Laboring in the Vineyard
“Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” (Matthew 20:15)
In Matthew 20:1-2, Jesus said, “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 [a penny is a day’s wages, not one cent], he sent them into his vineyard.”
The Lord then told how the man went back to the marketplace at the third, sixth, and ninth hours of the day (about (9 am, noon, and 3 pm) and hired more labourers, agreeing to pay them a fair wage. He went to the marketplace about the eleventh hour and found still more labourers. He asked why they stood all the day idle. They said no one had hired them. He hired them, again promising to pay a fair wage.
At this point, the late hires may have figured they could either work for the man and get an hour’s pay or not work for him and get nothing. He had promised to pay a right wage, but how much would that be this late in the day? Still, anything was better than nothing. They worked. Not for long, but they worked.
Imagine their surprise at the end of the day when they got A WHOLE DAY’S PAY! “And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.” (Matthew 20:9) The 9 am, noon, and 3 pm workers apparently received a penny too, instead of just being paid for hours worked.
When the first workers were paid, they complained; not that the wage was low, but that the last hires got the same wage as they. Their complaint seems valid at first, but for several reasons, it isn’t. First, none of the workers had jobs. Their only hope for support and to eat was to go to the marketplace and be hired.
The early workers had also agreed with the boss for the wage, and the boss had paid it. The early hires also did not have to stand in the marketplace stressing out over whether they would be hired. The later hires did. By paying them all a penny instead of paying the later hires for hours worked, the boss wasn’t cheating the early workers, but he was giving the later hires a blessing. He asked the early workers, “Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” As if to say, “I gave these other guys a bonus. Why be mad at that?”
The extra pay for later hires enticed them to keep working for the duration of the harvest. He was even smart with the early hires. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath:” He could have told them, “I paid you what I said. Don’t like it? Take a hike!” Instead, he said, “Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?” (Matthew 20:13) He ended their argument but didn’t poison their attitude in the process. At the end of the day, they all saw that the householder was right and good.
The workers in the marketplace had no sure means of support and no certainty about the future. In a way, they are like people without Jesus, who have no certainty about the future or eternity. Then they hear about Jesus, the Son of God, who died for their sins and was buried, and rose again. He offers to forgive their sins and give them eternal life. They receive Him as personal Saviour and are wonderfully saved.
Some people may receive Jesus at an early age. Others may receive Him later. Yet those saved later are not glad they were able to live in sin. All of those saved also will not have the same experiences. Some may have more difficulty than others, like the early workers who worked in the hot sun while the late hires didn’t. Yet at the end of the day, we see that Jesus, represented by the householder, is right and good.
Please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?” to see how to receive Jesus as your personal Saviour for forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven.
Brian Miller 9/10/2026
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822