What does Matthew 20:14 mean?

What reward will be received by those who follow Jesus in this life? Jesus has been clear that the disciples should not expect material reward on this side of eternity. Their path will be like His, full of trouble, persecution, and suffering (John 16:33). Still, He has been clear that they will be richly rewarded in the kingdom of heaven for all they have lost in this life (Matthew 19:27–30). Even more, they will inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:29).

Jesus' parable about the workers in the vineyard, though, shows that any reward in the kingdom of heaven is a gift of grace from the king. It is not based on a sliding scale of giving the most reward for the most work and lesser reward for lesser work. Does this mean everyone will receive the exact same thing, as each worker in the story receives the same denarius? Not necessarily. What it means is that the Lord will claim His right to give to each follower of Jesus as He chooses based on His own grace and power (Romans 9:15–23).

When the workers who worked the most grumble that their pay is equal to the workers who accomplished the least, the master tells them to take their pay and move on. Then he declares that he chooses to give the same amount to those who did far less. He claims his right as master to reward fairly or more than fairly, as he sees fit. Jesus' story suggests that God does the same in rewarding those who serve Him.