In the early days of His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke plainly, openly offering Israel the Kingdom of Heaven if the nation would receive Him as their promised Messiah. His messages called for repentance and faith, urging the people to turn back to God in anticipation of the Kingdom’s arrival. But as opposition grew—especially from the religious leaders who went so far as to accuse Him of performing miracles by the power of Satan—Jesus shifted His teaching method. From that point, He began to speak to the multitudes in parables. These parables served a dual purpose: they concealed divine truth from those who had hardened their hearts, while at the same time revealing deeper mysteries to those who believed.
This approach fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy of a people who would hear but not understand and see but not perceive, a sobering sign of God’s judicial hardening upon unbelieving Israel. The parables, therefore, are not intended as direct Church-age doctrine, but as revelations about the mystery phase of the Kingdom—the phase unfolding between Christ’s rejection and His Second Coming. While the Church was still hidden in God’s plan at the time, these parables will take on renewed significance during the Tribulation, when the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, the Two Witnesses, and others will proclaim the coming Kingdom, using these very truths to call both Israel and the nations to repentance and faith in the returning King.
Words: 1409 / Time to read: 7 minutes
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
Jesus told this parable in response to a question from Peter that followed the encounter with the rich young ruler. After watching that man walk away sorrowfully, unwilling to part with his wealth to follow Christ, Peter asked, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus assured the disciples that their sacrifices would indeed be rewarded, but He followed with this parable to make clear that God’s rewards are not distributed according to human notions of fairness, but according to His sovereign grace.
In the story, a landowner went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard, a scene familiar to Jesus’ audience. Day laborers in ancient Israel were among the poorest in society. Each morning they gathered in the marketplace, hoping someone would hire them so they could earn enough to provide for their families. The landowner agreed to pay the first group of workers a denarius, the standard wage for a day’s labor, and sent them into the vineyard.
As the day went on, the landowner returned to the marketplace at the third, sixth, and ninth hours—around 9 AM, noon, and 3 PM—and each time hired more workers, promising to pay them what was right. Even at the eleventh hour, about 5 PM, with only an hour of daylight left, he found still others waiting and sent them into his vineyard.
When evening came, the landowner instructed his foreman to pay the workers, beginning with those hired last. To everyone’s surprise, those who had worked only an hour received a full denarius—the same as the first-hired workers. Expecting to receive more for their longer hours, the first workers were dismayed to receive only what they had been promised. They grumbled against the landowner, accusing him of injustice. But the landowner replied that he had done them no wrong—they had agreed to the wage he gave them. His generosity toward the later workers was his to dispense, and he concluded with the striking statement, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
The Kingdom Message and Dispensational Significance
This parable, spoken to Jesus’ Jewish disciples, reveals deep truths about God’s dealings with Israel and the coming Kingdom. The vineyard was a familiar symbol for Israel, seen throughout the Old Testament as representing God’s covenant people. The workers, then, depict various groups within Israel who respond to God’s call at different times.
Those who came early might represent the Jewish people who had long been in covenant with God under the Law—those who had “labored” in the vineyard across generations. The latecomers symbolize others who, in the eyes of many, seemed less worthy: tax collectors, sinners, and eventually Gentiles who would share in Kingdom blessings. The parable served as a rebuke to the religious elite, who assumed they would have the highest honors in the Kingdom due to their heritage and long-standing service.
Looking ahead, this parable will also resonate during the Tribulation period. The 144,000 Jewish evangelists will proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom, and many will come to faith—some early in that period, some near its end. But all will share equally in entrance into the Millennial Kingdom, because that entrance is based not on the timing or length of their service, but on God’s grace.
The point Jesus drove home was clear: entrance into the Kingdom and the rewards given are matters of divine sovereignty and grace, not of human calculation or merit.
The Generosity of God and Human Expectations
The parable confronts our natural tendency to measure fairness by effort and output. The first-hired workers felt wronged, not because they were cheated—they received exactly what was promised—but because others, who had done less, were given equal reward. Yet the landowner’s generosity did not diminish his justice. He was perfectly fair to the first group and gracious to the last.
So it is with God. He chooses to lavish grace on whom He will, and His blessings do not operate according to human systems of merit. The Jewish people needed to understand that their long history under the Law did not entitle them to greater status in the Kingdom than those who would come later. God’s Kingdom is not earned—it is given.
Cultural Context That Illuminates the Parable
To Jesus’ listeners, the imagery was vivid and familiar. Day laborers lived a precarious existence, dependent each day on finding work to feed their families. A denarius was a fair and just wage for a day’s work. To give that amount to those who worked only an hour was astonishing generosity, almost unthinkable in their society. And yet, Jesus used that generosity to picture the boundless grace of God.
The urgency of the grape harvest, where timing was critical and delay could mean ruin, added realism to the landowner’s repeated trips to hire more workers. The practice of paying wages at day’s end was commanded in the Law, reflecting God’s concern for the poor.
