Teacher s Guide. Matthew 20:1-16. Lesson #1-23 Laborers in the Vineyard Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved

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1 Teacher s Guide Lesson #1-23 Laborers in the Vineyard Matthew 20:1-16 1

2 Gregory Rawn Jenna Gospodarek Renae Boehmer Beth Cox Victoria Hoppes Rev. Sarah Nye Ann Schwarz Rev. Anna Shirey Kara Smith-Laubenstein Anne Tews Schwab Nicholas McDougal Benjamin Borter Living the Word: Teaching Kids God s Story (Narrative Lectionary, Year 1) Text and illustrations copyright by Spirit and Truth Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this curriculum may be used or reproduced in any other manner whatsoever without written permission. For information, contact Spirit and Truth Publishing at Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 2

3 Laborers in the Vineyard Matthew 20:1-16 Matthew 20:15-16 Jesus tells us a parable about God s goodness to all people. The owner of the vineyard in the parable paid all workers the same amount of money, no matter how much work they had done. Jesus explains that the last will be first and the first will be last. All people are equal in God s kingdom; no one is better than another. Pharisees Fellowship Students will be able to: Contrast the laws that governed the lives of the Pharisees to the Christian values by creating a chart comparing the two. Explain the message Jesus taught in the parable of the workers in the vineyard by interacting with the Gospel story. Demonstrate our God-given abilities and creativity by creating useful projects out of a series of objects. 3

4 Activities a la Carte Activities Into the Story Workers in a Row Students will participate in a competition game but all receive the same prize. Supplies 5 min. Three small bags Stacking items such as blocks, cups Prizes such as pencils, or pennies Bible Nuts and Bolts The Pharisees The life of a Pharisee was hard work! Learning the Story Time to Work Students will actively engage in the telling of the gospel story. Living the Story Links in a Chain Students will use their imagination to create objects. 10 min. Whiteboard or large sheet of paper Marker Activity Sheet #1-23.A 15 min. Activity Sheet #1-23.B Bible 10 min. Empty boxes Paper clips Paper cups Rubber bands Pencils String or yarn Cotton balls Popsicle sticks 4

5 Activities a la Carte Additional Activities Grape Vine Wreaths Students will have the opportunity to decorate small grape vine wreaths. Pay It Forward Students will create money to give to someone they love. Student Bible Book: Laborers in the Vineyard Students create their own Bible story book! Closing Prayer 10 min. Grape vine wreathes Decorations for the wreaths such as ribbon, felt, small fake fruit (grapes, apples, berries) Glue 10 min. Copies of Activity Sheet #1-23.C Crayons or markers 10 min. Each student s binder Copies of Activity Sheet #1-23.D A three-hole punch Pens Markers or crayons A sample page (See below) 5 min. 5

6 Background for Teachers Context of the Passage Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem for the final time. He is making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the observation of the Passover. This pilgrimage was 97 miles long. Jesus is joined by many followers on his journey and he speaks in parables as he teaches. Many of his parables give a lesson about ethics: namely, what is moral and what is immoral. Prior to this parable Jesus has spoken about forgiveness, divorce, and selfishness. Bible Nuts and Bolts: The Pharisees The Pharisees were devoted followers of God. They adhered to the tenets of the Covenant of God established with the Israelites, also called the Torah. Many of the religious laws that they observed are found in the book of Leviticus. They believed that they were worthy, or clean enough, to call themselves God s chosen people only by following the Torah. This process required a cleansing of sin by the means of animal sacrifice, correct attire, dietary restrictions, and others. Those considered unclean we not allowed into the temple to worship. The Pharisees were often in conflict with Jesus because they believed he was breaking the covenantal laws. They especially took issue with Jesus working on the Sabbath, a particularly grievous sin. Story Themes Jesus tells us a parable about God s goodness to all people. Jesus parable in Matthew 20:1-16 illustrates how everyone is of equal and infinite value to God and to the community regardless of length or value of service. Jesus was commanding his followers to do likewise. Upon hearing the parable of the workers in the vineyard, Jesus followers gained an understanding of God s justice. This understanding of justice must be extended to our treatment of others in our community. The owner of the vineyard in the parable paid all workers the same amount of money, no matter how much work they had done. The wealthy landowner in the parable hires workers to work in his vineyard. He hires some early in the morning, some at midday, and some in the evening. When it comes time to give them their usual wage he pays all workers the same rate, no matter how long they had been working. Those who had worked the longest were embittered against those who had worked for less than hour. But the landowner told the workers that they had been hired for a day s wage and each had been given a fair wage. He was generous to all. Jesus explains that the last will be first and the first will be last. All people are equal in God s kingdom, and no one is better than another. Jesus uses this parable to illustrate the dangers of assumptions. Some of the workers have a lot of expectations about what is fair for them to receive. But Jesus explains that God does not work in the way that we expect. God keeps God s promises and we are all blessed abundantly. Spiritual Practice: Fellowship We come together as a class to demonstrate how we each have our own unique gifts. Using creativity and imagination we will express these gifts with one another while recognizing the talents of each student. 6

