Matthew
20:1-16New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Labourers
in the Vineyard
20
“For the kingdom of heaven is like [a]a landowner who went out early in the
morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. 2 When he had agreed with the labourers
for a [b]denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went
out about the [c]third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; 4
and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I
will give you.’ And so they went. 5 Again he went out about the [d]sixth and
the ninth hour, and did [e]the same thing. 6 And about the [f]eleventh hour he
went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you
been standing here idle all day long?’ 7 They *said to him, ‘Because no one
hired us.’ He *said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’
8
“When evening came, the [g]owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call
the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the
first.’ 9 When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a
[h]denarius. 10 When those hired first came, they thought that they would
receive more; [i]but each of them also received a denarius. 11 When they
received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have
worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the
burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered and said to one
of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a
denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the
same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my
own? Or is your eye [j]envious because I am [k]generous?’ 16 So the last shall
be first, and the first last.”
Matthew
Henry’s Commentary
We
have two things in the parable; the agreement with the labourers, and the
account with them.
(1.)
Here is the agreement made with the labourers (Matt. 20:1-7); and here it will
be asked, as usual,
[1.]
Who hires them? A man that is a householder. God is the great Householder,
whose we are, and whom we serve; as a householder, he has work that he will
have to be done, and servants that he will have to be doing; he has a great
family in heaven and earth, which is named from Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:15), which
he is Owner and Ruler of. God hires labourers, not because he needs them or
their services (for, if we be righteous, what do we unto him?), but as some
charitable generous householders keep poor men to work, in kindness to them, to
save them from idleness and poverty, and pay them for working for themselves.
[2.]
Whence they are hired? Out of the market-place, where, till they are hired into
God’s service, they stand idle (Matt. 20:3), all the day idle (Matt. 20:6).
Note, First, The soul of man stands ready to be hired into some service or
other; it was (as all the creatures were) created to work, and is either a
servant to iniquity, or a servant to righteousness, Rom. 6:19. The devil, by
his temptations, is hiring labourers into his field, to feed swine. God, by his
gospel, is hiring labourers into his vineyard, to dress it, and keep it,
paradise-work. We are put to our choice; for hired we must be (Josh. 24:15);
Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. Secondly, Till we are hired into the
service of God, we are standing all the day idle; a sinful state, though a
state of drudgery to Satan, may really be called a state of idleness; sinners
are doing nothing, nothing to the purpose, nothing of the great work they were
sent into the world about, nothing that will pass well in the account. Thirdly,
The gospel call is given to those that stand idle in the market-place. The
market-place is a place of concourse, and there Wisdom cries (Prov. 1:20, 21);
it is a place of sport, there the children are playing (Matt. 11:16); and the
gospel calls us from vanity to seriousness; it is a place of business, of noise
and hurry; and from that we are called to retire. “Come, come from this
market-place.”
[3.]
What are they hired to do? To labour in his vineyard. Note, First, The church
is God’s vineyard; it is of his planting, watering, and fencing; and the fruits
of it must be to his honour and praise. Secondly, We are all called upon to be
labourers in this vineyard. The work of religion is vineyard-work, pruning,
dressing, digging, watering, fencing, weeding. We have each of us our own
vineyard to keep, our own soul; and it is God’s and to be kept and dressed for
him. In this work we must not be slothful, not loiterers, but labourers,
working, and working out our own salvation. Work for God will not admit of
trifling. A man may go idle to hell; but he that will go to heaven, must be
busy.
[4.]
What shall be their wages? He promises, First, A penny, Matt. 20:2. The Roman
penny was, in our money, of the value of a seven pence half-penny, a day’s
wages for a day’s work, and the wages sufficient for a day’s maintenance. This
doth not prove that the reward of our obedience to God is of works, or of debt
(no, it is of grace, free grace, Rom. 4:4), or that there is any proportion
between our services and heaven’s glories; no, when we have done all, we are
unprofitable servants; but it is to signify that there is a reward set before
us, and a sufficient one. Secondly, Whatsoever is right, Matt. 20:4-7. Note,
God will be sure not to be behind-hand with any for the service they do him:
never any lost by working for God. The crown set before us is a crown of
righteousness, which the righteous Judge shall give.
[5.]
For what term are they hired? For a day. It is but a day’s work that is here
done. The time of life is the day, in which we must work the works of him that
sent us into the world. It is a short time; the reward is for eternity, the
work is but for a day; man is said to accomplish, as a hireling, his day, Job
14:6. This should quicken us to expedition and diligence in our work, that we
have but a little time to work in, and the night is hastening on, when no man
can work; and if our great work be undone when our day is done, we are undone
for ever. It should also encourage us in reference to the hardships and
difficulties of our work, that it is but for a day; the approaching shadow,
which the servant earnestly desireth, will bring with it both rest, and the
reward of our work, Job 7:2. Hold out, faith, and patience, yet a little while.
