Parable Skit

Let’s act out a parable that Jesus told. He was answering a question that Peter had just asked Him. 

Read Matthew 19:27:

Then Peter said to Him, “We’ve given up everything to follow You. What will we get?”

Jesus said they would be seated with Him in heaven and would receive back 100 times what they had given up to follow Him. Then He said something amazing.

Read verse 30:

“But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”

Choose ten children to be workers in the parable, and have them line up in the front of the classroom side by side, about arm’s length apart. If your class is small, you can do the parable with only five children.

In Jesus’ parable, a landowner went out to find some workers for his vineyard at about 6:00 a.m., when the workday started. He found some workers who agreed to be paid a denarius for a full day’s work. Hold up one of the coins. Let’s say this coin represents a denarius.

Go to the first two workers and shake their hands. Have the children act as if they are working in the vineyard picking grapes. Then, three hours later, at 9:00 a.m., the landowner went to the marketplace to hire more workers. He offered to pay them a fair wage for their work. Go to the second pair of workers, shake their hands, and have them begin to work picking grapes. The landowner did this again at 12:00 noon. Shake the third pair of workers’ hands and have them begin to work. He did this again at 3:00 p.m. Go to the fourth pair of workers, shake hands, and put them to work. Now, it was 5:00 p.m., and there was just about one hour left in the workday. The landowner found still more workers and told them to go work in his vineyard. Shake hands with the last pair of workers and have them begin to pick grapes. At 6:00 p.m. the landowner told his foreman to pay the workers their wages. Now, if you were a worker who had worked a full day of twelve hours, don’t you think you would be paid first? 

Instead, the foreman first paid the last workers—the ones who had only worked one hour. And he paid them each one denarius—a full day’s wage! Give one coin each to the last two workers.

If you were one of the earlier workers, what would you be thinking to yourself? That isn’t fair—we should be paid first. If they get a full day’s wage, we will surely get more!

The first workers watched as each group of workers got paid the same amount. Hand a coin to each of the other workers except the first pair. When it was time for the first workers to be paid, they were given the same amount to their surprise. Hand one coin to each of the first workers. They were paid the same amount for twelve hours of work that the last workers got paid for one hour of work! Now, how do you think the first workers felt? Unfairly treated, taken advantage of, unappreciated.

Let’s read the actual parable in the Bible and see how some of the workers reacted. Have children look up Matthew 20:8–15. Divide up the verses and choose volunteers to read the parable aloud. 

⁸ “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first.” ⁹ “When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage.”¹⁰ “When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage.” ¹¹ “When they received their pay, they protested to the owner,” ¹² “‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’” ¹³“He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair? Didn’t you agree to work all day for the ususal wage?’” ¹⁴  “‘Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you.’” ¹⁵“‘Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’”

Then ask the following questions and have the class discuss:

1. After reading the parable, do you think the workers hired first were treated unfairly or not?

2. What does this tell you about God’s blessings received by His children?

3. Do you sometimes feel jealous or envious when someone is rewarded with something you would like to have? Children answer.

4. Is it right for us to be jealous or bitter when someone has many possessions and they are not followers of Jesus?

5. What is the right thing for us to do? Get in God’s presence and know that you are blessed in Christ and have a rich inheritance. Understand that earthly possessions are temporary—they don’t last.  

Read Colossians 3:23–24:

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

Let’s say our SuperTruth together. “I am a child of God and I share in all of His blessings.”