7 Lesson Plan Into the Story (5 minutes) Workers in a Row Students will participate in a competition game but all receive the same prize! You will need: Three small bags Stacking items (blocks, cups, etc.) Prizes such as pencils, pennies, etc. Before class: 1. Make three bags of stacking items. Put the fewest amount of items in the first bag, more in the second, and the most in the final bag. During class: 1. Separate class into three groups. Students will sit in a straight line. Place one bag at the head of each line. You are going to do some work this morning. You are going to create an assembly line. Each group of workers has been given a bag. The first person in line will take one item out of the bag and hand it to the worker behind them. The second worker will pass the item behind them. When the item is handed to the final worker in line, they will turn around and place it on the table behind them. Each group will need to make a neat stack of items on the table. There will be prizes rewarded at the end of the game. Be careful not to say that prizes will be given to the winners. 2. Continue after all groups have emptied their bags. Now I am going to give out prizes. Go to the team with the slowest time. Your team has earned a prize. Name how many items they are getting for their prize, such as two pencils or five pennies. Move next to the team with the second fastest time. Your team has earned a prize. Give this team the same prize as the first team. Again, be clear that the number of items is the same. Move now to the team with the fastest time. Your team has earned a prize. Give this team the same prize. Again, be clear that that the number of items are the same. 7

8 3. Now each team of workers has been awarded a prize. How many of you believe that you were given a fair prize? Why or why not? Allow students to discuss how they feel about the way the prizes were given. Jesus told a story about a landowner who made some interesting decisions about how to pay his workers. We are going to explore this story today and see what Jesus teaches us about what is fair. Bible Nuts and Bolts (10 minutes) The Pharisees The life of a Pharisee was hard work! You will need: Whiteboard or large sheet of paper Marker Activity Sheet #1-23.A During class: 1. We talk a lot in church about living a life that follows Christ. We strive to live lives that follow the commandments and teachings of Jesus. I want you to brainstorm with me the things Jesus teaches us about how to live Christ-like lives. I will record our answers on a chart. Write down student responses on one side of a T-chart. [Answers will vary but may include: Love your neighbor. Love others as you love yourself. Love and care for the sick, elderly, widows. Love God. Pray. Believe in the Resurrection. Confess sins. Help others.] All of these things are lessons that Jesus taught us. We believe that God wants us to make the right decisions and act like Christians. We make mistakes but know that through prayer and confession we are forgiven from our sins. 2. Now we are going to explore some of the laws and restrictions that governed a group of people who strived to live as God required. These people were called the Pharisees. They also wanted to follow God by doing all of the things that we have already mentioned. But, in addition to this, in the Old Testament we read about many strict and specific laws that God demanded of the Israelites, also called the Law of God. The Pharisees tried to follow these laws so as to be faithful to God. They wanted to worship God with their lives and following these laws helped them to show devotion to God. Use Activity Sheet 1.23-A to create the other side of the T-chart. 3. We can see how strict these laws are! Jesus taught and showed us that God s love isn t based on what laws or rules we follow, but is absolute 8

