The landowner is Jesus. Hebrew 1:2 says that “God has appointed His Son to be heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.” Jesus is hiring laborers. In Matthew 9:37-38, He said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” He is looking for laborers like His twelve disciples. On the one hand. learners, and on the other hand, doers.
The denarius represents eternal life. Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Our sins earned for us death, but Jesus offers eternal life to us as a gift. The “denarius” that Jesus gives to us His followers cost Him His life. His hands and feet were pierced. His back was scourged. His body dwelt in a tomb for three days. Then, He resurrected on the third day. His promise is eternal life for all who believe in Him. The focus is on the landowner’s generosity.
Our salvation is based on what Jesus did, not on our own works. Therefore, the wage is the same to every believer. However, in Matthew 19:28-30, Jesus promised rewards to those who made great sacrifices for the kingdom of heaven’s sake.
Jesus keeps calling idle people even at the eleventh hour. The “eleventh hour” in the Bible refers to the final, late-afternoon hour (around 5 PM) of the workday. Yes, Jesus gives idle people something to do until He return but the denarius symbolizes the gift of eternal life.
“So, when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing 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?’ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” Matthew 20:8-16
Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” The payment of wages moment symbolizes the distribution of eternity to believers in Jesus. Every believer in Jesus receives eternal life. This reward is based on what Jesus did for us.
In Matthew 18:23-26, Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a king who settled accounts with his servants. One servant owed the king a debt that he could never repay. He fell down before the king and begged him for patience. The king had compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
We all need the compassion of the King of kings and the Lord of lords to forgive our sin.
The first supposed that they would receive more than those who came to Christ later. They complained against the Lord. They had borne the burden and the heat of the day. The Lord asked them, “Is your eye evil because I am good?” Jesus said, “The last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” Salvation is by grace. We must embrace this truth.
“Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the 12 disciples aside on the road and said to them, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” Matthew 20:17-19
Jerusalem is where Jesus would be betrayed, scourged, spit on, insulted, crucified and where He would resurrect from the dead. Did Jesus complain about His “wage?” Was His wage fair? Did He deserve it? Jesus was treated more unfairly than any other human being. 1 Peter 2:22 says that Jesus “committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.”
“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, ‘What do you wish?’ She said to Him, ‘Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered and said, ‘You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?’ They said to Him, ‘We are able.’ So He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.’” Matthew 20:20-23
John and James were with their mother when she asked Jesus for seats at His right and left hand for her sons. She asked the question. They responded to the reply of Jesus. Yes, they will know Jesus and the power of His resurrection. They will know, as Paul writes in Philippians 3:10, fellowship with Jesus in His sufferings. They will be conformed to His death. They will drink from the Lord’s cup of suffering. They will be baptized with His baptism of pain. But at this point, they need to be content with the promise of a “denarius” wage, namely, eternal life with God.
“And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’” Matthew 20:24-28
Jesus directed His disciples to die to self and to live for God and others. The moments that I feel best about myself is when Jesus pours His love out through me to others. I praise my Heavenly Father when empowers me to be selfless by His grace.
“Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!’ Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!’ So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, that our eyes may be opened.’ So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.“ Matthew 20:29-34
They were blind. They cried out. A crowd told them to be quiet. They cried louder. They spoke of Jesus as the “Lord, Son of David.” The two blind man professed in the presence of many that Jesus is Messiah... that’s what “Lord, Son of David” means.
Jesus gave the two blind men the opportunity to confess their need. When they did, He had compassion on them and healed them. His grace gave them seeing eyes. They followed Jesus.
In Matthew 20, Jesus confronted calls for justice with the message of equal grace to all based on what He did for our salvation. Have we been treated unfairly? Jesus was betrayed, scourged, and crucified. Did He complain about His “wage?” 1 Peter 2:22 says that Jesus “committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.” Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” To be like Jesus is to embrace grace, and to be grateful for the promise of eternity with God.
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