20:1–16 Matthew presents Jesus as creating a parable to address the question of rewards and the problem of undue interest in them. A landowner, apparently facing a labor shortage at the time of grape harvest, hires a series of day laborers. He begins “early in the morning,” meaning the first group works a full day, twelve hours, roughly from sunrise to sunset (20:1–2). He agrees to pay them the standard wage, a denarius. (A man could support a modest family on roughly four denarii per week.)

As the day passes, the landowner summons additional laborers. He returns to the labor market and finds men standing idle at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, promising to pay them “whatever is right” (vv. 3–5). At the eleventh hour, he still finds idle men, hires them, and sends them to his vineyard (vv. 6–7).

When evening comes, the owner instructs his foreman to pay the workers their wages, beginning with those hired last (v. 8). Parables typically have a twist, a departure from the real world. The landowner’s decision to pay the last laborers first and to grant them a full day’s wage for an hour’s labor is that twist. After the prior groups are paid, those who have worked the entire day come, and “each of them received a denarius” (v. 9). The master’s earlier generosity has led them to expect more, so they “grumbled at the master” (v. 11).

For the sake of discussion and approximate equivalence, we may peg a denarius at $200. The workers who have toiled all day watch an amazing scene unfold:

• Some laborers work one hour and receive $200 for that hour.
• Some work three hours and receive $200, about $67 per hour.
• Others toil six hours and receive $200, or over $33 per hour—still a generous wage.
• A fourth group works nine hours, also for $200. This is more than $22 per hour, which is still generous!

The group that has worked all day notices the lavish generosity to the earlier workers and “thought they would receive more” (v. 10). Yet, as the payments proceed, they surely notice that everyone receives one denarius. When the foreman likewise gives them one denarius, they “grumbled at the master.” They “have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat” (vv. 11–12). They have worked twelve hours in onerous conditions but receive nothing more than those who have worked a single hour.

The master corrects them: “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go” (vv. 13–14). The laborers have no valid complaint; they have lost nothing but have received the fair wage, per their agreement. Still, the master chooses to explain himself: “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” (v. 15).

The master in the parable represents God, whereas the workers represent Peter and others who serve God and look for their recompense (19:16, 27). Jesus creates this story to propose that while God is always fair, he may not always give what people think they deserve. In Matthew 19:16–30 Jesus said that all who follow him “inherit eternal life” (19:29). The supreme benefit a human can receive is an inheritance: a gift received, not payment earned. If God is so generous, he will never deprive his children of their due (20:14). Nonetheless, disciples are known to complain. Yes, people think, God is generous, but why is he more generous to someone else? Indeed, certain disciples are stronger, smarter, and healthier, and this makes their life look better. When the workers in the parable object, the master rightly says he can do what he wills, especially since he is never unjust.

The parable concludes, “Do you begrudge my generosity?” (v. 15). Translating literally, the question asks, “Is your eye bad because I am good?” (cf. ESV mg.). In both Jewish and Greek culture, an “evil eye” (Gk. ponēros ophthalmos) represented a jealous or grudging spirit, a spirit that looks enviously at others’ possessions (Matt. 6:22–23; Mark 7:22; Deut. 15:9 LXX; cf. Sir. 14:10; 31:13).

Parables are mirrors—stories that reflect reality. This parable compares the master of a vineyard to God. Just as a master has the right to be generous with his money if he so wishes, God has the right to grant favors as he wishes. The parable also compares Peter to a grumbling worker. As the workers in the vineyard wrongly complain about the master’s generosity, so Peter wrongly asks about rewards for his sacrifice. He has left everything to follow Jesus (Matt. 19:27), but will he complain that God is mistreating him? Matthew 20:16 is Jesus’ comment both on the story and on Peter. In the parable, the workers hired last are “first” in gracious treatment and the first hired are last not because they are mistreated but because they think they have been.

Jesus lets the parable explain the statement that “the last will be first, and the first last” (v. 16). Peter is among the first in the kingdom, but when he asks what he will get for his sacrifice, he runs the danger of becoming last by asking what God will give him, as if God owed him.