Why does Jesus talk about the vineyard?

[Kyle2253]

I’ve noticed, as with today’s Gospel reading, that Jesus uses the parable of the vineyard and the owner/father often. What is the reason for this? I know that the owner/father represents God, but what does the vineyard represent? If it represents Heaven then what does it mean when Jesus says that the Father tells His sons to go work in the vineyard?

Thank you and God bless!

 

[fhansen]

The vineyard represents the kingdom of God which begins here on earth for us. And which requires our participation, our work to advance God’s purposes by doing His will.

 

[Vico]

I’ve noticed, as with today’s Gospel reading, that Jesus uses the parable of the vineyard and the owner/father often. What is the reason for this? I know that the owner/father represents God, but what does the vineyard represent? If it represents Heaven then what does it mean when Jesus says that the Father tells His sons to go work in the vineyard?

Thank you and God bless!

Haydock Commentary, Verse 1

— By the vineyard, says S. Chrysostom, we here understand, the commandments of God. The time for labour is the present life. In the first, third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hours, i.e. in infancy, youth, manhood, declining years, and extreme decrepitude of age, many individuals, yielding to the effective call of God, labour in the exact performance of the divine commandments. Hom. lxv.

Matthew 20

1 The kingdom of heaven is like to an householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

 

[graciew]

http://www.vatican.va/content/john-..._jp-ii_exh_30121988_christifideles-laici.html

This apostolic exhortation explains several instances about the vine, the vineyard, laborers…

Pope John Paul II

Here are just a couple:

“ “For the Kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard” ( Mt 20:1-2).

The gospel parable sets before our eyes the Lord’s vast vineyard and the multitude of persons, both women and men, who are called and sent forth by him to labour in it. The vineyard is the whole world (cf. Mt 13:38), which is to be transformed according to the plan of God in view of the final coming of the Kingdom of God”

—————

“ We continue in our reading of the gospel parable: “And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’. They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us’. He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too’”( Mt 20:6-7).

Since the work that awaits everyone in the vineyard of the Lord is so great there is no place for idleness. With even greater urgency the “householder” repeats his invitation: “You go into my vineyard too”.

———-
“ It is necessary, then, to keep a watchful eye on this our world, with its problems and values, its unrest and hopes, its defeats and triumphs: a world whose economic, social, political and cultural affairs pose problems and grave difficulties in light of the description provided by the Council in the Pastoral Constitution, Gaudium et Spes. [7] This, then, is the vineyard; this is the field in which the faithful are called to fulfill their mission. Jesus wants them, as he wants all his disciples, to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (cf. Mt 5:13-14). But what is the actual state of affairs of the “earth” and the “world”, for which Christians ought to be “salt” and “light”?

There is more and interesting to read. Better is always to read it all.
Hope it helps