A rhetorical question is a literary resource used in both oral and written expression.
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The scribes were the experts in the Old Testament law. And Jesus had just dealt with a scribe who came to Him, asking which commandment was “most important.”
The scribe acknowledges Jesus’ wisdom, agreeing that loving God wholeheartedly and treating others kindly is more crucial than religious rituals like burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Now, a scribe, an interpreter of the law, comes to Jesus and asks him, in a more friendly tone: ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ He does not ask which comes first but which is the most important.
Imagine for a moment that you are listening to a great and profound story, rich in teaching and very engaging and involving, that you even react by getting angry with how cruel the characters in the story are, only to realize at the end of that teaching that they were referring to you as the bad guys in the story!
A parable that refers directly to the prophets and Jesus with a dedication to the religious leaders who were present.
This parable suggests that when the vineyard owner discovers the tenants’ wrongdoing, he will take decisive action.
This difficult parable reflects what has happened with some prophets and what will happen with the “son of the owner of the vineyard.”
The main problem of this parable is to emphasize that the tenants are not the owners; they made an agreement to take care of the vineyard and share the profits; however, now they feel they are the owners.
The setting of this parable makes it easy to relate to the original audience.