The remarkable parable Jesus tells in this week's gospel text is found only in Matthew. Nevertheless, the startling message this parable communicates is considered by many scholars to be an excellent candidate for being classed as a genuine word from Jesus. The classic parable structure, its skillful telling and the power of its unexpected conclusion, all suggest the special creativity and uniqueness of Jesus' own insights and teachings.

Matthew introduces this parable into his gospel with his traditional "The kingdom of heaven is like . . ." formula. The first seven verses of this parable slowly and dramatically lay out all the characters and details of this story. The landowner Jesus describes is a "hands-on" kind of executive. He is probably only moderately well-off, for although he is …