Resource Detail

2025 Study of Matthew’s Gospel

THE PARABLE OF THE WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD

Matthew 20:1-16

Key Verses 20:

1. What does the landowner, the workers, and the vineyard stand for in this parable about the kingdom of heaven (1)? Why do you think the landowner kept going out again and again to hire more workers (2-7)? What might the different times of hiring symbolize?
2. At the end of the day, how much did everyone get paid, and why do you think the owner did that (8-10)? Why do you think the first workers grumbled against the landowner when they saw everyone received the same pay (11-12)? Have you ever felt something was unfair when you compared yourself with others at church or at work?
3. What does the landowner’s response teach us about God’s justice and generosity (13-14)? What does the question, “Are you envious because I am generous?” reveal about the workers’ hearts (15)? What does the phrase “the last will be first, and the first will be last” mean in the context of God’s kingdom (16)?
4. How does this parable reveal the difference between human fairness and God’s grace? In what ways have you personally experienced God’s grace that you didn’t deserve? How can you show both justice and grace in your relationships—with your coworkers, church members, and family?

2025 Matthew’s Gospel October 19 , 2025

THE PARABLE OF THE WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD

Matthew 20:1-16

Key Verse 20:1

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

Do you know why the name of the airport is LaGuardia? It’s named after one of New York City’s most beloved mayors — Fiorello La Guardia (1882–1947). He served from 1934 to 1945, leading the city through the Great Depression and World War II. People called him “The Little Flower” — small in stature, but great in heart. He deeply cared for the poor, the immigrants, and the forgotten people of the city. One cold winter night, during the Depression, La Guardia visited a small courtroom in one of the poorest neighborhoods. Even though he was not a judge, he was allowed to preside in the judge’s seat. He wanted to understand the struggles of ordinary people. That evening, an old man stood before him, charged with stealing a loaf of bread. “Your Honor,” the man said, “I stole it because my grandchildren were hungry.” La Guardia sighed and said, “The law makes no exception. You must pay a fine of ten dollars,” about $250 today. Then he reached into his own pocket, took out the money, and paid the fine himself. He added, “And I fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents — about twelve dollars today — for living in a city where a man has to steal bread to feed his family.” By the end, the old man left with $47.50, nearly $1,100 today — and tears in his eyes. Justice was fulfilled, and grace offered the gift.

In today’s passage, Jesus tells a story that feels just as unfair — about a landowner who pays every worker the same wage, whether they worked all day or just an hour. But that’s of the kingdom of Heaven — full of grace.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.” In Jesus’ time, vineyards were a big part of village life in Israel. Almost every village had several vineyards around it. They were the main source of income for many families, especially during harvest season. When it was time to pick grapes, landowners needed a lot of workers — and they usually hired them day by day. So every morning, men would gather in the marketplace before sunrise, hoping to be hired for a day’s work. They didn’t have regular jobs or salaries. If they were hired, their families could eat that day. If they weren’t, their children might go hungry. It was a tough life — full of uncertainty and worry. That was the reality for many poor people in Jesus’ time.

Early in the morning, around six o’clock, the landowner went to the marketplace. The marketplace was probably full of people that morning, hoping someone would hire them. There, the landowner called a group of men, agreed to pay them a denarius for one day’s work, and sent them into his vineyard. A denarius was the daily wage for a worker in those days. It was a fair deal according to the standard rate of that time. If we think about it in today’s New York City terms, it would be roughly $130 for eight hours of work. The vineyard owners were few, but the workers were many. Not everyone would get a chance that day. So when this group was chosen and sent to work, they must have felt thankful — even relieved. They got a job! They could bring home food for their families.

But then, what did the landowner do next? Around nine in the morning, he went out again and saw others standing in the marketplace, doing nothing. Some of them had been waiting since early morning, but no one had chosen them. The landowner said to them, “You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” Wow, the landowner hired them! But he never mentioned how much they would be paid. He simply said, “I will pay you whatever is right.” That sounds a little vague. It’s not a fixed amount — it depends on the owner’s judgment. They probably assumed it would be less than a denarius, since they would work fewer hours. But still, they accepted because they were desperate for work and trusted in the landowner. Can you imagine how those men felt? Relieved! Happy! They got a job! They could finally work and earn something for the day.

But what did the landowner do next? He went out again — about noon, and again about three in the afternoon — and hired more workers. You would think by now he had enough people. But he didn’t stop. Then, surprisingly, around five in the afternoon, he went out once more to the marketplace. That was very late — just one hour before the workday ended around six o’clock, when the sun went down. So honestly, it didn’t make sense. He didn’t need more workers. But still, he went. There, he found people still standing around. He asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?” And they answered, “Because no one has hired us.” Why didn’t anyone hire them? We don’t know for sure. But we can imagine. Maybe some of them came late to the marketplace — they overslept because they were too tired. Maybe some were sick that morning and couldn’t come earlier. Maybe others had problems at home — a sick child — and they came only after things calmed down. Some might have looked too weak or too old, so no one wanted to hire them. Maybe one man had an injured foot. He still came because he had to work and feed his family, but nobody picked him. How sad it must have been — wanting to work, but not being given a chance.