[6.]
Notice is taken of the several hours of the day, at which the labourers were
hired. The apostles were sent forth at the first and third hour of the gospel
day; they had a first and a second mission, while Christ was on earth, and
their business was to call in the Jews; after Christ’s ascension, about the
sixth and ninth hour, they went out again on the same errand, preaching the
gospel to the Jews only, to them in Judea first, and afterward to them of the
dispersion; but, at length, as it were about the eleventh hour, they called the
Gentiles to the same work and privilege with the Jews, and told them that in
Christ Jesus there should be no difference made between Jew and Greek.
But
this may be, and commonly is, applied to the several ages of life, in which
souls are converted to Christ. The common call is promiscuous, to come and work
in the vineyard; but the effectual call is particular, and it is then effectual
when we come at the call.
First,
Some are effectually called, and begin to work in the vineyard when they are
very young; are sent in early in the morning, whose tender years are seasoned
with grace, and the remembrance of their Creator. John the Baptist was
sanctified from the womb, and therefore great (Luke 1:15); Timothy from a child
(2 Tim. 3:15); Obadiah feared the Lord from his youth. Those that have such a
journey to go, had need set out betimes, the sooner the better.
Secondly,
Others are savingly wrought upon in middle age; Go work in the vineyard, at the
third, sixth, or ninth hour. The power of divine grace is magnified in the
conversion of some, when they are in the midst of their pleasures and worldly
pursuits, as Paul. God has work for all ages; no time amiss to turn to God;
none can say, “It is all in good time;” for, whatever hour of the day it is
with us, the time past of our life may suffice that we have served sin; Go ye
also into the vineyard. God turns away none that are willing to be hired, for
yet there is room.
Thirdly,
Others are hired into the vineyard in old age, at the eleventh hour, when the
day of life is far spent, and there is but one hour of the twelve remaining.
None are hired at the twelfth hour; when life is done, opportunity is done; but
“while there is life, there is hope.” 1. There is hope for old sinners; for if,
in sincerity, they turn to God, they shall doubtless be accepted; true
repentance is never too late. And, 2. There is hope of old sinners, that they
may be brought to true repentance; nothing is too hard for Almighty grace to
do, it can change the Ethiopian’s skin, and the leopard’s spots; can set those
to work, who have contracted a habit of idleness. Nicodemus may be born again
when he is old, and the old man may be put off, which is corrupt.
Yet
let none, upon this presumption, put off their repentance till they are old.
These were sent into the vineyard, it is true, at the eleventh hour; but nobody
had hired them, or offered to hire them, before. The Gentiles came in at the
eleventh hour, but it was because the gospel had not been before preached to
them. Those that have had gospel offers made them at the third, or sixth hour,
and have resisted and refused them, will not have that to say for themselves at
the eleventh hour, that these had; No man has hired us; nor can they be sure
that any man will hire them at the ninth or eleventh hour; and therefore not to
discourage any, but to awaken all, be it remembered, that now is the accepted
time; if we will hear his voice, it must be to-day.
Dictionary
of Bible Themes
5438
parables
Stories
told to convey a general truth or spiritual message, often requiring
explanation or interpretation. They were used by the prophets and featured
extensively in Jesus Christ’s ministry.
Parables
in the OT
Told
by prophets Hos 12:10 See also 2Sa 12:1-10; 1Ki 20:35-42; Eze 17:1-18; Eze
20:49; Eze 24:3-13
Told
by others Ps 78:1-2 See also Jdg 9:7-20; 2Sa 14:4-14; 2Ki 14:9-10 pp 2Ch
25:18-19; Pr 1:5-6
Parables
in the ministry of Jesus Christ
Reasons
for Jesus Christ’s use of parables Mt 13:10-15 pp Mk 4:10-12 pp Lk 8:9-10 See
also Isa 6:9-10
Examples
of parables told by Jesus Christ Mt 13:3-8 pp Mk 4:3-8 pp Lk 8:5-8 See also Mt
7:24-27 pp Lk 6:47-49 the wise and foolish builders; Mt 13:24-30,31-32 pp Mk
4:30-32 pp Lk 13:18-19 the mustard seed; Mt 13:33,44-50; Mt 18:12-14 pp Lk
15:4-7 the lost sheep; Mt 18:23-35; Mt 20:1-16; Mt 21:33-41 pp Mk 12:1-9 pp Lk
20:9-16 the tenants; Mt 22:1-14; Mt 25:1-13,14-30; Mk 4:26-29; Mk 7:14-15; Lk
10:25-37; Lk 12:16-21,35-48; Lk 14:16-24; Lk 15:8-32; Lk 18:9-14; Lk 19:12-27
Interpretations
of parables given by Jesus Christ Mk 4:33-34 See also Mt 13:18-23 pp Mk 4:14-20
pp Lk 8:11-15; Mt 13:36-43; Mk 7:17-23