9 and unchangeable. Jesus taught that treating others and ourselves is still very important, but God doesn t love us more or less depending on how well we follow the rules. Jesus tried to show the Pharisees that, but they didn t believe them. Learning the Story (15 minutes) Time to Work Students will actively engage in the telling of the gospel story. You will need: Activity Sheet #1-23.B Bible Before class: 1. Hang the five clocks (6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, and 5pm) in five distinct areas in the classroom. Give enough space between the clocks that the students can mime working without bumping into other workers. During class: 1. You are going to continue being workers this morning. I am going to read today s story from the Bible. It is a parable that Jesus told. Parables were stories that Jesus told in order to teach a lesson to his disciples or followers. You are each going to be assigned as workers in a vineyard. Everyone stand up and practice what kind of work you would have to do in a vineyard, like picking fruit, trimming the grapevines, watering the vines, using rakes or hoes in the dirt. Give students time to mime. 2. Now I will be assigning workers as I read this story. Be ready to get to work! Read Matthew 20:1-2. Then assign students to work under the 6am clock. Read Matthew 20:3-4. Then assign students to work under the 9am clock. Read Matthew 20:5. Then assign students to work under the 12pm and 3pm clocks. Read Matthew 20:6-8. Then assign the final students to work under the 5pm clock. 3. Now it is time for the workers to be paid. Line the students up, starting with those who started at 5pm back to the workers who started at 6am. Now let s see what Jesus said the landowner did when it was time to give the workers their pay. Read Matthew 20:9-10. Now I am going to pay you. Mime paying each student. Ask the students when they started working then 9

10 dramatically count out five coins for each student and let them return to their seat. What do you think the reaction was from the workers who started early in the morning and were paid the same as those who worked less than an hour? [Answers will vary but may include: It isn t fair! The workers who worked longer should be paid more.] That s exactly what happened! Read Matthew 20: But remember, parables were stories Jesus told to teach his disciples a lesson. Let s see what the landowner said about his decision. Read Matthew 20: I want to congratulate you all on a fine day s work. But now it is a new day and you each need to go to work again. I want you to go chose a time when you would want to start work. Allow students to choose a clock to stand near. Now please tell me why you chose that starting time. [Answers will vary but may include: I don t want to have to wake up early. I want to get paid the same for working less. It s not fair to work the whole day and not be paid more.] 5. Take away the clocks. Address the students in the last group: Do you think you are less valuable to God because you have only been working for an hour? [No!] Address all of the students: Does God make a distinction between those who have known God for longer and those who are just learning about who God is and what Jesus did for us? [No!] 6. Gather all students together as a class. Now I am going to pay you the way that the landowner chose to pay the workers. Hear this blessing: You are all valuable to God and God views you all as equals. Jesus taught his disciples that God actively and actually loves all of us equally. Hear this parable and know of God s love. Living the Story (15 minutes) Links in a Chain Students will use their imagination to create objects. You will need: Empty boxes Paper clips Paper cups Rubber bands Pencils String or yarn Cotton balls Popsicle sticks 10

