In the 1991 movie, “Defending Your Life,” lives of the deceased are examined in a court-like setting to see how they have successfully overcome their difficulties in life, especially their fears. The movie suggests that life on earth is a kind of practice ground that teaches us how to successfully navigate ourselves, our responsibilities, and our relationships. While the movie is fictional, it does sound strikingly close to some of Jesus’ most famous parables, particularly the parables of the vineyard.

In scripture, the “vineyard” seems always to refer to the world, the earth, that reality in the here and now where we spend our conscious lives. The “Master and Landowner” is God. The Son and messenger or supervisor is Jesus. And the workers –well, that’s who we are! Jesus describes us as l…