Laborers in the Vineyard | Matthew 20:1-16
by Keith Sharp
A rich, young ruler had come running to the Master asking what to do to inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:16). The Lord’s reply caused the ruler to sadly turn away and the twelve disciples to be astonished (Matthew 19:17-26). Peter then asked a logical question.
“See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” (Matthew 19:27)
So Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:28-29).
Pretty heady stuff! Undoubtedly Peter and the other eleven were very pleased with this answer, though they totally misunderstood the part about twelve thrones.
But then the Master, as He customarily did, threw in a paradoxical statement that seemed to throw cold water on His grand promise. “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30). He then taught the twelve the parable of “the Laborers in the Vineyard” (Matthew20:1-16). He concluded the parable by announcing, “So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16, English Standard Version).
We can safely conclude that the parable primarily teaches that “many who are first will be last, and the last first.” The story, the parable, is just a vehicle to illustrate and impress these truths. But what do these statements mean?
It was grape harvest time – late summer, early fall. The farmer had to harvest his grapes before the September rains. As farmers have always done, they worked from sun up until sundown. At the beginning of the day the land owner hired day laborers to help in the harvest. They worked for an agreed upon wage, one denarius for one day’s work, the usual pay for a day laborer in ancient Palestine. But the farmer needed more workers to get the harvest in, so he went out at mid morning, midday, mid afternoon, and just an hour before sunset and hired more laborers. He did not promise these later workers a set amount. He just promised to pay them what was right, and they trusted him and went to work in his vineyard. Those hired later were not shirking work. Rather, no one had hired them.
As the Law required Jewish employers of poor day laborers to do (Deuteronomy 24:14-15), the land owner paid his workers at the end of the day. But then the master acted in a most unusual way. He paid the last laborers first, so those hired at the beginning of the day would know how much those hired at the last were paid. Imagine the surprise and heightened hopes when the land owner paid those who had worked only an hour a full day’s wages! Wow! He must plan on paying us a really handsome salary!
We don’t have to imagine their disappointment. They looked on with “evil eyes,” the angry leer brought on by jealousy. These late comers who worked but an hour in the cool of the evening were being paid as much as those who had labored long and hard through the burning heat of the day. It just didn’t seem fair. They openly complained.
But the logic and firmness of the owner’s reply put an end to all complaints.
But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good? (Matthew 20:13-15)
He had paid those who worked through the day all they had contracted to receive. They had not been shorted at all. He had been just with them. It was his business if he wanted to be gracious and pay the other workers a full day’s wages, though they had only worked a short while.
The parable has nothing to do with “death bed repentance.” And it really has little to do with length of service in the Master’s vineyard. Remember, salvation and all the spiritual blessings that accompany it are gifts from grace, undeserved favor, not earned wages (Romans 6:23).
Peter was in danger of proudly believing he had earned a great reward for great service. After all, he had done what the young ruler wouldn’t do, and, the Lord had promised he would sit on a throne! Such a proud attitude would not only cause him to be last, it would cause him to be lost.
If you think you contracted with God for so much reward for so much work, you’re well on your way to becoming a Pharisee, and you need to learn the basic nature of our salvation in Christ. We must labor in His vineyard through trust that He will give us far more than we can ever earn if we but faithfully labor.
When I get to heaven, I shall see three wonders. The first will be to see many persons there whom I did not expect to see; the second will be to miss many whom I did expect to see; the greatest wonder of all will be to find myself there (John Newton, quoted by Lightfoot. 151).
