Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

§16.2 How Did Jesus See His Own Role ?
beat one, killed
another, and stoned
another. 36 Again he
sent other slaves, more
than the first; and they
treated them in the
same way.
37 Finally he sent his
son to them,
saying, "They will
respect my son". 38
But when the tenants
saw the son,
they said to themselves,
"This is the heir: come,
let us kill him and get
his inheritance".
39 So they
seized him, threw him
out of the vineyard, and
killed him. 40 Now
when the owner of the
vineyard comes, what
will he do to those
tenants?' 41 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'.
beat him, and sent him
away empty-handed. 4
And again he sent
another slave to them;
this one they beat over
the head and insulted. 5
Then he sent another,
and that one they
killed. And so it was
with many others;
some they beat, and
others they killed. 6
He had still one other, a
beloved son. Finally he
sent him to them,
saying, "They will
respect my son". 7
But those tenants
said to one another,
'This is the heir; come,
let us kill him, and the
inheritance will be
ours". 8 So they
seized him, killed him,
and threw him out of
the vineyard. 9 What
then will the owner of
the vineyard do?
He will come
and destroy the tenants
and give the vineyard
to others'.
beat him and sent him
away empty-handed.
11 Next he sent
another slave:
that one also they beat
and insulted and
sent away emptyhanded.
12 And he
sent still a third; this
one also they wounded
and threw out.
13 Then the owner of
the vineyard said,
"What shall I do? I will
send my beloved son;
perhaps they will
respect him". 14
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". 15 So they
threw him out of the
vineyard and killed
him. What then will the
owner of the vineyard
do to them?
16 He will come and
destroy those tenants
and give the vineyard
to others'.
beat him; a little more
and they would have
killed him. The servant
came and told it to his
master. His master
said, 'Perhaps he did
not know them'. He
sent another servant;
the tenants beat him as
well.
Then the owner sent his
son. He said,
'Perhaps they will
respect my son'.
Since those tenants
knew that he was the
heir of the vineyard,
they seized him (and)
killed him.
He who has ears, let
him hear.
It is worth recording the full parable, even though our interest is more narrowly
focused on Mark 12.6 pars., since it so well illustrates the variations typical of repeated
performances. To be noted is the fact that the framework and structure are
stable, but the details, particularly those of the vineyard's construction, the sequence
of servants sent, and their treatment, vary, probably according to the
whim of the performer (or Evangelist). The simpler Thomas version certainly
gives substance to the view that the Synoptic versions have been elaborated to
bring out the allusions to the vineyard of Israel in Isa. 5.1-7 (Mark/Matthew), to
Jesus' death 'outside' (Jerusalem), and to the subsequent turn away from Israel in
the Gentile mission. 67 But the Synoptic version also retains the basic structure
67. E.g., Fitzmyer, Luke 2.1278-81; Scott, Hear Then the Parable 245-51; Witherington,
Christology 213; Funk, Five Gospels 101, 510-11. Further bibliography in K. Snodgrass, The
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