Parable of the of the workers in the vineyard

​Mike Bowler

Readings Exodus 16:2-15, Phil 1:21-30, Matt 20:1-16

May my words and our thoughts be acceptable to you, O Lord. Amen
The parable of the of the workers in the vineyard is only found in the gospel of Matthew. Work in vineyards and owning vineyards is referred to repeatedly in the Bible and also appears in other parables told by Jesus. The shortage of labour is also referred to by Jesus earlier in Matthew “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:37).

At first glance, perhaps a simple story. A vineyard owner requires a lot of work to be done in his vineyard, perhaps pruning, or harvesting, or even irrigating and other work needed to tend his vines. He needs a lot of staff and goes out into to the town repeatedly during the day to recruit more workers. The first workers he hires at an agreed rate of a denarius for a days work. This was a typical daily wage for a labourer. Not a lot of money but a fair wage. It may even have been more than a Roman soldier’s daily earnings. Worth around $50 NZ dollars in today’s money. (I have a denarius in my hand now, dating from about 70 years after Jesus told this parable). As the day wears on and there is still more work to be done, the owner finally recruits the last workers at around 5pm, with possibly only an hour left to work before the day ends. The workers hired during the day were promised to be paid whatever was right. They don’t appear to have been offered an agreed rate but trusted the vineyard owner that their pay would be fair. They probably didn’t have much expectation as to what and hours worth of work would come to. At the end of the work that evening, the foreman is told to call the workers together and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and ending with the first.

Everyone gets the same amount, and the vineyard owner goes out of his way to ensure that they know they are all paid the same. But there are complaints! A simple enough story but with some twists.
Why did the vineyard owner himself go out to hire the workers himself and not send his foreman out to do that task? Why did he reverse the order that might have been expected of paying the first workers last and the last workers first? Why did he show extra generosity to some whilst not disadvantaging the others?

In the period and country and the context when Jesus was speaking, there were many unemployed people, often forced off the land and into debt by taxes owed to the Romans. The Romans occupying forces are not particularly remembered for their social conscience at that time.  Large groups of unemployed men would perhaps gather in the town centre, in the hope of getting some work for the day. If they were still waiting at 5 o’clock, there was probably little chance of being hired and they would likely be going home with nothing to feed them or their families that day. The vineyard owner paid them a full days wage, as they still had the same needs as those who has started work earlier.
We are not given an explicit explanation of this parable. Because the story is about owners, managers and labourers, it could be about work. Perhaps “Don’t compare your pay with others”. This could lead to a certain disgruntlement if you find you may not be getting the same or even better money than your colleague who could be doing a similar job. This is still very much alive in corporates that perhaps have less than transparent pay scales. Is this all fair, or can it be used to justify unfair labour employment conditions and discrimination that is very much in the news at the moment? Are we being told to be content whilst other workers in the vineyard are being treated unfairly? It is also poor business practice to pay staff in this manner, as it could set a precedent and even incentivise staff to turn up an hour before knock off time and expect a days wages in return. What do those that have worked a full day in the heat and dust of the vineyard feel when those who have just joined the work party get the same compensation? Whilst there is perhaps generosity in the heart of the vineyard owner, he seems that he is creating a recipe for continual labour and pay disputes. Could the owner not do as he wished with his own money without creating an atmosphere of jealousy.?
Perhaps Jesus, in this parable, was not trying to set a standard for commercial and employment best practice. However, this parable could still be a challenge to those who are in a position to change and effect the role of work in our society.  The living wage movement could be seen in this light.  
The parable can also be seen in a very different light. The parable starts with the words “For the kingdom of heaven is like…” (Matthew 20:1) so we know this story is a continuation of Jesus’ discussion about to whom the Kingdom of God belongs.

In the previous chapter Jesus said “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). Later , a rich young man had gone away feeling sad at the prospect of having to sell his possessions and giving the money to the poor and Jesus said to his disciples “I tell you the truth, It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:23).

Who can then be saved, asked the disciples. “With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26)

This parable tends to reverse the normal economic and social order. In some sense, we may side with the workers who have toiled all day and been given the same reward as those who have barely had time to get their hands dirty before being offered a full days wage.
The disciples felt they had left everything to follow Jesus and wondered what there would be for them. (paraphrased from Matthew 19:27)

Jesus tells them that “many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matthew 19:30).

The disciples felt superior to that rich young man, thinking that through their own sacrificial living, they had earned a greater reward commensurate with their suffering.
Entry into God’s kingdom is not gained by actions, or good works, but by God’s grace and generosity.
The parable possibly also refers to the unfairness felt by the Jews to the reception of the Gentiles in the early days of the church. The Jews had had a long relationship with God. As Paul puts it in his letter to the Ephesians “ remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Eph 2:12-13). The gentiles were late to the party but stood to gain a full share of the blessing.

The kingdom of heaven reverses what is taken in the kingdom of the world to be normal. There is no pecking order, and no better terms for those who have earned more credits. It is better to serve rather than be served. Economic sense and generosity may well be at odds.
We must not think we deserve something because of our diligence and sacrifice. All who accept God’s grace are equal disciples. We are called though grace to serve with a grateful heart and we mustn’t think of reward or compare ourselves with others.

Bishop Peter in his letter this week said

Should we call this the Parable of the Generous Employer or the Parable of the Ungrateful Employees? The former title points us to the extraordinary grace of God. The latter points to us being encouraged to be thankful for the grace we receive and not to compare what we receive with what others receive.
Let us not be the grumblers in the story. Let us be grateful that we too have been invited to join our Master in the vineyard.

As Jesus ends the parable “so the last will be first and the first will be last”

Amen