11 During class: 1. Fill an empty box by filling it with a few of each of the other materials, each box should have identical quantities and types of materials. 2. Prepare enough boxes so that there will be enough for one box for every two to three students in your class. During class: 1. Today s lesson teaches us that we are all of equal value to God. Every one of us is capable of wonderful things that will bring glory to God. Today we are going to demonstrate just how useful we all are! Separate the class into groups of 2-3 and give each group a box of identical supplies. 2. Each group is going to have 8 minutes to create a useful item out of the supplies in your box. The exact number of minutes required to complete this activity will vary depending on class size and student availability. Give your project a unique name that you can share with us. Use your imagination! Encourage the students as they work. 3. Now we are going to share our objects with the class. Tell us the name of what you created, what supplies you used, and what it does! Allow each group to share. After each group shares use this dialogue. This is a unique object. Can someone share what they like about what this group created? Allow students to share. I want to congratulate you on a job well done. Let s clap for this group and shout, Well done! Continue to affirm each group after sharing. 4. We can see that each group created something very different, but each of you demonstrated your imagination. It s amazing to see what this class can do and I hope you are all proud of yourselves and each other. Additional Activities Grape Vine Wreaths (10 minutes) Students will have the opportunity to decorate small grape vine wreaths. You will need: Grape vine wreathes Decorations for the wreaths such as ribbon, felt, small fake fruit (grapes, apples, berries) Glue During class: 1. We are going to decorate grape vine wreaths that you can take home as a remembrance of how we each have a place in God s vineyard. Using the decorations let students create wreaths. 11

12 Pay It Forward (10 minutes) Students will create money to give to someone they love. You will need: Copies of Activity Sheet #1-23.C Markers or crayons During class: 1. Just as the landowner in this parable was generous with what was his, we can be generous with what we have! Create some pay it forward notes that you give to someone when you are being generous by doing something helpful and kind to them. Encourage the person who you give it to, to pass it on to someone else! See how far one bill can get in a week! Let the students create their money. Give helpful advice to students. Student Bible Book: Laborers in the Vineyard (10 minutes) Students create their own Bible story book! You will need: A three-ring binder for each student (See Note) Copies of Activity Sheet #1-23.D on 8.5 x 11 cardstock paper or plain paper A three-hole punch Pens Markers and/or crayons A sample page (See below) Before class: 1. Create a sample page using the instructions below to demonstrate to students approximately what their page should look like. 2. You may copy the activity sheet onto the cardstock, or just have students write it all themselves. During class: 1. Hand out one piece of cardstock paper and a pen to each student. 2. Show students the sample page you made before class. 3. Say: This year in class we are going to create our own Bible books of the stories we will cover. 12

13 4. If you did not copy the activity sheet onto the cardstock, instruct students to write the name of the story on the top of their page (in portrait orientation) and write the passage underneath the title. 5. Ask: What are some of the important things we have learned from this story? [Answers will vary, see story themes for suggested answers] 6. On the bottom of your page, please write one or two important things that you have learned from this story. In the middle of the page, draw a picture from the story or illustrate one of your important things you ve learned. 7. When students are finished, have them put their names on the back and collect the pages. Three-hole punch the papers and put them in individual binders for each student to be kept at church until the end of the year. Closing Prayer Before ending class, make a point to come together to pray. Use the following or say your own prayer. 13

14 The Pharisees Living Christ-like Lives Old Testament Laws Every person should write a scroll of the Old Testament for themselves (Deut. 31:19). A widow must not marry anyone but her husband s brother (Deut. 25:5). Do not travel on the Sabbath day outside of one s place of residence (town/home) (Exodus 16.29). Do not to eat a worm found in fruit (Lev. 11:41). Do not eat milk and meat together (Ex. 34:26). Do not wear clothes made from wool and linen mixed together (Deut. 22:11). Do sacrifice a lamb during Passover (Ex. 12:6). Do wear braided cords on the corners of one s clothing (Num. 15:38). 14

