1. What is the meaning of this parable?
    1. Right Answer!The wild "sinner" who later repents and obeys God, is accepted by God, but the person who all there life claims to believe in God, but his actions show that he does not, is rejected by God.
      • Yes. Jesus spoke this parable to the religious leaders of that day to warn them that it is not those that say that they know God that will be saved, but those that actually do God's will.
    2. Those people that go to church their whole life will go to heaven.
      • No, this is clearly not the meaning. The chief priests and teachers of the law thought that because they were zealous about "church" that they were okay with God. Jesus knew that they did not know God, so he warned them with this parable. Jesus knew that if they were indeed truly obedient to God, that they would have recognized the source of John's teachings and obeyed. The chief priests and teachers of the law did not understand the source of John's teachings and were for that reason not covenant partners with God.
    3. The good people will go to heaven, but the religious nuts will not.
      • No.
    4. A prostitute that reads her Bible daily will go to heaven, and a clergy person that does not read his or her Bible will not.
      • No, it is not about reading the Bible. Rather it is about hearing God and obeying him.

     

     

  2. What does the vineyard represent?
    1. The Church.
      • No, not really.
    2. Right Answer!The world.
      • Yes. God tells us each to go and do his will in the earth. Those that hear and obey have a relationship with God, and those that do not obey do not have a relationship with God.
    3. Your daily work place.
      • This is not the best answer.
    4. Your Christian duty.
      • This is not the best answer. We are to do our "Christian duty", as it were, but that is not the meaning of the vineyard.

     

     

  3. What happens to the son that actually did what his father wanted?
    1. Right Answer!He goes to heaven.
      • Yes. The one that did the Father's will is the one that goes to heaven.
    2. He receives the blessings of God while he still lives on the earth.
      • This may, or may not be true. You cannot determine a person's relationship with God by examining his or her material wealth. Jesus Christ had no material wealth, but was clearly pleasing to God.
    3. He entered into the ministry.
      • No. Obeying God is not the same as becoming a recognized "Minister" of the gospel. If God calls you to be a minister, they yes, but if he has something else planned for you, but you go off and become a minister, then you are not obeying God.
    4. He became a church worker.
      • No. Please read (c) above.

     

     

  4. What happens to the son that claims to obey God but does not?
    1. He goes to heaven, but without reward.
      • No. Clearly Jesus' point is that the son that did not obey did not enter the kingdom of God, but the son that did obey did enter the kingdom of God. The key is the entering into the kingdom, or not.
    2. Right Answer!He goes to the lake of fire.
      • Yes, unless he later repents and obeys God.
    3. He is chastised.
      • This is probably true, but this is not what the parable is about.
    4. Nothing, everyone gets the same reward.
      • This is not true. Some will enter the kingdom of God and some will not. Obey God and enter.

     

Parables Home Page

 

Light on DisplayWhat does it mean to be the 'Light of the World?' The Wise ManWho are the Wise that enter into Heaven?
The New Wine SkinsWhat is the meaning of the Parable of the 'New Wine Skin?'
The Kingdom is Like ...What is the Kingdom like?
End of the AgeTwo Parable concerning the End of the Age are examined.
The Ten VirginsWho do the Ten Virgins represent?
The TalentsWhat does the Parable of the Talents mean?
The MinasWhat does the Parable of the Minas mean?
Lost and FoundThree Parables concerning the restoration of
lost souls are examined.
ForgivenessTwo Parables concerning Forgiveness are examined.
Equal PayWhat is the reward given to the Righteous?
ObedienceWhat do the Obedient do?
The Wretched TenantsWho are the Wretched Tenants and what
will happen to them?
The Good SamaritianWho are your Neighbors?
Going the DistanceFive Parables are examined concerning Stedfastness.