Parable on the Workers that Received Equal Pays.

(Mat. 20:1-16).

The aim of this parable is to elucidate as to how the “last will be first.” This mercy will be shown through God’s goodness. God’s Kingdom is presented here as a landowner, hiring workers for his vineyard. Having agreed to pay a “denarius a day” to those hired in the morning, when the time came for paying, he too gave a denarius to the rest of the workers hired later in the day: some in the 3^rd hour, some in the 6^th, 9^th and even 11^th hour. The ones that started early in the day began complaining that this was unfair, to which the landlord replied: “Friend, I am doing no you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. 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 my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?”

The “denarius” was equal in value to 25 cents (in those days), and was the normal daily wage in the East. The Jews regarded a day as 12 hours — commencing with sunrise. The meaning of this parable is that the Lord Himself disposes of rewards to those who serve Him: people cannot enter into agreements or determine conditions with Him. The Lord rewards people purely through His goodness. It must be also understood that on the subject of a person’s salvation, a person does that little in that regard that there can be no talk of remuneration for effort. The Lord rewards not because of some type of dues, but through His benevolence: therefore, with full freedom and according to His Personal determination. That’s why the one who labored little can receive as much as one who had labored much. This is where hope lies for the sinners, where a solitary sigh, emanating from the bottom of the soul, can attract God’s mercy and grace, cleansing them of all sins. What was the aim of this parable? Peter just asked: “We have left everything behind to follow You: what reward will we receive for this?”

The Lord didn’t immediately censure this arrogance of a juvenile mind, but — seemingly — on the contrary, promised the Apostles great rewards. At the same time, through the parable, showed that recompense is not dependent on a person’s merit but exclusively on God’s mercy. That it could happen where the first in merit will receive their rewards last, while the ones that were summoned by the Lord in the remaining moments of their lives and are last in merit, could receive their rewards first. In conclusion of this parable, the Lord said: “For many are called, few are chosen,” i.e. although many, in fact everyone, are called toward joy in the Heavenly Kingdom, only a few are chosen for this happiness. Naturally, as with other parables, it is unnecessary to seek out meanings of its every individual feature: the only important thing is its basic idea, its basic thought that a person is not rewarded according to the number of meritorious deeds that he had performed, but solely because of God’s mercy.