15 Time to WorkPd 15

16 Time to Work 16

17 Time to Work 17

18 Pay It Forward 18

19 Laborers in the Vineyard Matthew 20:1-16 I learned: 19

20 The Home Narrative Lectionary, Year 1 Context of the Passage Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem for the final time. He is making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the observation of the Passover. This pilgrimage was 97 miles long. Jesus is joined by many followers on his journey and he speaks in parables as he teaches. Many of his parables give a lesson about ethics: namely, what is moral and what is immoral. Prior to this parable Jesus has spoken about forgiveness, divorce, and selfishness. Bible Nuts and Bolts: The Pharisees The Pharisees were devoted followers of God. They adhered to the tenets of the Covenant of God established with the Israelites, also called the Torah. Many of the religious laws that they observed are found in the book of Leviticus. They believed that they were worthy, or clean enough, to call themselves God s chosen people only by following the Torah. This process required a cleansing of sin by the means of animal sacrifice, correct attire, dietary restrictions, and others. Those considered unclean we not allowed into the temple to worship. The Pharisees were often in conflict with Jesus because they believed he was breaking the covenantal laws. They especially took issue with Jesus working on the Sabbath, a particularly grievous sin. Story Themes Jesus tells us a parable about God s goodness to all people. Jesus parable in Matthew 20:1-16 illustrates how everyone is of equal and infinite value to God and to the community regardless of length or value of service. Jesus was commanding his followers to do likewise. Upon hearing the parable of the workers in the vineyard, Jesus followers gained an understanding of God s justice. This understanding of justice must be extended to our treatment of others in our community. The owner of the vineyard in the parable paid all workers the same amount of money, no matter how much work they had done. The wealthy landowner in the parable hires workers to work in his vineyard. He hires some early in the morning, some at midday, and some in the evening. When it comes time to give them their usual wage he pays all workers the same rate, no matter how long they had been working. Those who had worked the longest were embittered against those who had worked for less than hour. But the landowner told the workers that they had been hired for a day s wage and each had been given a fair wage. He was generous to all. Jesus explains that the last will be first and the first will be last. All people are equal in God s kingdom, and no one is better than another. Jesus uses this parable to illustrate the dangers of assumptions. Some of the workers have a lot of expectations about what is fair for them to receive. But Jesus explains that God does not work in the way that we expect. God keeps God s promises and we are all blessed abundantly. Spiritual Practice: Fellowship We came together as a class to demonstrate how we each have our own unique gifts. Using creativity and imagination we expressed these gifts with one another while recognizing the talents of each student. 20

21 LIVING THE WORD Try HOME Last week we looked at a different parable from Jesus. Jesus told the story of a slave who begged to have his debts forgiven but was unable to forgive debts that were owed to him, Matthew 18: Jesus told the parable so as to teach his followers the importance of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Next week we will be studying yet another one of Jesus parables. In this parable Jesus tells the story of a king who had his slaves invite people that they can find on the streets to join him at the wedding feast, both good and bad. All were invited to sit together as guests at the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14). The parables of Jesus can help us to strengthen our faith. Some of Jesus parables are familiar to us, yet they contain important messages that we can learn from. This week your family will look at some of Jesus parables to explore the powerful messages that Jesus teaches us. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Matthew 13:1-9 Luke 15:11-32 Matthew 6:25-30 Matthew 13:31-32 Luke 15:3-10 Matthew 5:14-16 Luke 11:5-13 We need to be good soil! When God s word falls on a dry heart, faith will not grow. Our hearts need to be full of love for God and a desire for God s word. Play in some good soil. Plant a seed in your house, water it, and watch it grow! The prodigal son s father showed his son love, forgiveness, and mercy. He even threw his son a party! Have a party together. Put on fancy clothes, eat together, and give thanks to God for the gift of families. We are clothed in beauty by God like the flowers. We are fed by God like the birds of the air. Jesus does not want us to be anxious about our lives because he wants us to be free to serve God. Pray about what makes you anxious and ask God to give you peace. Jesus wants us to have the faith of the mustard seed! God works from the smallest of beginnings to achieve great things in God s name. Set a goal this week for a small thing you can do that will bring God glory. Even something small will spread God s word. God wants us! Even if we wander away from God and get lost, God will seek us out and find us, because we are important to God. Play a game of hide and seek as a family. Celebrate that we are so loved and known by God! Jesus wants us to be the light of the world! We have the awesome ability to share the light by sharing the message of God s love. Sing This Little Light of Mine together as a family. Reenact the motions and make up new verses. God is so generous with us. There isn t a time, day or night, that God will not answer us when we call. In the Lord s Prayer we say, Give us this day our daily bread. What does that mean? Make a list of what things we ask God to provide for us and pray for those things.