Matthew 20:1-16: The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
The human definition of justice and fairness is subject to a perspective of merit and an entitlement to certain treatment based on an individual’s deeds and actions. As a result, a person who has worked diligently and honestly expects to get compensated fairly. In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus narrates a parable of Workers in a Vineyard in a unique manner that challenges human conventions on issues of justice, fairness, generosity, and a spirit of enviousness. In the parable, a vineyard owner hires laborers at different times of the day, all for a day’s work. Those hired very early in the morning put in an entire day’s worth of work. Those hired late in the evening only put in a fraction of the time compared to those that came in early. However, at the end of the day, the owner gives them all a full day’s payment. He ensures that everyone is aware of his decision to issue a similar payment despite the differences in the number of hours worked. Unsurprisingly, those hied early are furious and complain that they deserve more for their time and effort. The owner calmly asserts his stance that he has honored every agreement since the workers had entered into an agreement prior to working. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard is a story that teaches us about the love of God and how He rewards people based on the opportunities He provides. Regarding humanity and God, the story teaches that the way people think is not the same to what God plans and how He rewards people. Overall, the story means that those that see themselves as more deserving (from their human eyes) in the Kingdom of God, due to their good actions and deeds, would be surprised because God’s grace works differently.
The bible is full of stories that reveal the goodness of God in a way that attempts to show that God does not operate on the same basis as humans. The parable of the workers in the vineyard is an example of how God uses generosity to reward people, even those who may be interpreted as undeserving. Matthew 20: 1-16 looks at God’s graciousness and how he rewards people with unmerited favor, similar to the parable of the wedding feast that is about the universalism of God and how the Kingdom of God is open to everybody. “…So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.” Matthew 22: 9-10. The feast was prepared for a chosen few. However, those that were invited refused to participate, prompting the host to invite people who would not normally be invited to such events. The goodness of God is again revealed in such an incidence, where people receive and experience God’s goodness even where they have no merit and they do not meet the qualifications that have been set by humans.
The parable of the workers in the vineyard is an indication that the basic values, qualifications, and standards that have been set by humans are not necessarily what God rewards. He is a good and gracious King who extends his love to every one. Human standards are based on minimum requirements and set threshold. However, God is not limited in his desire to connect with His people. He extends mercy and compassion to anyone, even where human eyes may judge those He chooses to bless as undeserving. In this way, the story is similar to the parable of the lost sheep where “The shepherd leaves the 99 others and searches high and low for the lost sheep” (Matthew 18: 10-14). In this parable, human conventions and wisdom would demand that the shepherd takes care of the 99 sheep since they have more value than the one lost sheep. Yet, God’s love is unconventional and stubborn, in that He would leave the 99 to rescue that one soul. In Luke 15: 11-32, the parable of the Prodigal Son is another example where God is ready to extend mercy and gratitude to people who do not deserve an ounce of the same. Overall, the values that God holds dear are not the same as what people have.
The parable of the workers in a vineyard is a story of grace, an indication that God’s intent to bless people cannot be calculated using human measures such as a day’s wages. Matthew 20: 1-16 looks at how God does not look at the deeds or physical appearance of an individual and that “The last will be first and the first will be last.” The last being the first is a true revelation of grace. The confrontation between the vineyard owner and the workers who came earlier to work was as a result of a poor understanding of the concept of grace. Similarly, God has the right to bless whoever He chooses to, using a measure only He can understand. The story extends a vital lesson that God gives gifts and not wages. Wages are given due to a completion of task as per set standards, yet gifts are provided to anyone without favor or merit.
In conclusion, the human perception of merit and performance is not the same as what God uses. The parable of the workers in the vineyard reveals that human notions of justice are influenced by opinions and circumstances about what qualifies as good or otherwise. People emphasize on justice as part of equality. However, the parable in Matthew 20: 1-16 opens up the eyes of people on the fact that God does not apply the regular attitudes that qualify as fair or right. Generosity, God’s graciousness, and His system are challenged in the parable. Christians have a tendency to covet and also show resentfulness of what God gives others and how he rewards people using measures that are not conventional to human ways. The point of the graciousness of God is that no one is deserving of His mercy and grace. The story reveals the graciousness of God and how he uses unmerited grace and mercy to reward people through the rewarding of those that came last first, equaling opportunities for people, and accepting to overlook the physical deeds and actions of people in His actions.
