In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. In the parable, the master hires laborers for his vineyard early in the morning and agrees to pay them a denarius for the day’s work (vv.1-2). As the day progresses, the master hires additional laborers at the third, sixth, ninth and eleventh hours (in our way of reckoning time 9am, noon, 3pm, and 5pm respectively) from those who had been standing idle in the marketplace (vv. 3-7). When evening comes, the laborers are paid beginning with the last hired to the first (v. 8). The eleventh-hour laborers received a denarius, and the ones hired early, expecting to receive more, complained when they likewise received a denarius (vv. 9-12). However, the master was simply being generous. He likely realized that no man could feed a family with a small fraction of a day’s wage, and so in his graciousness he blessed those who had worked only a short time. His response to the complaints of those hired early was, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?” (vv. 13-15).
This parable is used by Jesus to rebuke His opponents who complained about God’s grace to sinners. Matthew places this parable in an interesting spot in his gospel account. At the end of Matthew 19 is the account of the rich, young ruler who thought he was good enough to inherit the kingdom of heaven (vv. 16-20); however, when Jesus exposed how his heart was with his riches instead of God (vv. 21-22), the Lord went on to point out the impossibility of salvation by means of riches or any other human means (vv. 23-24). When asked who can be saved, Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (vv. 25-26). Peter expressed his commitment to follow Jesus and asked what the disciples would receive (v. 27). Jesus responded by speaking of the esteemed place the twelve would be given and the tremendous blessings God would shower on all those who follow Him, both in this life and the life to come (vv. 28-29).
Jesus capped off this discussion (Mt. 19:30) with the same thought He would use as a conclusion to the parable of the laborers (Mt. 20:16) that the last would be first and the first last. In the first-century church (who read the book of Matthew), there were those who felt superior to others and thought themselves deserving of the first seats. The believing Pharisees thought the Gentiles to be behind them in the kingdom of God and tried to impose the requirements of Judaism on them to bring them up to their level (Acts 15:5). But these Pharisees needed to learn that their background in the old covenant did not make them superior to others in relation to Christ.
When those of us today who have been longtime members of the Lord’s church read about Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees, we should not be quick to feel too comfortable. We can look back over a lifetime of work for the Lord and be grateful for entering His vineyard early in life, but let us not look down on others who have lived many idle years outside of His service. God is gracious and gives eternal life as a gift (Rom. 6:23). All of our labors are the least we can do for Him who freely saved us; the result of our labors being that many souls may be saved, even late in life, should the part in which we rejoice.
-Mark Day
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