Matthew 20:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

From one perspective, those who embrace faith in their youth endure more toil compared to those who turn to Christ later in life. The younger individual grapples with the ‘burden’ of divine displeasure and the intensity of lust, while the elder is often at peace with these struggles. Despite this, all receive the same precious gift of the Holy Spirit. The story illustrates that it remains possible for individuals, even in their later years, to enter the kingdom of heaven through repentance, as late life is symbolized by the eleventh hour. However, according to the parable, will the saints resent those who receive the same rewards as themselves? Certainly not. This merely highlights that the blessings reserved for the righteous are so vast and extraordinary that they inspire feelings of envy.

Yet there is a distinction: the former appreciates the one who roused him, while the latter, motivated by sloth, reacts with resentment toward those who stirred him. Thus, it is evident that the idleness of the lazy is more grievous than that of the laborer.

At the end of time, the faithful will converse with the Lord freely, whereas the unrighteous will speak out of the necessity imposed upon them, for He has established freedom in this life and necessity in the next, applicable to both the righteous and the wicked. The righteous will not be made unjust there, despite their desire, nor will the wicked find justification, even if they wish for it. In the vineyard's workings, neither His mercy faced reproach, nor was truth overthrown. In justice, He provided what was agreed, and in mercy, He exercised compassion as He willed. The Lord made it evident that this parable was spoken for this reason: “Do I not have the authority to do what I wish in My own house?” If this pertains to the Judgment and the end of days, why did the Lord add the words, “if thine eye be envious”? Who would permit the last righteous to be treated like those earlier laborers who did not exert themselves?

Among those hired first thing in the morning, were there not young children who perished? Consider Abel, who was the first to die in his youth; did Seth, who succeeded him, grumble against God?

If this parable indeed pertains to the Final Judgment, then those called from morning to evening can be understood as all humanity from the dawn of time to the conclusion of the world, all of whom are summoned into God's kingdom. They labored for God's kingdom and murmured against the Lord; however, Abel, called early in the morning, was killed in his youth and thus could not contribute to the kingdom. Righteous Seth, appointed to Adam in place of Abel, did not murmur against God.

Hence, He asks, "Is your eye envious because I am generous?" Let no one take pride in their efforts or the time they have spent, for after these words, Truth Himself declares, "Thus shall the last be first, and the first last." While we may recognize the good works we have done and the number behind us, we cannot fathom how scrupulously our Supreme Judge evaluates them. It brings great joy to any soul to be counted among the last in the kingdom of heaven.

In this parable, the vineyard represents the Church of Christ, the householder symbolizes the Lord, and the laborers—who commence their tasks at various times—are understood as believers called into Christ’s Church at different points in history. This can refer specifically to those contemporary with Christ during His earthly ministry or to all believers throughout the ages.

The parable concludes with a reiteration of the initial statement, slightly adapted to align with its overall message: “Thus shall the last be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few chosen.” The overarching lesson of this parable is that the apportionment of rewards for believers in eternal life is entirely reliant on God’s sovereign will and grace, rather than on human judgment or perceived merit. Many who may appear to have invested little effort into their salvation or who are viewed as the least esteemed will be recognized as first in God’s evaluation, while those who regard themselves as foremost may find themselves last in the final judgment. Consequently, this parable instills a sense of humility in all followers of Christ, a vital quality for receiving the rewards promised to those who sacrifice everything for His sake.

Or is your eye evil because I am generous?" It is stated earlier that not every minute detail of the parable should be analyzed, so we shall refrain from scrutinizing the specifics of the laborers in the vineyard, which often perplex many interpreters. Our focus will instead rest on the complaints of those who labored throughout the day, alongside the concluding remarks of the parable.

The workers who had been in the vineyard since dawn—representing individuals who have devoted their lives to fulfilling God's will—received a denarius, signifying their reward of Eternal Life. Yet, since harboring grievances against God and envying those who had worked fewer hours is incompatible with the righteousness required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven, it must be recognized that they did not truly grumble. The complaints and jealousy attributed to them serve merely to highlight the magnificence of God's mercy to the listeners.

Should we divide this parable into two segments—comprising the first part the narrative about the hiring of the workers and the instruction to compensate them equally, while the second part features the master's response to the murmurs—then we can eliminate the apparent contradiction. After relating how the master paid the final worker, who had toiled for just one hour the same wage as all those who worked the entire day, Jesus Christ seemingly poses a question to His audience: “Do you perceive this as unjust or offensive to those who labored all day? They were contracted for a denarius and received their due; the owner of the vineyard wronged no one. If in His generosity He chooses to pay all equally, who is entitled to complain? Does the owner not possess the authority to manage His own affairs as He desires?”

Is your eye envious because I am generous?’ In the same manner, the rewards in the kingdom of heaven will not be determined by the timing of one’s call or the duration of service, but rather by the level of faithfulness to duty, diligence in work, and the gracious nature of God, who evaluates individuals more by their inner disposition than their external efforts. For this reason, Christ further stated, ‘the last shall be first, and the first last.’ These parting discussions appear to have taken place during the final days of Christ's time in Perea, and as He was nearing the border of Judea, He received troubling news from Bethany that the one He cherished ‘was dangerously ill’ (John 11:2).