50
Hippolytus of Rome, “Do You Honor God?” Divine Inspiration, p. 263
Joachim Jeremias, “The Good Employer,” Rediscovering the Parables, p. 24 f 108 f
Garrison Keillor, Leaving Home, p. 90
Leaving Home
Clarence checked out of Pastor Ingqvist’s sermon early. It was about the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, the ones who came late getting the same wage as those who came early and stayed all day, a parable that suggests you need not listen carefully to the whole sermon from the beginning but can come in for maybe the last sentence or two and get the whole point.
John Shea, The Spirit Master, p. 173
William Stafford, “For the Chair of Any Committee I’m On,” Even in Quiet Places, p. 83
“For the Chair of Any Committee I’m On”
Elton Trueblood, The Humor of Christ, p. 50 f.
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
20:1 ομοια γαρ εστιν η βασιλεια των ουρανων ανθρωπω οικοδεσποτη οστις εξηλθεν αμα πρωι μισθωσασθαι εργατας εις τον αμπελωνα αυτου 20:2 και συμφωνησας μετα των εργατων εκ δηναριου την ημεραν απεστειλεν αυτους εις τον αμπελωνα αυτου 20:3 και εξελθων περι τριτην ωραν ειδεν αλλους εστωτας εν τη αγορα αργους 20:4 και εκεινοις ειπεν υπαγετε και υμεις εις τον αμπελωνα και ο εαν η δικαιον δωσω υμιν 20:5 οι δε απηλθον παλιν εξελθων περι εκτην και ενατην ωραν εποιησεν ωσαυτως 20:6 περι δε την ενδεκατην ωραν εξελθων ευρεν αλλους εστωτας αργους και λεγει αυτοις τι ωδε εστηκατε ολην την ημεραν αργοι 20:7 λεγουσιν αυτω οτι ουδεις ημας εμισθωσατο λεγει αυτοις υπαγετε και υμεις εις τον αμπελωνα και ο εαν η δικαιον ληψεσθε 20:8 οψιας δε γενομενης λεγει ο κυριος του αμπελωνος τω επιτροπω αυτου καλεσον τους εργατας και αποδος αυτοις τον μισθον αρξαμενος απο των εσχατων εως των πρωτων 20:9 και ελθοντες οι περι την ενδεκατην ωραν ελαβον ανα δηναριον 20:10 ελθοντες δε οι πρωτοι ενομισαν οτι πλειονα ληψονται και ελαβον και αυτοι ανα δηναριον 20:11 λαβοντες δε εγογγυζον κατα του οικοδεσποτου 20:12 λεγοντες οτι ουτοι οι εσχατοι μιαν ωραν εποιησαν και ισους ημιν αυτους εποιησας τοις βαστασασιν το βαρος της ημερας και τον καυσωνα 20:13 ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν ενι αυτων εταιρε ουκ αδικω σε ουχι δηναριου συνεφωνησας μοι 20:14 αρον το σον και υπαγε θελω δε τουτω τω εσχατω δουναι ως και σοι 20:15 η ουκ εξεστιν μοι ποιησαι ο θελω εν τοις εμοις ει ο οφθαλμος σου πονηρος εστιν οτι εγω αγαθος ειμι 20:16 ουτως εσονται οι εσχατοι πρωτοι και οι πρωτοι εσχατοι πολλοι γαρ εισιν κλητοι ολιγοι δε εκλεκτοι
17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, 19 and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
20:17 και αναβαινων ο ιησους εις ιεροσολυμα παρελαβεν τους δωδεκα μαθητας κατ ιδιαν εν τη οδω και ειπεν αυτοις 20:18 ιδου αναβαινομεν εις ιεροσολυμα και ο υιος του ανθρωπου παραδοθησεται τοις αρχιερευσιν και γραμματευσιν και κατακρινουσιν αυτον θανατω 20:19 και παραδωσουσιν αυτον τοις εθνεσιν εις το εμπαιξαι και μαστιγωσαι και σταυρωσαι και τη τριτη ημερα αναστησεται
Virginia Stem Owens, “Climbing in the Kingdom,” Looking for Jesus, p. 81-86
Helmut Thielicke, “Learning By Praying,” Faith: The Great Adventure, p. 144-149
20-23 Matthew 27:38
25-26 Luke 22:25-26
26-27 Matthew 23:11; Mark 9:35; Luke 22:26
24-28 Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 123
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; 28 even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
20:20 τοτε προσηλθεν αυτω η μητηρ των υιων ζεβεδαιου μετα των υιων αυτης προσκυνουσα και αιτουσα τι παρ αυτου 20:21 ο δε ειπεν αυτη τι θελεις λεγει αυτω ειπε ινα καθισωσιν ουτοι οι δυο υιοι μου εις εκ δεξιων σου και εις εξ ευωνυμων σου εν τη βασιλεια σου 20:22 αποκριθεις δε ο ιησους ειπεν ουκ οιδατε τι αιτεισθε δυνασθε πιειν το ποτηριον ο εγω μελλω πινειν η το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθηναι λεγουσιν αυτω δυναμεθα 20:23 και λεγει αυτοις το μεν ποτηριον μου πιεσθε και το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθησεσθε το δε καθισαι εκ δεξιων μου και εξ ευωνυμων μου ουκ εστιν εμον δουναι αλλ οις ητοιμασται υπο του πατρος μου
20:24 και ακουσαντες οι δεκα ηγανακτησαν περι των δυο αδελφων 20:25 ο δε ιησους προσκαλεσαμενος αυτους ειπεν οιδατε οτι οι αρχοντες των εθνων κατακυριευουσιν αυτων και οι μεγαλοι κατεξουσιαζουσιν αυτων 20:26 ουχ ουτως δε εσται εν υμιν αλλ ος εαν θελη εν υμιν μεγας γενεσθαι εσται υμων διακονος 20:27 και ος εαν θελη εν υμιν ειναι πρωτος εστω υμων δουλος 20:28 ωσπερ ο υιος του ανθρωπου ουκ ηλθεν διακονηθηναι αλλα διακονησαι και δουναι την ψυχην αυτου λυτρον αντι πολλων
29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, two blind men sitting by the roadside, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent; but they cried out the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight and followed him.
20:29 και εκπορευομενων αυτων απο ιεριχω ηκολουθησεν αυτω οχλος πολυς 20:30 και ιδου δυο τυφλοι καθημενοι παρα την οδον ακουσαντες οτι ιησους παραγει εκραξαν λεγοντες ελεησον ημας κυριε υιος δαυιδ 20:31 ο δε οχλος επετιμησεν αυτοις ινα σιωπησωσιν οι δε μειζον εκραζον λεγοντες ελεησον ημας κυριε υιος δαυιδ 20:32 και στας ο ιησους εφωνησεν αυτους και ειπεν τι θελετε ποιησω υμιν 20:33 λεγουσιν αυτω κυριε ινα ανοιχθωσιν ημων οι οφθαλμοι 20:34 σπλαγχνισθεις δε ο ιησους ηψατο των οφθαλμων αυτων και ευθεως ανεβλεψαν αυτων οι οφθαλμοι και ηκολουθησαν αυτω