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.”
Commentary
Vs.
1-2
“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.”
Having declared to the disciples that: “…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. 30 But many who are first will be last,
and the last first.” Matt. 19:29-30 The Lord Jesus now continues by describing the kingdom
of heaven like a landowner who goes out seeking laborers to work in his
vineyard. And so, the Lord Jesus says early in the morning he went out to hire
the laborers. And finding some he agrees to pay them a denarius a day, then he
sends them into his vineyard.
Vs. 3-4 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.
Again, the Lord Jesus says that the
vineyard owner went out about the third hour of the day and seeing others
standing idle in the marketplace he says to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right
I will give you.’ So they went. Now notice that these laborers did not
negotiate with the landowner about their wages, they simply agreed to go to
work and trusted him that as he said “whatever is right
I will give you”, so he would do. Their
focus then wasn’t on what their reward would be, but rather having been
found by him, and sent out to laborer for him, they went to work, trusting him
to deal with them justly at the end of the day.
Vs.
5-7
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.’
And so again the Lord Jesus says the owner
of the vineyard went out at the sixth and ninth hour and finds and hires more
laborers (vs. 5). Even at the eleventh hour (a work day being divided into
twelve-hour segments, starting at say 6:00 am) he finds more standing idle, so
he says to them, ‘Why have you been
standing here idle all day?’ to which they
respond, ‘Because no one hired us.’ Therefore,
he says to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and
whatever is right you will receive.’ And so, they too go trusting him to give
them what he deems is right for them to receive.
Vs.
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.’
Now the Lord Jesus says when evening had
come the landowner tells his steward to pay the laborers, beginning with those
who were hired last and end with those who were hired first.
Vs.
9
“And when
those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a
denarius.”
Now when the laborers who were hired last
came first to be paid as the landowner said to his steward to do, they each
received a denarius. The same wage that those who were first hired agree to
work for.
Vs.
10-16 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.”
Now when the time came for those laborers
who were hired first to be paid they having seen what the late laborers
received as pay thought that they would receive more than they. However, they
too each received a denarius (vs. 10). Now the Lord Jesus says, that when they received
a denarius also, they complained against the landowner, 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.’ Now in understanding this section this is
a parable about the Kingdom of heaven, and as such the “wages” of a denarius
are not to be thought of by us as a repayment for our service down here. For
the point of the parable is that those called by Christ whether at the
beginning, or at the end, will all receive an equal inheritance in the Kingdom
of heaven being granted an equal standing in it, an access to it (consider Gal.
3:26-29). Therefore, those who come first to it, and wish to see themselves
elevated above those who come later, will be greatly disappointed if that is
what is driving their faith and service for the Lord. For the Kingdom of heaven
isn’t about striving to make oneself “better” or “richer” in the Kingdom of
heaven than one’s brethren. The Kingdom of heaven is about the King and his
Kingdom and how can I become a partner with Him and His people in growing it
and extending it to one and to all. For it is by God’s grace that we all enter
it on an equal footing. Therefore, to be in the Kingdom of heaven with the King
is the greatest reward of all, and it is His prerogative to give it to one and
to all as He sees fit. Now the Lord Jesus concluding statement: “So the
last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” Harkens back to Matthew 19:30 and so there will be
some surprises when the Lord Jesus Christ distributes rewards in His Kingdom as
the Believer’s Bible Commentary states: … “Some who thought they would be first will be last because their service was
inspired by pride and selfish ambition. Others who served out of love and
gratitude will be highly honored.”[1]
Scripture Quotations:
The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[1]
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible
Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1279).
Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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