1. Jesus began to use stories to teach the people. He said, “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it and dug a hole for a winepress and built a tower. Then he leased the land to some farmers and left for a trip.
2. When it was time for the grapes to be picked, he sent a servant to the farmers to get his share of the grapes.
3. But the farmers grabbed the servant and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
4. Then the man sent another servant. They hit him on the head and showed no respect for him.
5. So the man sent another servant, whom they killed. The man sent many other servants; the farmers beat some of them and killed others.
6. “The man had one person left to send, his son whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7. “But the farmers said to each other, ‘This son will inherit the vineyard. If we kill him, it will be ours.’
8. So they took the son, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.