In this week’s Gospel passage, Jesus explains that “the last will be first, and the first will be last.” In this lesson, students will reflect on the vice of envy and the importance of putting others before themselves.
The Workers in the Vineyard – Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time | Year A
Lesson Overview
Upper Elementary Lesson Materials
Download all PDFsDirections
- Have your students read the Gospel passage, or read it aloud to your students, and then answer the focus questions.
- Review and discuss the answers when they have completed the focus questions.
- Working individually, have your students reflect on the scenarios in The Last Shall Be First activity.
- When complete, have your students turn to a neighbor and discuss the answers to their reflection. Then discuss the reflection to the final question as a class.
Answer Key
Focus Questions
- To hire laborers for his vineyard.
- They agree on the usual daily wage.
- He will give them what is just.
- The landowner asks them, “Why do you stand here idle all day?” and they answer him, “Because no one has hired us.”
- They saw that all the laborers received the same daily wage. They thought they should be paid more since they had worked all day and the last laborers had only worked for one hour.
- He says that they had agreed to the daily wage, and that he is free to do what he wills with his own money. He then asks them if they are envious because he is generous.
- Jesus says that the last will be first and the first will be last.
Lower Elementary Lesson Materials
Download all PDFsDirections
- Read the Gospel passage aloud to your students as they follow along. Then discuss the focus and reflection questions with them as a class.
- Explain to your students that sometimes the things that make us feel happy make us feel less happy when we compare them to the things other people have. When we make that comparison, we are feeling envious. Help your students reflect on and discuss the scenarios in The Last Shall Be First activity.
- When you have finished discussing the scenarios, have your students answer the reflection question. Then have them complete the Drawing Activity.
Answer Key
Focus Questions
- To hire laborers for his vineyard.
- He says he will give them what is just.
- They saw that all the laborers were paid the same amount. They thought they should be paid more since they had worked all day and the last laborers had only worked for one hour.
- He says that he is free to do what he wills with his own money, and that they had agreed to work for the daily wage. He asks them if they are jealous because he is generous.
- Jesus says that the last will be first and the first will be last.
