A. In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus taught the parable of the laborers to His disciples in response to a question asked by Peter.

B. In this fifth lesson on the parables of Jesus, let us consider the parable of the laborers by beginning with the context in which it was given. To do so, we must go back to Christ's encounter with the rich young ruler.

II. CONTEXT – MATTHEW 19:16-30

A. When Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell his possessions, he went away grieved (Matt. 19:16-26).

1. The young man asked what good thing he should do to inherit eternal life.

2. Jesus advised him to keep the commandments of God, which he said he had done.

3. Jesus then told him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him. This grieved him, for he owned much property.

4. Jesus used the occasion to teach His disciples of the difficulty for rich men to enter the kingdom of heaven. This rich young ruler showed that many such men are virtually possessed by their property rather than their property being possessed by them.

5. In astonishment, the disciples asked who could be saved. Jesus declared, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Indeed, salvation is impossible by the devices of men, for only God can save.

B. Seizing on the moment, Peter asked a question of the Lord (Matt. 19:27).

1. Peter asked, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?”

a. Peter's statement was true, for the Lord's twelve apostles had left everything to follow Him. Peter and Andrew left their fishing business (Matt. 4:18-20), and James and John had likewise left their fishing business and their father (Matt. 4:21-22). Matthew had left his work as a tax-gatherer (Matt. 9:9). The others had similarly left their old ways of life.

b. The apostles' choices were in stark contrast to the choice of the rich young ruler, for he had been unwilling to leave everything for Jesus.

2. If Peter had been more thoughtful, then he would have known the answer to his question already.

a. The rich young ruler had asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus told him to keep the commandments, leave everything, and follow Him.

b. Therefore, Peter should have known that because he and the other apostles kept the commandments, left everything, and followed Jesus they would be rewarded with eternal life.

C. In His answer, Jesus stated the principle that is illustrated by the parable of the laborers (Matt. 19:28-30).

1. Mark recorded that Jesus described rewards in two ages – "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).

2. Matthew's record focuses more on the reward for the apostles – "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”

3. It is evident from Christ's answer that the reward will be well-worth any sacrifice, but Jesus added this warning – "But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.” This is the principle taught by the parable of the laborers.

III. THE PARABLE OF THE LABORERS – MATTHEW 20:1-16

A. Like many of the parables, the parable of the laborers was given to explain the kingdom of heaven.

1. The Lord's frequent teachings on the kingdom of heaven distinguish it from the kingdoms of earth. This parable shows that men's expectations within their own kingdoms do not apply in the kingdom of heaven.

2. Knowing Peter, His apostles, and all men as He did, it is evident that Jesus detected that the motive behind Peter's question was a desire for prominence in the kingdom of heaven.

a. On several occasions, Jesus instructed His disciples and corrected their thinking about what it means to be first in the kingdom (Matt. 18:1-4; 20:20-28; Mark 9:33-37; 10:35-45; Luke 9:46-48).

b. Jesus had promised a glorious reward for the apostles, and they needed to accept that reward for its true value rather than comparing it to the rewards of others.

B. In the parable, the landowner hired laborers to work in his vineyard at different times of the day.

1. The first laborers were hired early in the morning. Notice that they agreed to the wage of a denarius for their labor that day (v. 2).

2. Others were hired at the third hour, the sixth hour, and the ninth hour. Notice that the landowner promised them, "Whatever is right I will give you” (v. 4).

3. At last, some men were hired at the eleventh hour. The landowner said to them simply, "You too go into the vineyard” (v. 7).

C. When all of the laborers were paid, the laborers who were hired first complained against the landowner.

1. At evening, the landowner instructed his foreman to pay the laborers in reverse order of their hire. In this way, the parable illustrates the principle that the last shall be first.

2. The men hired at the eleventh hour were paid first, and they received a denarius for their labor.

3. Notice verses 10-12:

"When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.'”

D. The landowner answered the complaints of those laborers with three convicting questions.

1. The first question is in verse 13: "Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?”

a. The landowner was not guilty of any breach of contract. He paid them exactly according to their agreement.

b. The source of the laborers' complaint was their own illegitimate expectations of the landowner. They had no right to expect anything other than what he had promised them.

2. In verses 14-15, the landowner said, "Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own?”

a. The landowner had the right and the authority to pay the other men as he pleased. It was no concern of the first laborers.

b. Any accusation of wrongdoing against the landowner was unfounded. The laborers had no right to decide the wages of the other men.

3. In his final question, the landowner exposed the true source of the laborers' complaints. He asked, "Or is your eye envious because I am generous?”

a. The true source of the laborers' complaints was their own envy. They were angry because the landowner was generous to the other men.

b. It was unreasonable and wrong for the laborers to complain about the landowner's generosity. Why should his good deed toward others have provoked them to anger?

E. The Lord concluded the parable by restating in Matthew 20:16 the principle from Matthew 19:30: "So the last shall be first, and the first last.”

1. In the parable, the last laborers were made first by the choice of the landowner. He had the right to pay them first by His own authority and preference.

2. The first laborers were also made last by their own reaction to the landowner's choice. They complained against him, accused him of wrongdoing, and wrongly demanded higher wages than they any right to expect.

3. In the end, they all received the same wage, but the first laborers were left unhappy because of their envious and unrighteous attitudes toward the other men.

IV. CONCLUSION

A. The application of the parable for Peter and the apostles is obvious. The Lord would reward them as He promised, and they were to value that reward objectively. They were not to compare their reward with others or become envious because of Christ's generosity toward other men.

B. The application is the same for us today. The reward for all Christians will be the same regardless of whether they come to Jesus early or late in life. All will inherit eternal life, and none should be envious.