13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:13–16 ESV)
Jesus taught this parable to His disciples (Matt.19:23-30). He compared God’s eternal rule and reign in heaven, and citizenship therein, to a master and his laborers. This master went out (ἐξέρχομαι; exerchomai) or initiated an act of hiring laborers or workers for his vineyard.
The master and the laborers agreed to a denarius a day. A denarius (δηνάριον; denarion) was a common laborer’s wage for one long day’s work (Matt. 20:2, 9; Mark 14:5; Luke 10:35; 20:24; John 6:7; Rev 6:6). Upon this mutual agreement, the master sent the laborers into his vineyard (Matt. 20:1-2).
At the third hour of the day (9:00 am), the master went to the marketplace (agora). This was the location where the unemployed generally gathered perhaps hoping someone would hire them for the day. The master chose to do so promising to pay them what was right. The unemployed workers agreed and went to the vineyard (20:3-4).
The master went back to the marketplace and continued to hire more workers. He did so at the sixth hour (Noon), the ninth hour (3:00 pm), and even at the eleventh hour (5:00 pm). He sent all of them to the vineyard presumably promising to pay them what was right (20:5-7).
Quitting time arrives at the twelfth hour (6:00 pm). When this evening hour came, the master instructed his foreman to call all the laborers. This was so the foreman can pay them their day’s wages. God’s Law required a prompt, daily compensation of day laborers (Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14-15; James 5:4). Each laborer received a denarius.
The laborers the master initially hired at the beginning of the day mistakenly thought they would receive more. However, they also received the agreed upon denarius (Matt. 20:8-10). They became upset. Even though they received their agreed upon wages, they were not happy. They grumbled at the master of the house. To grumble (γογγύζω; gongyzo) means to mummer and complain.
The master replied to the initial laborers he did nothing wrong. He paid them the agreed upon wage of a denarius. The master stated it was his prerogative to give the same wage to the last workers as to the first. He questioned the workers as to whether they begrudged his generosity.
The master of the vineyard addressed the dissatisfied laborers. He exposed their hypocrisy, and perhaps our own, when God’s grace is properly understood in the last being first and the first last.
“The laborers who complained made the error of thinking that the master had no inherent right to determine how he would allot his resources. Jesus’ point is that like the master, God has the right to determine how much grace He will give to people. The Lord is not obligated to give anyone grace, let alone the same grace to all people. As the master in his treatment of the laborers was not unjust, God is never unjust. People get what He has promised them. Yet some people get more than others, and since the Lord owes us nothing but wrath, we may never complain about our portion,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.
“The “point” or main lesson of the parable is therefore this: Do not be among the first who become last. This may be subdivided as follows: a. Avoid falling prey to the work-for-wages spirit with respect to matters spiritual (besides 20:2, 13 see also the context, 19:16, 22, and what was said in connection with 19:27). b. Do not fail to recognize God’s sovereignty, his right to distribute favors as he pleases (in addition to 20:14b, 15a see again the context, 20:23). c. Be far removed from envy (see not only 15b but also the general context, 18:1; 20:20–28). Was not each disciple’s yearning to be the greatest a next-door neighbor to gruesome soul-destructive envy,” states Dr. William Hendriksen.
Repent for any envy or complaining you may have towards individuals receiving God’s grace who you believe are unworthy of such an act by God. Of course they’re unworthy. So were we. If you think otherwise, you do not understand the nature of your sin and the greatness of God’s grace.
Soli deo Gloria!
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