Even today, many people in America are struggling to find jobs. Unemployment among new college graduates has risen in recent years. When you want to work, but no one gives you a chance, it’s heavy on your heart. You feel pressure, fear, and discouragement. That’s how these men probably felt. The sun was setting. It was almost six o’clock. They were ready to give up and go home with empty hands. But suddenly, the landowner showed up. He looked at them and said, “You also go and work in my vineyard.” Wow — how do you think they felt? They must have been so thankful, so happy! They must have felt relief, gratitude, maybe even tears. They probably looked at the landowner and said, “Thank you, sir. Thank you for giving me this chance.” They picked up their tools and hurried to the vineyard.

Why do you think the landowner kept going back to the marketplace? Why did he keep hiring more people — even at noon, at three o’clock, and at five o’clock? Was it because there was just too much work to do in his vineyard? If that were the case, he could have hired enough workers early in the morning or by nine o’clock. That would have been more efficient. So why did he keep going? It wasn’t about the work. It was about the people. He went back because he cared about those who were still waiting — those who hadn’t been hired, those who felt forgotten, those who had nothing to take home that night. He looked at people standing there all day long with empty hands and tired faces, and his heart moved. He wanted to show them compassion. He wanted to offer grace to the ones who had been left behind. That is the heart of our God. God wants to invite even one more person into His kingdom. He wants one more soul to receive His grace and enter His kingdom to live a meaningful and fruitful life. That’s why our God still goes out, even in the late hours of the day, longing to save just one more person.

When evening came, it was time to get paid. The owner told his foreman to call the workers and pay them their wages. That’s always a happy moment, isn’t it? Who doesn’t like payday? When your paycheck comes in, you feel joy and satisfaction. For these workers, who lived day to day, that moment meant everything. The foreman began paying the workers, starting with those who were hired around five in the afternoon. But then something unexpected happened — to everyone’s surprise, each of them received one denarius. One denarius! That was the full pay for an entire day — twelve hours of work. They had only worked for one hour, maybe even less. If we were to calculate it, they should have received only one-twelfth of that amount. But instead, they received a full day’s wage. Can you imagine their faces? They must have looked at each other in shock and joy. Maybe they whispered, “Is this real? Did he make a mistake?” But no — the foreman handed each of them the same silver coin. Their hearts must have been filled with happiness. All day long, they had been ignored, rejected, and waiting in disappointment. But now, their empty hands were full. They could go home and bring food to their families. They could walk into their homes that night with joy, saying, “Children, we’ll eat well tonight!” They probably thanked the landowner again and again: “Thank you, sir. Thank you for your kindness.” They had received far more than they deserved — that’s grace.

When the first group saw what happened, they were shocked. “What? Those guys who worked only one hour got a full denarius?” Their eyes got big, and they started doing the math in their heads. “If they got one denarius for one hour, then we’ll probably get twelve! Even ten would be amazing! Wow, what a great day!” They smiled and rubbed their hands, ready to receive their pay. However, their excitement turned into disappointment the moment they each received one denarius. Their smiles faded. Their faces turned red. They looked at each other and whispered, “This isn’t fair.” Soon they began to grumble against the landowner. They said, “Those who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day!” Their frustration makes sense to us. They worked harder, longer, and under the hot sun, but they were treated equal to the others. It looks unfair to us, right?

But how did the landowner reply? He turned to one of them and said gently, “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?” The owner called him “friend.” He didn’t get angry, nor did he try to argue. The owner simply reminded him of their agreement: “You and I made an agreement — one denarius for one day’s work. I’ve paid you exactly what we agreed. I’ve kept my promise.” In other words, the owner was saying, “I have been fair to you.” Then he continued, “Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.” Finally, he asked a question that revealed what was really in their hearts: “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” Yes, he was right. It was his money. He had every right to use it as he wanted. He simply chose to be generous and bless those who didn’t deserve it. So what was the real problem of those who came first? It wasn’t the pay. It wasn’t about fairness. Their real problem was envy. They said that they were upset because they were treated unfairly. However, if we think about it deeply, we can see that they were upset because someone else received grace. If they had been paid first and gone home without knowing how much the others were paid, they would have left happy and thankful for a fair day’s wage. But once they saw the generosity of the landowner toward others, they became envious and lost their joy.

We have all had experiences like that. When we compare ourselves with others and become envious, we lose our joy, and our lives become miserable. Imagine this: One day, your friend calls and tells you, “I got a job!” Of course, you say, “Wow, congratulations! I’m so happy for you.” But then you find out that your friend’s salary is twice as high as yours. Suddenly, your smile fades a little. You say, “Oh really? That’s great news,” but inside you start thinking, “Wait a minute… twice as much as mine? That’s not fair. He wasn’t even a better student than I! Maybe his parents helped him get that job because they’re rich.” Have you ever thought like that? This is exactly our selfish human nature. Just look at the social media that young people love to use today. What do you see there? It’s full of self-promotion — pictures of people traveling to famous places, eating delicious meals at trendy cafés, showing off expensive bags, wallets, and clothes. Have you ever seen anyone post pictures of their humble real life on social media? That almost never happens. Everyone wants to show their best side, to make others admire them. And then, as we scroll through other people’s pictures, we start to feel envy growing in our hearts. We begin to feel smaller, poorer, and less happy. We start to think, “Life is unfair.” That’s how comparison poisons our hearts — and why envy is such a powerful disease of our generation.

