Matthew 20

Matthew 20:1

able of the labourers in the vineyard, warns the envying the Gentiles those equal privileges to ld be called in the Messiah’s kingdom. Mat.

MAT. XX. 1.

IN order to illustrate the observation which our Lord had been just making, “that many who were first should be last, and many last should be first,” he added the following parable, and said, This will be found to be the case in many instances; for the kingdom of heaven, or the gospel dispensation, is like, or may be fitly represented by the similitude of a man a that was the master of a family, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard, at the time when the vintage was to be gathered in. And having agreed with the labourers for the usual price of a denarius, or Roman penny a day,b he sent them into his vineyard, to be employed there in his service.

And going out again about the third hour c (or at nine in the morning), he saw other

a Is like, or may be fitly represented by the similitude of a man.] See note i on Luke vii. 32, Vol. I. p. 322. Those who are acquainted with the eastern manners know that this parable is exactly suited to them in a variety of circumstances, which many learned commentators have observed, but which it does not seem necessary to enumerate here. See Petav. Dogmat. Theolog. Vol. I. p. 305, & seq.

b A denarius, a Roman penny a day.] It seems from hence that this (which was in value about seven pence half penny of our money) was the usual price of a day’s service among the Jews; as Tacitus tells us it was among the Romans. (Annal. i. 17.) It is therefore justly mentioned, Rev. vi. 6,

as a proof of the great scarcity of provisions, when a measure or chænix of wheat, which was the usual allowance to one man for a day, and was about an English quart, was sold at that price.

c About the third hour.] Dr. Whitby in his Paraphrase explains the first call in the morning, of the earliest days of Christ’s preaching; that of the third hour, as referring to the mission of the apostles when they were first sent forth to preach among the Jews; those of the sixth and ninth hours of their preaching the gospel, after the descent of the Holy Ghost, to the Jews in Judea, and then to the dispersed in other parts; and that of the eleventh hour, of the calling of the Gentiles: but this seems an

The labourers are hired at different h

standing unemployed in the market, where it was customary for servants to stand, in order to their being hired. And he said to them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is the reasonable value of your labour,ᵈ I will be sure to give you. And they went away to their work without any more particular agreement.

And again going out about the sixth and ninth hour (or at noon, and at three in the afternoon), he did the same, and sent others to work on the same general promise of giving them as much as they could reasonably expect.

And once more, about the eleventh hour (or at five in the afternoon), going out of his house, he returned to the market, and found others standing unemployed: and he says to them, Why do ye stand here and do nothing? Do you choose thus to trifle away your time, and continue the whole day unemployed? They say unto him, No; but we continue here, because no one has hired us to any kind of labour. Then he says to them, Go ye also into the vineyard, where you may be employed, and whatsoever is fit and reasonable to be given for your labour, you shall receive.

Now when evening was come (or at six o’clock), the time when workmen were paid off, and sent home, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, Call the labourers who have been working in the vineyard, and pay them their wages, beginning from those who were the last hired, and so going on even to the first.

And having thus been ordered to present themselves, when they accordingly came foremost who [were hired] about the eleventh hour, and so had entered last into the vineyard, they each of them received no less than a penny, the

excessive nicety of distinction. The Jews were ready to look upon themselves with complacency, as a people who had for many ages adhered to the worship of the true God, and in some periods had endured great extremities out of a regard to it; and it seems natural to interpret what is said (ver. 12), of bearing the burden and heat of the day, with a reference to this, rather than to any peculiar hardship which the earlier converts among the Jews might

have endured more than the believing Gentiles, many of whom met with much the same treatment on their embracing Christianity. See 1 Thess. ii. 14.

ᵈ Whatsoever is reasonable.] So I think the word śivān may be rendered, Phil. i. 7; Col. iv. 1; and 2 Pet. i. 13; and that it signifies not only what a person may legally claim, but what he might equitably expect from a person of honour and humanity.

murmur that the last receive as much as they.

aster having directed they should be thus generously rewarded.

And upon seeing this, when those who were the first, and had been working all the day, came to be paid, they reckoned with themselves that they should have received considerably more; but they were also paid the same, and only received every one a penny. And when they had received [it], instead of being satisfied with what was promised them, they murmured against the master of the house who had set them to work, and said, Truly these last have laboured but one hour, and thou hast made them equal in the recompense they have received to us, who have borne the whole burden, and gone through all the toil and heat of the day from morning to night.

But he calmy answered and said to one of them, who spoke in the name of the rest, Friend, it is most apparent that I do not in any degree injure thee, or any of thy companions: didst not thou agree with me to labour all the day for a penny, and hast thou not received it? Take what is justly thine, and be gone, without pretending to dictate to me in an affair wherein thou hast no manner of concern; for I will do as I see fit, and give to this last man, who came in but an hour ago, even as I do to thee. And indeed what colour hast thou for a complaint? Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with what is undoubtedly mine own property?

