"The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.' So they went off. (And) he went out again around noon, and around three o'clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o'clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?'…
'These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day's burden and the heat.' He said to one of them in reply, 'My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? (Or) am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?' Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last." (Mt 20:1-16)
The landowner when he went first did not find all of them. He found them as he went a second time and a third. Probably these labourers were not wanted by anyone. No one wanted to hire them. So among the people there were different types of labourers. Workers were of different types: some worked hard and through the period of work. There were others who worked very little.
Here the landowner is God himself as in most of the parables. And the labourers are the Israelites. God’s purpose of going out looking for labourers is that they should work. He was not worried about the duration of work or even the quantity of work. But they should work.
This story also does not speak about justice or even God’s justice rather it speaks about the generosity of God. God’s generosity does not take in to account the work done etc. His generosity is independent of human calculations. What they receive from God is not the wages for their work but graces from God. God’s grace cannot be bargained. It is not a reward for our effort but rather God’s grace is the out pouring of his nature: generosity.
