Matthew 20:9-16 – “The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” NIV
Here is the remainder of the Jesus’ parable and the part that often causes much discussion. It’s the end of the laborer’s day and time to receive pay. The owner calls them up beginning with the last workers hired. To everyone’s surprise, he pays these last guys hired a full day’s wage which immediately gets the workers hired first thing in the morning thinking that they will be getting a little extra just to be “fair.” To their surprise, the owner pays them a full day’s wage, also. They begin complaining about the “fairness” and “equity” of the situation. It is then that Jesus using the owner’s words asks the questions in the parable. Continue reading →