They murmured against the master of the house.] That this was the case of the Jews, upon a general notion of the Gentiles being, according to the Christian scheme, intended to be partakers with them in the same church privileges, is plain from a variety of scriptures. See Acts xi. 2, 3; xiii. 45—50; xvii. 5, 13; xviii. 6, 13; xxii. 21, 22; xxviii. 29; Rom. xi. 28; and 1 Thess. ii. 16.

[I will give to this last even as to thee.] Since no murmurings can happen among the blessed, this must refer to the unbelieving Jews; but as it is certain they will have no place in the kingdom of heaven, we plainly see that it would be very absurd to pretend to draw doctrinal consequences from every incidental circumstance of a parable.

And indeed, is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? That the particle may thus be rendered, And indeed, has been observed before, note, on Mat. vii. 9, Vol. I. p. 244. And as to what is here suggested, so many scriptures declare expressly that God at the great day will render to every man according to his works, and intimate that there shall be an exact correspondence between every man’s character and the reward which (through the riches of Divine grace) shall then be bestowed, that it would be very unreasonable, from such a circumstance as this in the parable, to infer the contrary. But if any should maintain that all the favours of Divine Providence and grace must now be dispensed only in proportion to the wisdom and goodness of the person concerned,

But the master may do what he will with M

What if I pleased to give it to one who had done nothing at all for it? Is thine eye evil, or dost thou look on with an envious and malignant countenance, because I am so good, that out of compassion to these poor men I freely give them what they could not justly have claimed?

And thus said Jesus at the conclusion of this parable, You see (as I have just been telling you, Mat. xix. 30) there are some who seemed to be the last in privileges and advantages, who shall be first in the reward and happiness that shall be given to them; and, on the other hand, there are many in those respects the first, who shall be last. And this is a remark peculiarly applicable to the Jewish nation, who will murmur at the calling of the Gentiles to equal dignities and privileges with themselves, and on that account will reject the gospel, and persecute you the preachers of it: for though many are called, and the messages of salvation are sent to vast multitudes, even to all the thousands of Israel, yet there are but few chosen: a small remnant only will embrace the gospel so universally offered, and so be saved according to the election of grace (Rom. xi. 5), while the rest will be justly disowned by God, as a punishment for so obstinate and so envious a temper.

chend they would argue directly try to the whole design of this parable to what daily appears to be fact, therefore cannot give way to any vis.

thine eye evil? Here is an evident ce to that malignant aspect which is ally the attendant of a selfish and en- emper.

peculiarly applicable to the Jewish .] The remark itself is far more live, as I intimate both in the para- and improvement. But as this was parable instance of it, so it is plainly Christ had immediately in his view. any are called, but few chosen.] Gro- as a very learned and ingenious note text; but no genius or learning can efficient to prove what he seems to

intend, that persons of God, merely with a complacency in them distinguished virtue s pare Deut. vii. 6—8; Acts ix. 13, 15; Rom iv. 19. To understand of chosen and excellent Clerc, Dr. Wall, and quite to contradict th ble. On that supposi have said, “These la in one hour as you i them, because I knew markable for their dil turn which the Talm the parable in their in which may be seen in Heb. on Mat. xx. 1.

Reflections on our duty to improve our privileges.

IMPROVEMENT.

MAY we by Divine grace appear in the happy number of those who are not only called, but chosen too! If we are first in privileges and opportunities, let us be careful that our improvement be proportionable; otherwise we shall be last, and see ourselves another day exceeded, and perhaps condemned, by those who stood in a rank below us.

We are called to a course of holy labour, even to work in our Lord’s vineyard, or in every station, whether public or private, to do our utmost to promote the glory of God and the happiness of mankind. Let us not, with so many calls and so many advantages, stand all the day idle; but let us be active and patient, and cheerfully willing to bear all the burden and heat of the day in so good a cause; knowing that ere long the evening will come, and that he who employs us saith, Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Rev. xxii. 12.)

Let such as have long neglected the great business of life be encouraged with this thought, that some were called at the eleventh hour: but let none presume on their having such a call, nor strain the parable so far as to imagine that an equal reward awaits all, without any regard to their characters or improvements; which is most contrary to the reason of things, to the word of God, and to the great intent of that day which is to render to every man according to his deeds. (Rom. ii. 6.)

The Gentiles are indeed now called to equal privileges with the Jews, to which this circumstance of the parable refers: and we all see how odious a temper it was in that favourite nation to be offended with the gospel on that account, which should rather have recommended it to their more joyful acceptance. Let us be careful to avoid every degree of envy, whoever may be put on a level with us, or preferred to us. Let us acknowledge the sovereign right of God to do what he will with his own, and let not our eye be evil, because he is good. To prevent this, let us labour after that unfeigned love to the brethren which never will allow us to repine at their advancement to the greatest privileges, but will engage us to behold the favours that are shewn them with delight and satisfaction, and to rejoice in their honour and happiness as our own. So shall we exchange the basest and most uneasy passion of human nature for that which is of all others the noblest and most delightful.

VOL. 2.

While Jesus was beyond Jordan, Lazarus