The Story of the Vineyard: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 20:9-18

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it.

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Luke 20:9-18 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 20:9-18 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever taken care of something that belonged to someone else? What was it, and how did it go?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will hear a story Jesus told about a vineyard and the people who worked in it. We will learn what happened when they did not listen to the owner. We will see that Jesus is the Son of God, sent to save us.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

beat: (verb) To hit someone many times.
cornerstone: (noun) The most important stone at the corner of a building.
crush: (verb) To press something very hard so that it breaks.
farmer: (noun) A person who works on a farm.
lease: (verb) To pay money to use someone else’s land or house.
refuse: (verb) To say no to something.
respect: (verb) To show that you think someone is important.
servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
threw out: (phrase) To force someone to leave a place.
vineyard: (noun) A field where grapes are grown.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

accept: (verb) To be okay with someone or something.
badly: (adverb) In a way that is not good.
beat: (verb) To hit someone many times.
builder: (noun) A person whose job is to make buildings.
cornerstone: (noun) The most important stone at the corner of a building.
crush: (verb) To press something very hard so that it breaks.
farmer: (noun) A person who works on a farm.
grape: (noun) Small round fruit used to make wine.
hurt: (verb) To cause pain to a person or animal.
lease: (verb) To pay money to use someone else’s land or house.
owner: (noun) A person who has something that belongs to them.
pick: (verb) To pull a part of a plant off with your fingers.
plant: (verb) To put a seed in the ground so it will grow.
refuse: (verb) To say no to something.
respect: (verb) To show that you think someone is important.
servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
share: (noun) A part of something that belongs to one person.
threw out: (phrase) To force someone to leave a place.
verse: (noun) A small part of a chapter in the Bible.
vineyard: (noun) A field where grapes are grown.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

accept: (verb) To be okay with someone or something.
another: (adjective) One more of the same kind.
away: (adverb) At a distance from a place.
badly: (adverb) In a way that is not good.
beat: (verb) To hit someone many times.
became: (verb) To have started to be something.
broken: (adjective) Something that has been separated into pieces and does not work.
builder: (noun) A person whose job is to make buildings.
come: (verb) To move toward a person or a place.
cornerstone: (noun) The most important stone at the corner of a building.
crush: (verb) To press something very hard so that it breaks.
each other: (phrase) Two or more people doing the same thing to one another.
eye: (noun) The part of the body used for seeing.
fall: (verb) To drop down to the ground.
farmer: (noun) A person who works on a farm.
give: (verb) To hand something over to another person.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
grape: (noun) Small round fruit used to make wine.
happen: (verb) To take place.
heard: (verb) To have received sound with your ears.
hurt: (verb) To cause pain to a person or animal.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
kill: (verb) To end the life of a person or an animal.
land: (noun) The solid part of the earth or a specific country.
later: (adverb) At a time in the future.
lease: (verb) To pay money to use someone else’s land or house.
long time: (phrase) A period that lasts for many hours, days, or years.
look into: (phrase) To look closely at something.
love: (verb) To care very much for someone and want what is best for them.
maybe: (adverb) Used to say that something is possible.
mean: (verb) To have a specific idea or sense.
much: (adjective) A large amount of something.
owner: (noun) A person who has something that belongs to them.
pick: (verb) To pull a part of a plant off with your fingers.
plant: (verb) To put a seed in the ground so it will grow.
refuse: (verb) To say no to something.
respect: (verb) To show that you think someone is important.
saw: (verb) To have looked at something with your eyes.
send: (verb) To cause someone or something to go to a place.
sent: (verb) To have caused someone to go to a place.
servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
share: (noun) A part of something that belongs to one person.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
show: (verb) To let someone see something.
stone: (noun) A hard piece of rock.
threw out: (phrase) To force someone to leave a place.
told: (verb) To have given information to someone.
verse: (noun) A small part of a chapter in the Bible.
vineyard: (noun) A field where grapes are grown.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.

Summary of the Passage

This passage is a story Jesus told to help people learn about God. In the story, a man planted a vineyard. A vineyard is a field where grapes grow. The man leased the land to some farmers. To lease means to pay money to use someone else’s property. Then the owner left for a long time.

When it was time to pick the grapes, the owner sent a servant to collect his share. But the farmers beat the servant and sent him away with nothing. The owner sent two more servants, but the farmers hurt them and showed no respect. Then the man decided to send his dear son. He thought the farmers would respect his son. Instead, the farmers decided to kill the son because they wanted to keep the vineyard for themselves.

Jesus asked the people what the owner would do next. Jesus said the owner would punish those men and lease the vineyard to others. The people were shocked by this story. Jesus then reminded them of a verse from the Scriptures about a stone that builders refused to accept. He explained that the stone became the cornerstone. A cornerstone is the most important stone in a building. Jesus was talking about himself.

This story teaches us that God sent Jesus, his Son, to save people. Some people did not believe him. They hurt him and killed him. However, God’s plan was not stopped. Jesus is the most important part of God’s plan to save us. People must decide if they will respect and follow him.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

God Sends His Son
9 Then Jesus told the people this story:
“A man planted a vineyard.
He leased the land to some farmers.
Then he went away for a long time.
10 Later, it was time for the grapes to be picked.
So the man sent a servant to those farmers so that they would give him his share of the grapes.
But they beat the servant and sent him away with nothing.
11 So the man sent another servant.
They beat this servant too and showed no respect for him.
They sent the servant away with nothing.
12 So the man sent a third servant to the farmers.
They hurt this servant badly and threw him out.
13 “The owner of the vineyard said,
‘What will I do now?
I will send my son.
I love my son very much.
Maybe the farmers will respect my son.’
14 When the farmers saw the son, they said to each other,
‘This is the owner’s son.
This vineyard will be his.
If we kill him, it will be ours.’
15 So the farmers threw the son out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What will the owner of the vineyard do?
16 He will come and kill those farmers.
Then he will lease the land to some other farmers.”
When the people heard this story, they said,
“This should never happen!”
17 But Jesus looked into their eyes and said,
“Then what does this verse mean:
‘The stone that the builders refused to accept became the cornerstone’?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken.
If that stone falls on you, it will crush you!”
Luke 20:9-18 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 20:9-18 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 20:9-18 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 20:9-18 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 20:9-18 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 20:9-18 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 20:9-18 (ESV)

Luke 20:9-18 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

What did the man plant in the story?
Who did the man rent the vineyard to?
What happened to the first servant the man sent?
How did the tenants treat the other two servants?
Who did the man send after the servants?
What did the tenants decide to do to the man’s son?
What did Jesus say the owner would do to the tenants?
What was the stone in the Scripture Jesus talked about?
Who was Jesus talking about when he told this story?

Application Questions

Why do you think the tenants hurt the servants and the son?
How does this story help us understand God’s love for us?
What does this story teach us about listening to God?
How can we show respect and love to Jesus in our own lives?

Theological Insights

Jesus told stories to help people understand God’s truth.
God sent many people to share his message, but not everyone listened.
God sent his Son, Jesus, to save us, but some people rejected and killed him.
Jesus is the most important one sent by God.
We must decide if we will listen to God’s message and follow Jesus.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to show us your love. Help us listen to your words and follow you every day. Give us hearts that trust you. Amen.