A denarius was the minimum amount a family needed to survive for one day. The landowner knew that. He wasn’t just thinking about work hours — he was thinking about people’s lives. He knew that if those men who came at five o’clock received only a quarter of a denarius, their families would go hungry that night. Their children would cry from hunger. So he gave them enough — enough to live, enough to feed their families. That was grace. It wasn’t about human fairness; it was about God’s grace. The first workers complained because they only saw the numbers. They didn’t think about the pain of their fellow workers. They didn’t see the kindness of the landowner. They missed grace. In fact, they also had received grace from the vineyard owner. If the owner hadn’t picked them early in the morning, they might have spent the whole day waiting nervously, wondering if they would ever find a job. But the landowner chose them — he gave them work, purpose of today, and hope for tomorrow. Yes, working under the hot sun was tiring, but they could work with joy and end the day with the promise of one denarius. Their day was full of meaning and reward. But they forgot grace. They became envious. Their hearts became full of complaints and unhappiness. We often feel this situation is unfair because we’re listening to the story from the point of view of the workers who came first. It’s as if we earned that one denarius by our own hard work, not as a gift from the master.

When we think about human fairness and God’s grace, we begin to see how different God’s kingdom is from this world. In our society, we call it fair when people are paid exactly for what they do. If you work more, you should get more. If you perform better, you should be rewarded more. That’s human fairness — and it makes sense in business, in school, in competition. But God’s fairness is different from human fairness. God’s fairness is not mathematical. It is full of grace. A fair society that reflects God’s heart is one where everyone has a chance to work, where everyone can at least earn their “one denarius,” their daily bread, and live with dignity. That’s the kind of fairness that flows from grace. And that’s what God does for us every day. He gives us what we could never earn — His love, His forgiveness, His eternal life.

In this parable, the landowner represents God; his vineyard represents the kingdom of heaven; the foreman represents Jesus; the workers represent human beings; and the denarius represents eternal life. Everyone who was chosen to work in the vineyard — whether early or late — received the same denarius, the same gift of eternal life. And that eternal life is not something we earn. It’s not payment for our work. It’s a gift of grace. Think about the thief on the cross. He received eternal life at the last moment of his life. He didn’t have time to serve others, share the love of Jesus, or give to the poor. Yet he believed in Jesus before he died, and Jesus saved him. That’s grace — pure grace. What do you think? It seems unfair, doesn’t it? I once heard someone say, “I’ll believe in Jesus right before I die — just like the thief on the cross.” Why would he say something like that? Because he wanted to enjoy his life by doing whatever he wanted. He thought that following Jesus would make his life harder and that he would lose a lot of fun. Sometimes, people who were born and raised in Christian families feel like life is a little unfair. They might say, “I wish I could have enjoyed life more before following Jesus.” But that’s a misunderstanding. Following Jesus and serving God from a young age is actually a great blessing. They were chosen early to live in God’s vineyard — to experience His presence, His joy, His purpose. They’ve had the privilege of walking with God, growing in His likeness, and being part of His work. On the other hand, those who come late — like the thief on the cross — often carry scars from sin and years of struggle. The temptations and memories of their past still trouble them. They often have to fight harder to live as Jesus’ disciples. So those who came early have nothing to envy. They’ve had more time to live in the joy and purpose of God’s kingdom.

The truth is: We are all saved by grace alone. We did nothing to earn salvation. It was God who chose us. It is God who promises us the same gift — one denarius, eternal life — for everyone who belongs to His kingdom. That’s the beauty of the kingdom of heaven. In God’s kingdom, salvation is not a competition. It’s not about who worked longer or harder. It’s about the grace of God who calls, forgives, and rewards us all with eternal life.

I met Jesus and began to follow Him when I was a freshman in college. I wasn’t called as early as some who were born and raised in Christian families — I wasn’t one of those who got invited to the vineyard at six in the morning. If I had to guess, I’d say God called me around nine o’clock in the morning of my life. And now, I think I’m somewhere around three in the afternoon—still working in God’s vineyard. And I’m deeply thankful that I wasn’t called at five o’clock, like the thief on the cross. Because I’ve had the joy and blessing of spending my life in God’s vineyard— experiencing His presence, being shaped into the image of Jesus, and bearing fruit through the power of the Holy Spirit, and when evening comes, I know I will receive that one denarius — the gift of eternal life — and enter the everlasting kingdom of God. Don’t you want to live that kind of life too? A life spent working in God’s vineyard, walking with Him, and enjoying the grace of His abundant love? May the grace of our loving God be poured out on all of us. Amen.