We find this parable only in Matthew, not in the other Gospels. The parable of the workers in the vineyard does not stand in isolation. At the end of the previous chapter, the Lord Jesus says: “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matt. 19:30). Those words serve, as it were, as the key to the parable that follows. In the story, Jesus shows how things work differently in the Kingdom of the Heavens than people often think. It is not human merit or rank that determines the outcome, but God’s calling and grace.
The Rich Young Man
Immediately preceding the parable, Jesus has a conversation with the rich young man, who asks what he must do to possess aeonian life (19:16). Jesus first tells him to “keep the commandments” (19:17), and when he indicates that he has done so (19:20), He says: “…go then, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come here, follow Me” (19:21). The rich young man had many possessions, so when he heard this, he went away sorrowful (19:22).
Allotted Portion
Peter hears this and draws his own conclusions, responding by stating: “We have left everything and followed You; what then will be our portion?” (19:27). In other words: what is the reward for us who have followed You? The Lord’s answer implies that whoever has followed Him will receive much and inherit aeonian life (19:28-29). But immediately afterwards, He adds: “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matt. 19:30). The parable of the laborers in the vineyard follows directly from this and clarifies how things work in the Kingdom of the heavens.
aeonian life
Every laborer in the parable receives one denarius, a silver coin. In Scripture, silver represents the ransom price that has been paid. This denarius, which all the laborers in the parable receive, is a picture of the aeonian (age-lasting) life that every believer receives. This is the same for everyone, whether one is called early or late. The parable makes no mention of the work itself or the yield of the labor, for that is irrelevant. God’s righteousness is not a wage based on works, but is “freely, by His grace” (cf. Rom. 3:24). It is the Master of the vineyard who calls the laborers.
Matthew 20 ISA
1 For the Kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
The conjunction “for” (Greek: gar) connects this verse to the preceding one: it indicates that the parable serves as an explanation of the statement in 19:30: But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
the master of the vineyard
The parable speaks of the Kingdom of the heavens. The subject is “a certain man” (Luke 14:16; 15:11), further described as “a householder” (Matt. 13:27, 51; 20:1). In the parables, he represents the Lord.
the vineyard
The vineyard is a well-known Biblical image for God’s people or God’s field of work (cf. Isaiah 5). A vineyard …“promises” wine, which is a type of new life. At its core, a vineyard represents the promises made to Abraham. In the following chapter, we find two more parables involving a vineyard: that of the two sons (Matt. 21:28–32) and that of the wicked tenants (Matt. 21:33–46). In the latter, the vineyard stands for the promised Kingdom of God (Matt. 21:43).
Here, too, the vineyard is not merely an image of Israel — as it is in Isaiah 5:7 — because the statement regarding the first and the last is linked in the Gospel of Luke to those coming from all points of the compass to enter the Kingdom of God (Luke 13:29–30). The actions of the master in the parable of the laborers in the vineyard illustrate an aspect of how God acts within the Kingdom of Heaven.
2 And he reaches an agreement with the workers for a denarius a day, and sends them to his vineyard.
The Master of the vineyard reaches an agreement with the workers He hires. He acts justly and gives what was agreed upon. When grumbling arises later, it is not because of an injustice, but because the first group expects to receive more than those who arrived later.