Parables of Our Lord: No. 8 - Laborers in the Vineyard

Matthew 20:1‑16  •  9 min. read  •  grade level: 6
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“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place, and said unto them: Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them. Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”—Matt. 20:1-161For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. 2And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. (Matthew 20:1‑16).
There is one passage in this parable that explains it: “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own?” It is God in His sovereignty, dispensing His gifts as it pleases Him. What was given to the last in no way infringed upon the rights of the others; for of those first employed, we are told, an agreement was made for “a penny a day.” To the others it was said that they should receive what was right, and it was a simple act of benevolence to give the last more than they had earned.
It vividly brings out the discontent of man. They who had agreed for a penny, received a penny, and therefore could have no just cause of complaint; and yet they could not bear to see others receive as much as themselves. To such it was said, “is thine eye evil because I am good?” Yes, the very goodness of God calls out the evil in man, who is, in many ways, ready to charge God with injustice. But the God of all the earth will surely do what is right; but He is a sovereign, and will dispense. His gifts when and where it pleaseth Him. In His grace He calls some at the eleventh hour, and gives to them the same as those called much earlier.
We doubt not there is another lesson to be learned from this parable, because of the last sentence: “So the last shall be first, and the first last; for many be called, but few chosen” God is the dispenser of grace, and He dispenses it as, and when, and where it pleases Him. The Jews were first, now they are last. Paul was as one born out of due time, and yet he became a chief apostle. God will not be unjust to any, but He calls whom He will, and of them He chooses whom He will, and makes them, in His grace, what He will. Let each be content to fill the place in which God has put him, counting it all grace to be sent by God to work in His vineyard, and then seek to be faithful therein; and, while enjoying the grace thus given to himself, be happy in recognizing the grace given to others whom God may please to choose, and endow with greater gifts than he possesses. Let not our eye be evil because God is good.
“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if lie lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”—Luke 15:4-74What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. (Luke 15:4‑7).
It helps us to understand this parable, and the two others in Luke 15 (if indeed the three are not one parable, see ver. 3) to see that they immediately follow the accusation of the Pharisees and scribes who said, “This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” Yes, blessed be God, He receiveth sinners, yea, and eateth with them. (Rev. 3:2020Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20).)
This parable is beautifully simple. The people had been compared to sheep long before. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa. 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6).) But in the parable it is not the sheep who are so much in question as the owner: the one who had lost the sheep. He calls together his friends and neighbors, saying, “Rejoice with me.” No doubt the sheep that had been lost and found again was in very happy circumstances now; but not a word is said of that; it is the owner, and his joy that comes out so prominently.
It also shows the value the shepherd, whose own the sheep are, attaches to a single sheep. It is one in a hundred: only one per cent., as we say, and not of much consequence. But one of such sheep must not be lost. A place vacant in the glory would never do; a void in the heart of the Good Shepherd could not be possible. The sheep must be sought and sought till it was found. No such thought is allowed for a moment that it might be lost finally and never found. “My sheep shall never perish” said our Lord: no, not even one.
But, as we have seen, it is the shepherd who is before us: it is His love—His search—His joy. And the interpretation is as unmistakable as it is plain: there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over the ninety and nine just ones.
There is also another word that demands our attention—the sheep was lost. What a volume there is in that one word—lost! Our Lord said He had been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matt. 15:2424But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 15:24).) Yet, Israel with all their privileges, and with the scriptures in their hands, are described as lost. And if this were true of Israel, surely it was and is true of those without God and without hope in the world. Yet this is really one of the last things a man receives respecting himself. Many a one can see and own that he is not quite what he ought to be; there is room for improvement, a need for turning over new leaves, &c. But it is so degrading to be told that he is a lost sinner and needs an almighty Savior! And yet everything short of this is speaking smooth things that only deceive and ruin souls.
And whence, indeed, have not men wandered? Alas, they have gone to the very depths of degradation, to every imaginable height of infidelity, to all the crooked places of profane imagination. No other word will tell out their state by nature, as to all their wanderings, than the word lost.
And this needs one to seek them. The Good Shepherd of our parable “goes after” the lost one. A cold professional gospel (if such it can be called) may think all that is needed is to call after the lost one; tell him of his wandering; and exhort him to acts of charity and devotion where he is—in the vain hope that he will find himself right at last.
Not so the Good Shepherd: He “goes after” the lost one—goes till He find it. And even then He does not trust it to follow; but He lifts the sheep on to His shoulder and brings it home rejoicing. He does not set the sheep in the right road, and leave it to do the rest. No, He brings it, not even to the ninety and nine, but right home—safe and sound; and then calls his neighbors to rejoice with him over his once lost sheep.
Ah, but you will say, our Lord, in His application, says there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. If the above is true, where is there room for the repentance? There will surely always be repentance, for the goodness of God leadeth to repentance; and it in no way clashes with what we here read. In the parable, as we have seen, it is what the man did who had lost his sheep, and his joy when he had found it.
But who are the ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance? Scripture is quite plain that in and of themselves there is none righteous—no, not one; but there were and are many who consider themselves as such, and who judge that they need no repentance. Such were those who brought the accusation against our Lord that called forth this parable: “This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” We get similar expressions elsewhere: such as, “the whole need not a physician;” not that there really are any who have no need of Christ; but they take the ground of being such, and are so treated. It is the sick who value the treatment of the physician, and it is the lost who need a Savior.
Thus this parable shows how our Lord receiveth sinners, and eateth with them; yea, He rejoiceth over the recovery of each one. The work of salvation is His—He does it all. He puts the lost sheep on His own omnipotent shoulders, and brings it home safe and sound. To Him be all the praise!