The Parable of the Vineyard Workers and the Scandal of Grace.

The Parable of the Vineyard Workers and the Scandal of Grace.

Jesus’ parables are not moral clichés, but heavenly realities spoken in earthly language. The parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1–16) is especially sharp: it reveals not only the generosity of God, but also the hidden entitlement and envy that can live in the human heart.

The context: “What will we have?”

Right before the parable, Peter asks:
“Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?” (Matthew 19:27)

Jesus answers about the future of those who follow Him, then closes with a warning principle:
“But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” (Matthew 19:30)

And then He says, “For the kingdom of heaven is like…” (Matthew 20:1). So the purpose is clear: to confront the mindset that says, “Because I’ve served longer, I am entitled to more,” and to expose the heart that resents grace given to others.

The parable in brief

“For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.” (Matthew 20:1–2)

The owner goes out repeatedly—at the third, sixth, ninth, and even the eleventh hour. Not all are promised a fixed amount; to some he says: “whatsoever is right I will give you.” (Matthew 20:4)

At day’s end, he pays starting with the last—and gives each the same. The first workers complain:

“These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.” (Matthew 20:12)

The owner answers with the parable’s climax:

“Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” (Matthew 20:13–15)

What this story is—and what it is not

This parable is not a lesson on labor law or economics. The point is:

• The owner does not cheat the first workers: he pays exactly what he promised (justice).
• The owner is free to do good to the last (grace).
• The scandal is not injustice, but the heart of the first: “thou hast made them equal unto us.”

The final question is not, “Is God unfair?” but:
“Is thine eye evil, because I am good?”

Human “rights” versus the Kingdom’s order

We easily confuse service with entitlement. The first workers don’t stumble because they worked—they stumble because their hearts say:

“If he receives that, then I deserve more.”

That is exactly the danger behind Peter’s question, “What shall we have therefore?” Jesus is not crushing faithfulness—He is crushing self-righteous bargaining.

In the Kingdom, serving is not a contract for superiority; it is a privilege. And when the Father shows mercy to others, it does not reduce your portion— it reveals what you believe grace really is.

What does the “penny” mean—more carefully

Many interpret the penny (denarius) as a picture of eternal life, and there is truth there: salvation is not given in slices. It is the gift of God in Christ.

But to be faithful to the whole counsel of Scripture, we must speak carefully: the Bible also teaches differences of reward for believers’ works (for example, 1 Corinthians 3:12–15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). So the safest, most accurate way to say it is:

The penny represents the owner’s real, kept promise, and the parable’s main edge is the shock that the owner is free to be generous to latecomers. The parable is not teaching that every kind of reward is identical in every respect; it is teaching that grace is not wages.

This agrees with Paul on salvation:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

5. The truth of mercy: God’s goodness tests our hearts

The parable’s cutting question still stands:

“Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” (Matthew 20:15)

God’s goodness exposes two kinds of hearts:

• the grateful heart that can rejoice when others receive mercy;
• the self-justifying heart that feels threatened by mercy given to the “undeserving.”

That is why Luke 15 fits the same spiritual diagnosis: heaven celebrates not human merit, but repentance:

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)

Closing thought: In the Kingdom, “first” is not “more entitled,” but “able to serve”

Right after the parable, Jesus confronts the disciples’ ambition again (Matthew 20:20–28): greatness is not position, but service. So the ending is not sentimental—it is a verdict on the heart:

“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16)

The Father still calls into His vineyard. But the call is not a negotiation for “more.” It is an invitation into the humility of grace. Whoever refuses that lesson can remain a grumbling worker— even while standing inside the vineyard.