Matthew 20:1-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
We see the theme the last will be first, and the first will be last continued in this parable. In last week’s breakfast, we discussed the disciples questioning who can be saved if the rich young man cannot be saved, allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven. He had everything. We might assume he or his family worked hard for their wealth. If such a diligent, righteous person as this young man cannot be saved, then who can be saved? Peter asserts that they, the disciples, have given up everything to follow Jesus. Does not effort matter in obtaining the kingdom of God? Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!” (Matthew 29:27) Yes, giving all is important in achieving right standing with God, but it is not important to this world, for such a commitment to God does not contribute much to the goods and services the world needs to survive. These people are precious to God but not very precious to this world, for their contribution to the world in goods and services is quite limited. But Jesus assures them that to be least in this world in the eyes of men is great in the eyes of God. Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 29:29) In the above parable we see the same focus of the least first, the first last. We see the master of the field who owns everything seek workers to work on his land. They were sought because of the master’s plan for that day. The landowner went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They were in his field that day for his reasons. We can assume that Jesus is talking about the master as representing God. The master’s plan was for workers to be in his field at different times—some early, some later. But his plan was to treat them all the same at the end of their day, not on how hard they worked or how long they worked. At the end of the day, payment was given for their labor. But to the surprise of the first hired, the payment was all the same: a denarius (136 dollars), enough to feed 25 people. The first hired were upset about this apparent injustice by the owner. “These who were hired last worked only one hour,” they said, “and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.” They were saying, "We are the ones who made your vineyard profitable. We are the hard workers on your land, not those who rested most of the day in the shade and then came out here late at 5 o’clock and worked an hour." But the master reminds them that he owns the field, and he can do what he wants on his land. ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? The master establishes who is supreme in this situation. He is the lord of the land and will do what he desires on his property and to the people he places on his land. “Are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Of course this whole scene is not the way our earth functions. The hard workers usually win the higher price. They receive the rewards in life and may exist well if they put in a good effort achieving the wealth of this world. In addition, they usually receive the esteem of others. In the field they might become the foreman or the overseer; in the world their efforts might cause them to be a king, president, governor, legislator, and the like. The rich young man was one of the esteemed, the winner in this world. But the kingdom of God is not constructed for only hard workers, for many of the others will be put ahead of the diligent, full-day workers in the master’s field. On the cross, we see one of the criminals placed into the kingdom of God with the full-day’s pay: eternal life. Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ”Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43) We see here a short-timer in the field receiving the goodness and mercy of God in full measure. The master of the field is in complete control. He can hire those he desires; he can pay them what he desires. In the chronicle of men and women on earth, God determines the price for working in his field. He decides what is fair to all. The denarius, eternal life, is given freely to whosoever will enter the master’s field. The first hired were important to God, for they did much of the work, but the Kingdom of Heaven is not dependent on the amount of work one performs for God, but on the grace and mercy of God. Our personal pretensions of who is important to God and who is not important to God is based on our value system. Hard work is one of our values. Experience, commitment, and longevity are other measuring instruments in our assumption of who is important to God and who is not. In the above parable we see God’s goodness in spades. His love is equally poured out on the first as well as the last. Man evaluates effort and sustaining allegiance, but the owner of the field, evaluated people as being intrinsically important, more valuable than effort or even longevity in his field.
In today’s parable, the master looks for people who are still out of work. They are in the streets, milling around, without employment. The master sees their condition and offers them a job, a way to sustain their lives. He is focused on people, not the work in the field. Even the ones hired at the end of day will receive a good wage. In life, of course, the early workers are probably the strongest, the healthiest, the most aggressive. They are the ones who can push their way to the front of the dayworkers’ line, clamoring to be hired, presenting themselves first to the master. They show themselves ready to work in his field, having the right attire, looking eager and fit. We see in the parable, these people were hired first. The last in line, those who arrived late or who were pushed to the back of the line because of their frailty, only heard that the quota of dayworkers for the day was filled. They went away sad. They were the least in the kingdom. They were the outcasts, the immigrants, the weak, the illiterate. But the Kingdom of God is for people such as these. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3) The first workers complained that the master was not fair, for they had toiled all day for a denarius, but the last, the lazy and worthless in their eyes received an equal payment. Why did they quarrel about this apparent injustice? Because in the world’s system of effort and aggressiveness, the strongest, the healthiest, the wisest, the knowledgeable get ahead. But this is not God’s way of evaluating and rewarding people. He came for everyone, but especially to the hurting. On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) He did not shortchange the first hired, for they received a denarius too. But the master’s goodness was displayed even for those who were not much help to him or his field. Those who really needed his help, the last in line, received undeserving grace and mercy. They did not earn his gift, the day’s wage. But by receiving this gift, the goodness of the master or God was manifested. Jesus’ primary message was not for the people who could shove their way to the front of the line. See how good we are, for we have served God all day. He did not come for those who had profited in this world. Instead, He came for those who had lost out in this world. THOSE WHO KNEW THEY NEEDED A SAVIOR! He came to offer the kingdom to the weak, the lonely, the desperate, the sinner. He comes to those who have little power or influence on this earth. He comes to those who have experienced abuse and injustice. The scale of earthly justice has never favored them. Justice for them is found only in the hands of God. A violent, corrupt, aggressive world does not give justice equally. Mercy and fairness are alien concepts in the land of human affairs. But the master of the field brought justice to his workers, not the justice that humans were seeking. Humans measure everything on effort, contributions to this world and its survival. But the master was evaluating everything on the value of a person. They were all equal in his eyes, for he is the Good Lord. Dear friends if you feel the world is not a friendly place for you, and it seems injustice reigns, remember the scale of perfection is in God’s hands. Eternal life, the kingdom of God, the denarius of God’s favor is in his purview. He values the intrinsic you. He created you for his favor. He looks upon you with enduring love. If you feel you have been pushed to the back of the line, remember the first will be last and the last will be first in the eyes of the Lord. Amen!
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