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Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
Matthew 20:1-16
Introduction: Throughout the book of Matthew Jesus presents parables that give us pictures of his kingdom. This was especially important for Matthew’s Jewish audience who looked for a glorification of the physical kingdom of Israel. However, Jesus’ descriptions of his kingdom also violated general human norms.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the parable of the laborers is contrary to human thinking. A man works one hour and gets paid the same as those who worked a full 12 hours! Our human side says, “What kind of employer does that to his workers? It is preposterous! Someone needs to start a union!” The fact that at first glance even we react negatively to the parable indicates the message of the parable is as valuable for us as it was for 1st century Jews.
There are two mistakes typically made in understanding the parable:
Because there is a chapter division, we separate the parable from the previous narrative of the rich young ruler. But the parable is generated from the incident with the ruler and the subsequent reaction of the disciples. Proving this, 19:30 ends with the same phrase as 20:16.
There has often been a simplistic explanation of the parable, that is, those who came to Christ late in their life will receive the same reward as those who came early in their life. The problem with this explanation is that it is not the context. The lesson Jesus gives is more far-reaching and more substantial.
Now consider the foundational points that introduce the parable:
The Rich Man (19:16-22):
How would you evaluate this man? In our language, we might say that he really has it all together. He is a success story, but not just in physical terms. He also is dedicated in spiritual terms. He has kept the commandments from his youth, but that has not satisfied him. He wants to know what more he can do, what good deed, that will give him eternal life. He was impressive, whether in the 1st century, or today.
“Good teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus’ answer: “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.” Jesus actually treats “doing good” and “being good” as the same thing. Goodness is not evaluated on the basis of having “done some good things.” Goodness is not just doing good, it is being good – always, not part of the time or most of the time, but always. Only God is good.
It is like someone boasting who says, “Did you notice the good deed I did?” Yes, I noticed; that was really good. But what about the bad deed you did an hour later? Where does that leave us? Not good!
How will Jesus show this man that he is not good? He tells him to “keep the commandments.” The man’s answer is amazing: “Which ones?” Huh? That question clearly indicts him. He has evaluated his goodness on certain commands. Oh, that is us! Are you a good person? Sure! Do you do good deeds? Absolutely! Upon what basis are you making that evaluation? I’m making it on the basis of the deeds I like to do and I’m good at doing! Let me tell you about the things I’m really good at an faithfully do. But I’m not including commands at which I fail repeatedly. I’m not including qualities, character traits, and commands that include faithfulness, mercy, and loving my neighbor as myself, that is, loving my neighbor and my brother even when they harm me and are not lovable. I am not talking about being morally perfect. I’m not talking about always being gracious and kind. Exactly! Jesus’ definition of good, is not me. And when I think like this ruler, my whole approach to Jesus is wrong. That is the foundation of this text. It is possible to follow Jesus, but not acceptably.
The Apostles’ Reaction
First, the apostles are “greatly astonished.” Their astonishment is evidence that what Jesus is teaching about salvation is shocking to what would be the cultural norm. The man going away sorrowful along with Jesus’ words of the great difficulty for a rich man to enter the kingdom, is not the way people thought. We would say that this man was a good, church-going fellow. It is shocking to us as well.
Note the apostle’s question: “Who then can be saved?” Indeed, if this man can’t be saved just because he won’t sell everything, then who can? Jesus’ response provides the answer. Remember, the question of the ruler set this up – What good deed can I do? Now Jesus answers with words that apply to all mankind: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Salvation isn’t about man, it is about God. Salvation isn’t about you, it is about faith in what God can do.
One final point before the parable. Peter makes the connection between what the rich man would not do and what they have done: “We have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” In verse 29, Jesus applies the principle to “everyone.” Everyone who does what they have done will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life.
Verse 30: “But…” Then we have the warning, “the first will be last, and the last first.” The parable will end with the same words.
The Parable: 20:1-16
First notice the words, “For the kingdom of heaven is like…” Every time Jesus says those words in Matthew the Jewish reader is shocked. The description is not what is expected because the kingdom of heaven does not reflect the kingdoms of men. We need to mark this well, because we live in a similar world with our corporate lifestyle which we have very often brought into our corporate churches, and even equated our obedience to commands as our assurance of salvation – “what good deed can I do?”
