Matthew 20:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.

NIV: So they went. "He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.

NASB: Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing.

CSB: About noon and about three, he went out again and did the same thing.

NLT: So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.

KJV: Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

NKJV: Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

How much is a day's work in a vineyard worth? Jesus is telling a story that will answer that question: A day's work in the vineyard is worth whatever the master is willing to pay for it, even if you work more or less than other laborers. The point of Jesus' parable, though, is about rewards in the kingdom of heaven for those who work in this life for Jesus' sake.

The master of the house needs laborers for his vineyard in the same way that God uses workers on earth, followers of Jesus, to prepare the way for the kingdom of heaven and to "harvest" those who need to hear the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 9:36–38). The master in the story hired the first group of workers early in the morning, likely around 6 a.m. They agreed to put in a full day for a denarius. Then the master returned to the marketplace at the third hour, 9 a.m., and hired more workers for "whatever is right." He does the same thing at the sixth hour—about noon—and the ninth hour—about 3 p.m.—agreeing to pay each worker whatever is right in exchange for working for what's left of the workday, until about 6 p.m.

The following verse shows that even all those workers are not enough, though. The master needs still more hands and bodies in the vineyard to get the work done.

Matthew 20:1–16 is a parable illustrating what Jesus meant in saying that some of the last will be first and the first last in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:30). When a master hires five groups of workers at different times throughout the day, he pays the last group the same amount that he pays the group hired early in the morning. Though that group grumbles, they received what they had agreed to earn and had not been cheated. The master insists he has the right to show generosity to whomever he wishes. Jesus concludes by saying, again, that the last will be first, and the first last. Themes found in this parable are echoed in the later portion of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:25–32).

Jesus illustrates His earlier comments about how some of the "first will be last, and the last first" (Matthew 19:30) with a parable about hired workers. He then clearly tells His disciples about His impending death and resurrection. The mother of James and John asks Jesus to make her sons number two and three in His kingdom. Jesus tells the disciples that true greatness won't come by flaunting authority as the Gentile leaders do. Instead, they will become great by serving each other, even as a slave does, as Jesus Himself has done. He then heals two blind men immediately before entering Jerusalem.

Matthew 20 begins with a parable that illustrates Jesus' statement at the end of Matthew 19: In His kingdom, some of the first will be last and the last first. Still on their way to Jerusalem, Jesus tells the disciples for the third time that He will be killed and then raised on the third day. When asked, Jesus explains that it is not up to Him to grant the seats on His right and left hand in the kingdom and that His disciples will not become great in the way of Gentiles. Instead, they will find greatness by serving each other. A healing of two blind men leads into the triumphal entry, the first event in the last earthly week of Jesus' ministry.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.