Texts in Conversation
In Mark the parable goes on after the son is killed: the owner will come, destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. The Gospel of Thomas never calls the son beloved and ends as soon as the tenants kill him.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Mark 12:9
New Testament
1 Then he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey. 2 At harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his portion of the crop. 3 But those tenants seized his slave, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 So he sent another slave to them again. This one they struck on the head and treated outrageously. 5 He sent another, and that one they killed. This happened to many others, some of whom were beaten, others killed. 6 He had one left, his one dear 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’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw his body out of the vineyard. 9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
Gospel of Thomas 1:65
Nag Hammadi
64 Jesus said, “A man had guests, and when he prepared the dinner, he sent his slave to invite the guests. He went to the first and said to him, ‘My master invites you.’ He said, ‘I have a claim against merchants; they are coming to me this evening. I must go and give orders. I ask to be excused from the dinner.’ He went to another and said, ‘My master invites you.’ He said to him, ‘I have bought a house and I am required for a day. I will not have time.’ He went to another and said, ‘My master invites you.’ He said to him, ‘My friend is getting married, and I am organizing the banquet. I cannot come. I ask to be excused.’ He went to another and said, ‘My master invites you.’ He said to him, ‘I have bought a farm; I am going to collect the rent. I will not be able to come. I ask to be excused.’ The servant returned and said to his master, ‘Those whom you invited to the dinner have asked to be excused.’ The master said to his servant, ‘Go out on the highways; bring those whom you meet, so that they may dine.’ Merchants and traders will not enter the places of my Father.” 65 He said, “A good man owned a vineyard and leased it to some farmers to work it and he might receive its fruit from them. He sent his servant so that the farmers might give him the fruit of the vineyard. They seized his servant, beat him, and almost killed him, and the servant returned and told his master. His master said, ‘Perhaps they did not recognize him.’ He sent another servant. The farmers beat that one as well. Then the owner sent his son and said, ‘Perhaps they will show respect to my son.’ The farmers knew that he was the heir of the vineyard. They seized him and killed him. Whoever has ears should hear.” 66 Jesus said, “Show me the stone that the builders rejected; that is the cornerstone.”
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Notes and References
“... According to Mark, a vineyard owner leaves his vineyard in the hands of tenants while he is away. When he sends a servant to receive the owner’s portion of the harvest, the tenants beat him and send him away empty handed. The owner sends a second servant, whom they beat about the head and insult. The third servant they kill, “and so it was with many others” (12:5). Finally, he sends his own son. Thinking they will inherit the vineyard if they kill the heir, the wicked tenants kill the owner’s son. Jesus then poses the question, what will the owner do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. The quotation from Psalm 118 that follows, which looks beyond the death of the son, may not have been part of the original parable. The Gospel of Thomas contains a simpler, and hence possibly more primitive, form of this parable that lacks many of the allegorical features found in the Synoptics. In Thomas, there is no reference to Isaiah 5, only two servants are sent before the son, neither of the servants is killed, there is no interior monologue or question, “what shall I do?” (as in Luke), the son is not called “beloved,” the owner says “perhaps” they will respect his son, and the parable ends immediately following the report of the killing of the son. ...”
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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