Do we not think this way? Listen to the words at a funeral about how surely he will be in heaven because of how good this person was.
Next, you will notice a difference in the 1st hour laborers and the rest. There are only two categories of workers, the 1st hour and all the rest.
The 1st hour laborers went to work in the vineyard on the basis of an agreed upon wage. The other laborers went into the vineyard without an agreement and because they wanted to work; they wanted to be in the vineyard. They were in need and when they were offered work in the vineyard, they came in and worked without knowing the wage. They simply trusted the master.
The 1st hour laborers were paid last. Jesus tells the story this way because he wants to single them out as an example. This is a warning to Peter, to all disciples, and especially to the Jewish reader who takes great pride in his physical connection to Abraham and to those who boast about good deeds.
The 1st hour laborers grumble at the master of the house. Considering that the master of the house is God himself, it is an amazing thing. Can you imagine grumbling on the day of Judgment about who God shows grace to? “Oh come on, you are going to give grace to that guy? If I had known that, I wouldn’t have worked so hard!”
In fact, the NKJV reflects the more exact wording of the text: “Is your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first, and the first last.” Not only grumblers, but an evil eye toward toward the goodness of God.
We can even get a clear picture of this “evil eye” in the parable of the Prodigal. The Jews’ heart was exposed by Jesus because they murmured about the “tax collectors and sinners” (Cf. Luke 15:1).
Listen to the words of the “elder son” in the parable of the prodigal: “But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!” (Luke 15:28-30)
So was the elder son saved? He is a “son,” but is he saved? Who is Jesus identifying as the elder son? Obviously the elder son represents the scribes and Pharisees of 15:1. Therefore, are the scribes and Pharisees saved? Not unless they come into the house of the Father and rejoice at the salvation of their prodigal brother, that is, join Jesus in the salvation of the “tax collectors and sinners!”
This is the same warning Jesus gave in Luke 13:23-30. When Jesus is asked if there will be few who will be saved, he warns against the many who casually “seek” to enter but will not be able. They will “stand outside and knock,” but the Lord will not open even though they “ate and drank in his presence, and he taught in their streets.” Jesus will say, “Depart all you workers of evil.” Then the warning, “You will see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Who Are the “First” and Who Are the “Last”
The first are like the ruler who believes his salvation can be obtained by some good deed so that he can boast in the salvation he attained.
The first are the scribes and Pharisees who counted on their personal righteousness for their reward. In so doing, they fit Paul’s description of physical Israel in Rom. 9:30-33 – they sought salvation as it were “by works” and not as the Gentiles who found righteousness because they pursued it by faith (seeking goodness and generosity from the Master).
The first evaluate service and reward from the Master on the basis of what is deserved. If the Master pays the 11th hour laborers a denarius, then they surely deserve more. They are seeing the kingdom laborer as those who receive what they deserve based on the amount of their labor. No, it is based on fidelity and allegiance to the Master.
This is also a caution to Peter and the apostles who said, “What will we receive?” Do we see the “why” in the warning? Do we see why the ruler is lost and why the first hour workers are in danger? It is because it is about what man does instead of what God does! For man to be saved, he must rely on God. That is the ruler’s problem, and that is the first hour laborer’s problem.
We could frame it this way: do you go into the vineyard expecting that the master will pay you what you deserve based on how much you worked? That would certainly be the way a worldly kingdom would function. Or, will you enter the vineyard as did the third through eleventh hour laborers, through faith in the master to “give you what is right” and then be thrilled with the generosity of the master?
Titus 3:5, “He saved us, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy…”
The 3rd through 11th hour laborers went into the vineyard for the love of working for the Master. They went in by faith, and what is beautiful is, they received more than they deserved. There is one thing you and I certainly do not want. We do not want what we deserve. We are looking for the graciousness of the Master.
Final Application: There are two religious extremes. One is like the Sadducees who disregard a major part of scripture and are not careful in their obedience to God. Then there are the Pharisees, the “conservative” way of thinking. Reacting against being loose with God’s word can lead these to pride. This is a warning to us. We are doing what others are not doing. We are being careful to obey, and well we should (Ezek. 36:27). But when the day is done and we have done all that was commanded of us, we are unprofitable servants. We are still sinners. We have missed the mark hundreds of times and in hundreds of ways. Salvation with man is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Berry Kercheville