8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers 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 denarius. 10 When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; 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 envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last.”
This parable is bookended by verse 19:30 “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first,” and verse 20:16, “So the last shall be first, and the first last.” Clearly Jesus was illustrating the promise that the disciples’ sacrifices to follow Him would be more than adequately compensated for.
As He told the story, a farmer sent men out to work in his vineyard at different times of the day, with each agreeing to the terms of employment. The first group of men agreed to work for one denarius for the day’s work, which was the fair wage at that time. But at the time of agreement they did not know that at the end of the work day, those who started later in the day would receive the same compensation. When this was discovered, the men hired first no longer thought their employer was acting fairly. Yet everyone received at least what they deserved. Some received more than they deserved despite working less hours in the day. The owner can do as he pleases with what he owns, being generous with whom he desires. Generosity does not negate fairness.
Although this story certainly may have something to say about economics and employment, the primary application is to disciples who have given up “everything” to follow Christ (Matt 19:27). The world sees them as “last.” As Paul writes concerning apostles in particular, “We have become the scum of the earth” (1 Cor 4:9-13, esp. 13). What keeps followers of Christ going when they have given up so much? We have a generous God whose rewards far exceed what we deserve. An old saying goes like this, “God is no man’s debtor.” “We shovel from our pile into God’s pile, and He in return shovels from His pile into ours—shovel for shovel. However, He has a bigger shovel!”
Lord, I don’t have to worry because I know that you are the kind of God who compensates with rewards that far outweigh my puny sacrifices.
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