Today I want to share with you one of Jesus' most interesting stories called the Parable of the Vineyard Workers. Jesus told this parable to help us understand how God's kingdom works differently than our world.

The Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story

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God Gave Us You

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The story only appears in Matthew's gospel and is about a landowner who hired workers throughout the day but paid them all equally. It teaches valuable lessons about God's generosity and reminds us that His ways aren't always like our ways.

The Parable of the Vineyard Workers

Chapter 1: Early Morning Hiring

Jesus began this story by saying, "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard" (Matthew 20:1). The day was just beginning, probably around 6:00 AM when the landowner headed to the marketplace where day laborers gathered hoping to find work.

In those days, workers would gather in public places each morning, waiting to be hired for the day. Having no permanent jobs, they depended on daily employment to support their families. If they weren't chosen for work that day, they wouldn't earn any money for food.

The landowner found workers willing to work in his vineyard and made an agreement with them: "He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard" (Matthew 20:2). A denarius was the standard daily wage for laborers at that time—enough to meet a family's basic needs for one day.

These first workers had the security of knowing exactly what they would earn. They went to the vineyard with a clear agreement, starting work in the cooler morning hours.

Chapter 2: Continued Hiring Throughout the Day

The landowner didn't stop with just the early morning workers. Jesus continued the story: "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" (Matthew 20:3-4).

Notice that with this second group, hired around 9:00 AM, the landowner didn't specify an exact amount. He simply promised to pay "whatever is right." These workers trusted the owner's character and fairness enough to accept his word.

But the hiring didn't stop there. "He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing" (Matthew 20:5). The landowner made four trips to the marketplace already, hiring workers at 6:00 AM, 9:00 AM, noon, and 3:00 PM.

Then, surprisingly, "About the eleventh hour [5:00 PM] he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'" (Matthew 20:6).

These last workers explained their situation: "'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard'" (Matthew 20:7). The workday was almost over—only one hour remained before sunset when work would end. Yet the landowner still hired these workers, even though they could accomplish very little in such a short time.

Chapter 3: The Surprising Payment

When evening came, it was time for the workers to receive their wages. In Jewish law, employers were required to pay day laborers before sunset. Jesus continued, "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'" (Matthew 20:8).

Something unusual happened with the payment order. The landowner specifically instructed that the last hired should be paid first. This created a situation where those hired early in the morning would see what everyone else received before getting their own payment.

Then came the big surprise: "The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius" (Matthew 20:9). These workers who had only worked for one hour received a full day's wage! This was extraordinary generosity from the landowner.

As the payment continued, the workers hired earlier in the day began to get excited. "So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius" (Matthew 20:10). The landowner gave every worker—regardless of how many hours they worked—the exact same payment: one denarius.

Chapter 4: The Complaint and Response

The workers who had been in the hot sun all day were not happy about this equal payment. "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'" (Matthew 20:11-12).

Their complaint seemed reasonable from a human perspective. They had worked twelve hours instead of one hour, enduring the scorching midday sun. Surely they deserved more than those who barely worked at all!

But the landowner's response challenged their thinking: "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. 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?'*" (Matthew 20:13-15).

The landowner made several important points:

1. He kept his agreement with the early workers
2. What he gave others was his own choice
3. His generosity toward some didn't reduce what he gave to others
4. Their problem was envy, not unfairness

Chapter 5: The Conclusion

Jesus ended this parable with a thought-provoking statement: "So the last will be first, and the first will be last" (Matthew 20:16). This conclusion flipped the normal order of things upside down, emphasizing that God's kingdom operates by different rules than our human systems.

In this parable, those who came last received their payment first, and those who worked the least received the same generous reward as those who worked the most. The statement suggests that God's view of importance and reward often contradicts human expectations.

This ending challenged Jesus' listeners to reconsider their assumptions about who gets what in God's kingdom. It wasn't about hours worked or effort expended, but about the landowner's generous character and his right to show kindness as he chose.

What Can We Learn About The Parable of the Vineyard Workers?

1. God's generosity exceeds our expectations - The landowner gave some workers far more than they deserved based on hours worked. God's gifts often go beyond what we think is "fair."
2. Comparing ourselves to others leads to discontent - The all-day workers would have been happy with their fair wage if they hadn't compared it to what others received. Comparing ourselves to how God blesses others can rob us of joy.
3. Agreements matter - The landowner honored his agreement with the first workers. He didn't give them less than promised, even when he chose to be extra generous with others.
4. Everyone has equal value - The landowner treated each worker as equally worthy of a living wage, regardless of when they were hired or how much they accomplished.
5. God's kingdom operates by different rules - "The last will be first, and the first will be last" reminds us that God's methods and values often reverse worldly order and expectations.

5 Trivia Quiz about The Parable of the Vineyard Workers for kids

In which gospel can we find the Parable of the Vineyard Workers?

The Parable of the Vineyard Workers is only found in the Gospel of Matthew 20: 1-16. It doesn't appear in Mark, Luke, or John's gospels.

How much did the landowner pay each worker regardless of hours worked?

The landowner paid each worker one denarius, which was the standard daily wage in that time. Even those who worked for just one hour received a full day's pay!

What time did the last group of workers get hired?

The last group was hired at "the eleventh hour," which would be about 5:00 PM, with only one hour left in the workday. The workday typically ran from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

In what order did the landowner pay the workers?

The landowner specifically instructed his foreman to pay the workers beginning with the last ones hired and ending with the first ones hired. This meant the workers hired early in the morning saw everyone else get paid before them.

What did Jesus say at the end of this parable?

Jesus concluded with "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." This statement showed how God's kingdom often reverses our human expectations about who is first and who is last.

If you enjoyed learning about the Parable of the Vineyard Workers, next time I'd love to tell you about the Parable of the Lost Sheep, a story Jesus told about how God searches for each person who wanders away, showing His great love for every individual!