We saw that the owner of the vineyard represents the Lord. He calls workers to labor in His vineyard, a depiction of the Kingdom of the Heavens. With the first group, He agrees that they will receive a denarius, representing aeonian (age-lasting) life.
Matthew 20 ISA
3 And about the third hour he went out and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.
The marketplace is the place where workers wait for someone to call them. They stand there “idle” — not out of laziness, but because they have not been chosen. This underscores once again that receiving aeonian life does not stem from one’s own work, but from being called.
4 And he said to them, “You go also into my vineyard, and whatever is just, I will give you.”
5 And they went. And about the sixth and the ninth hour he went out again and did likewise.
Promise
Here, a fixed wage agreement is absent. The emphasis for these groups lies on the promise and the justice of the master. This requires surrender: they do not know what they will receive and are called to trust in God’s goodness rather than in a predetermined reward.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing there, and he said to them, “Why do you stand here idle all day long?”
7 They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You go also into the vineyard.”
Trust
The eleventh hour marks virtually the end of the workday. The fact that the master seeks workers even then underscores the abundance of his grace. No one is too late simply because the day is nearly over. Their answer is telling: they did not refuse; rather, they were not asked. This removes any grounds for arrogance or reliance on one’s own works. This group receives no promise regarding the wages they will earn. They simply do what the master of the vineyard tells them and act on his word — an illustration of trust.
8 And when evening came, the master of the vineyard said to his foreman: “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last and ending with the first.”
9 And those hired at the eleventh hour came, and each received a denarius.
the last come first
This clearly shows that this parable serves to explain the statement that many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. When paying the wages, the Master begins with the last, and only then do the first come forward.
wages not based on work done
The last group receives a full day’s wage, despite having worked for only a short time. This makes it clear that the wage is not calculated based on the amount of work performed. It is not a matter of merit, but of sharing in the Kingdom.
10 And the first came, assuming they would receive more. Yet they, too, each received a denarius.
the first come last
To highlight the contrast, the intermediate groups are skipped, moving directly from the last to the first. When their turn comes, they expect to receive more. From a human perspective, this seems logical. Yet they, too, each receive a single denarius. This demonstrates that God’s way of acting is the standard, and that we cannot measure His actions against the yardstick of human merit. Jesus confirms that there is a reward (19:28–29), but at the same time corrects any thinking in terms of rights, entitlement, or precedence (19:30 and 20:1–16). The parable thus functions as a warning within the promise.
11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner,
12 and they said: “These last ones worked for one hour, and you have made them equal to us — we who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.”
grumbling
The workers begin to grumble. They direct their dissatisfaction at the master of the vineyard. Not because they received too little, but because others are getting just as much. They point out that the last ones worked for only one hour. Yet, they have been treated the same as those who worked all day. To them, this feels unjust. Their mindset is based on merit and work.
13 And he answers one of them, saying: Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me on a denarius?
14 Take what is yours and go; for I want to give this last one the same as I give you.
15 Am I not permitted to do what I want with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am good?
The master answers one of them personally. He even calls him “friend.” He then points out that he has committed no injustice; after all, the agreed-upon denarius has been paid. He tells the worker to take his wages and leave. At the same time, he makes it clear that he is free to give the same amount to the last ones. It is a matter of what he chooses to give. His goodness is central.
an evil eye
The master asks a pointed question: is he not allowed to do what he wants with what belongs to him? He then asks if their eye is evil because he is good. In doing so, he exposes the root cause of the grumbling. It is not injustice, but envy that lies at the heart of it.
16 So the last will be first, and the first last.
Jesus concludes with the well-known statement: the last will be first, and the first last. With this, the Kingdom turns human hierarchy upside down. What seems self-evident to people is different with God. His grace cannot be calculated. a broader principle
This parable does not deal with the ecclesia — the body of Christ. However, the idea that the last become the first is a principle frequently observed in God’s dealings. Those who come later may be granted a place ahead of others by God. We see this same principle at work regarding the ecclesia.
In this regard, we are at the back of the line. Nearly six thousand years of human history have already passed, during which God — from the time of Adam onwards — has dealt with individuals and nations in various ways. The ecclesia was called and revealed only much later.
the last become the first
Yet, at the resurrection, we will precede those who came before us. Christ is the Firstborn and holds the highest position in creation. The ecclesia is His body and will share in His position and glory.
At the snatching away, we are united with Him so that we may always be together with Him (1 Thess. 4:17). The dead in Christ will rise, and those who are alive and remain will be transformed. Together, we will go to meet the Lord in the air. The rest of the dead will not be raised until later.
In this, too, we recognize the principle from the parable: those who came last in God’s dealings will precede others at the resurrection. The last become the first.