The Parable of The Workers in The Vineyard

Matthew 20:1-16 (NKJV)

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went.

5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’

7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’

8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages,

beginning with the last to the first.’

9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.

10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.

11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,

12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’

13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.

15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’

16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

The landowner or employer in this parable is what we might consider ‘eccentric’ in business practices. He didn’t hire men the way we would nor in the way the landowners of the time would have. He went out that morning to find laborers for his vineyard. Typically, this would be the end of the hiring process, but he went back at the third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hour, hiring more men each time.

I’m sure the laborers that began working earlier in the day thought it was strange. They probably thought the landowner had to meet a deadline, so he was increasing his laborers to get the job done.

The big surprise came when the day was over and it was time to get paid. To their surprise, they were all paid the same amount for their work. Those who worked for an hour were paid the same amount as those who worked all day.

How could this be fair? How could this even be economical for the landowner? That wasn't the point! They were all paid what they had agreed to, but it bothered some to see the others getting the same for far less work. These laborers were jealous because of the ‘undeserved’ gift received by those who had worked less.

The landowner did not pay so much money for so much labor, but there was a full reward for every person. Everyone that came to work in the vineyard after the first laborers received an underserved gift, which showed the loving kindness of the landowner.

Before Jesus told this parable, Peter asked Jesus what their reward in Heaven would be in reference to all they had given up to follow him, and being the first to do so. So Jesus uses this parable to explain that, in Heaven, the last will be first and the first will be last and rewards are not given based on just payment for the labor performed, but the reward will be far greater than each one deserves, showing the goodness of the Master

- Eric Bullock, Evangelist