Matthew 20:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What does this parable signify? The initial statement contrasts sharply with the conclusion, illustrating a fundamental reversal. In this teaching, the Lord illustrates that everyone receives equal rewards; He does not indicate that some are excluded while others are included. However, in the context surrounding this parable, He expresses the contrary: the first shall be last, and the last shall be first (Matthew 19:30; 20:16), which means that those who are last will be exalted above those who were first, who will no longer hold their initial position but shall be made last.

The evening signifies the conclusion of the age; at this final moment, everyone is given a denarius, representing the grace of the Holy Spirit, which reshapes humanity in God's image and allows participation in the divine nature. Those who lived prior to Christ's arrival experienced greater suffering, as death had not yet been defeated, the adversary had not been vanquished, and sin was still present. However, through the grace of Christ, we who have been justified through baptism gain the strength to triumph over our foe, who has already been subdued and slain by Christ. In the first interpretation, younger believers endure more toil compared to those who come to faith later in life. The young bear the burden of wrath and the fervor of desires, while the elder is less overwhelmed by it.

Consider their words: ‘We have borne the burden of the day and of the bar’ (Matthew 20:12). This statement is indeed correct; the Gentiles did not carry the weight of the law during its time, yet they are just as capable in their deeds as the foremost workers. The righteous Judge does not cause offense. To avoid interpreting the notion of giving the same reward to one as to another as insincerity rather than an act of grace, reflect on this: regardless of how much we accomplish or toil, our efforts are not worthy of reward, for all human righteousness is like a filthy rag (Isaiah 64:6). All that we achieve is through grace, as Paul points out: we are justified freely by His grace (Romans 3:24), and let no one boast in their works (Ibid.).

However, it is essential to recognize that those who criticize the inequity of the landowner toward the workers hired at the eleventh hour often fail to see their own similar shortcomings. If the landowner acted unjustly, it was an injustice directed at all, for the laborer hired at the third hour did not exert the same effort as the one who began at dawn. Similarly, the worker of the sixth hour contributed less than the worker of the third hour, and the laborer of the ninth hour worked less than the laborer of the sixth hour. Consequently, there exists a sense of envy towards the later inclusion of the Gentiles, leading to disdain for the grace offered through the gospel.

Those who toiled from the eleventh hour receive the same reward, a denarius, as those who worked from the first hour, who had been anticipating their wages with eagerness. This is because the promise of Eternal Life, originally offered to those called at the dawn of creation, is also bestowed upon those who turn to the Lord at the end of the age. Consequently, those who labored longer begin to complain, saying, “These last workers only worked for one hour, yet You have made them equal to us, who have endured the toil of the day and the sweltering heat.” Those first called bore the weight of the sun's intensity, and having lived much longer in this life, they faced the prolonged trials of the flesh.

Upon receiving their denarius, instead of reflecting on their lack of trust in the gracious master, the laborers complained to the owner of the vineyard, saying: “These last workers have only toiled for one hour, and yet you have treated them the same as us, who endured the burden of the day and the heat. We labored throughout the day under the blazing sun, while they worked just one hour in the cooler evening, when the labor isn't as taxing, and you equate their efforts with ours.” Their words reveal their envy and resentment, stemming from doubt and a proud assessment of their own toil.

To prevent the apostles and Christ's followers from expecting the promised blessings as rewards earned by their actions, akin to the Pharisees who sought precedence in the Messiah's kingdom, Jesus expressed: “But many of the first shall be last, and the last first.” In the Gospel of Mark, this saying appears uniquely, while the Gospel of Matthew conveys the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, illustrating the context in which Jesus applied this phrase as He had on other occasions (Matt. 20:16, Luke 13:30).

Upon witnessing that the laborers who joined at the final hour each received a denarius, those who had toiled throughout the entire day expected a greater reward. When they, too, were given a denarius, they began to voice their complaints to the master, saying, ‘We have borne the burden of the entire day as well as the heat of midday, yet you have made us equal to those who labored for only an hour, a mere sliver of work, especially in the comfortable cool of the evening.’ Addressing one of the discontented laborers, the master gently replied, ‘Friend, I bear you no ill will; did we not agree on a denarius? Take what is yours and depart; however, I wish to bestow upon this final worker that which I have shared with you. Am I not free to do what I wish with what is mine?

The master's kindness sparked a sense of expectation among the other workers, leading them to believe that their extended labor would be rewarded with a higher wage, specifically more than the agreed-upon denarius. However, when they were each paid the same denarius as those who worked only for one hour, they expressed their discontent and criticized him for treating them the same as those who had labored so briefly, despite having endured the heat and effort of the entire day.

The weight of the day and the heat: they toiled all day long beneath the blazing sun, while the others labored for just one hour, and even then, in the gentle evening cool, when it is far easier to work than in the intensity of midday heat.