Theological Reflection and Application
Although this parable speaks directly to Kingdom principles in Israel’s program, the New Testament reinforces its themes in the context of salvation and grace. Paul taught that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, so that no one can boast. Whether Jew or Gentile, whether one responds early or late, all are saved by God’s mercy alone. The parable anticipates the unity of those who will inherit the Kingdom, regardless of when or how they came to faith.
In the end, the parable calls us to humility, gratitude, and trust. God’s grace is His to dispense. Our task is not to compare ourselves with others, but to rejoice in His goodness and serve Him faithfully, knowing that His rewards will reflect His perfect wisdom and generosity.
Want to Go Deeper?
This post is adapted from my book, The Parables of Jesus: Covert Communication from the King (Grace and Knowledge Series, Book 7). In it, I explore every parable of Jesus in depth, unveiling their dispensational significance and prophetic meaning.
Read the full book on Amazon →
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Related
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard – Matthew 20:1–16
Published by Brother Woody BrohmIn the early days of His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke plainly, openly offering Israel the Kingdom of Heaven if the nation would receive Him as their promised Messiah. His messages called for repentance and faith, urging the people to turn back to God in anticipation of the Kingdom’s arrival. But as opposition grew—especially from the religious leaders who went so far as to accuse Him of performing miracles by the power of Satan—Jesus shifted His teaching method. From that point, He began to speak to the multitudes in parables. These parables served a dual purpose: they concealed divine truth from those who had hardened their hearts, while at the same time revealing deeper mysteries to those who believed.
This approach fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy of a people who would hear but not understand and see but not perceive, a sobering sign of God’s judicial hardening upon unbelieving Israel. The parables, therefore, are not intended as direct Church-age doctrine, but as revelations about the mystery phase of the Kingdom—the phase unfolding between Christ’s rejection and His Second Coming. While the Church was still hidden in God’s plan at the time, these parables will take on renewed significance during the Tribulation, when the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, the Two Witnesses, and others will proclaim the coming Kingdom, using these very truths to call both Israel and the nations to repentance and faith in the returning King.
Words: 1409 / Time to read: 7 minutes
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
Jesus told this parable in response to a question from Peter that followed the encounter with the rich young ruler. After watching that man walk away sorrowfully, unwilling to part with his wealth to follow Christ, Peter asked, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus assured the disciples that their sacrifices would indeed be rewarded, but He followed with this parable to make clear that God’s rewards are not distributed according to human notions of fairness, but according to His sovereign grace.
In the story, a landowner went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard, a scene familiar to Jesus’ audience. Day laborers in ancient Israel were among the poorest in society. Each morning they gathered in the marketplace, hoping someone would hire them so they could earn enough to provide for their families. The landowner agreed to pay the first group of workers a denarius, the standard wage for a day’s labor, and sent them into the vineyard.
As the day went on, the landowner returned to the marketplace at the third, sixth, and ninth hours—around 9 AM, noon, and 3 PM—and each time hired more workers, promising to pay them what was right. Even at the eleventh hour, about 5 PM, with only an hour of daylight left, he found still others waiting and sent them into his vineyard.
When evening came, the landowner instructed his foreman to pay the workers, beginning with those hired last. To everyone’s surprise, those who had worked only an hour received a full denarius—the same as the first-hired workers. Expecting to receive more for their longer hours, the first workers were dismayed to receive only what they had been promised. They grumbled against the landowner, accusing him of injustice. But the landowner replied that he had done them no wrong—they had agreed to the wage he gave them. His generosity toward the later workers was his to dispense, and he concluded with the striking statement, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
The Kingdom Message and Dispensational Significance
This parable, spoken to Jesus’ Jewish disciples, reveals deep truths about God’s dealings with Israel and the coming Kingdom. The vineyard was a familiar symbol for Israel, seen throughout the Old Testament as representing God’s covenant people. The workers, then, depict various groups within Israel who respond to God’s call at different times.
Those who came early might represent the Jewish people who had long been in covenant with God under the Law—those who had “labored” in the vineyard across generations. The latecomers symbolize others who, in the eyes of many, seemed less worthy: tax collectors, sinners, and eventually Gentiles who would share in Kingdom blessings. The parable served as a rebuke to the religious elite, who assumed they would have the highest honors in the Kingdom due to their heritage and long-standing service.
Looking ahead, this parable will also resonate during the Tribulation period. The 144,000 Jewish evangelists will proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom, and many will come to faith—some early in that period, some near its end. But all will share equally in entrance into the Millennial Kingdom, because that entrance is based not on the timing or length of their service, but on God’s grace.
The point Jesus drove home was clear: entrance into the Kingdom and the rewards given are matters of divine sovereignty and grace, not of human calculation or merit.
The Generosity of God and Human Expectations
The parable confronts our natural tendency to measure fairness by effort and output. The first-hired workers felt wronged, not because they were cheated—they received exactly what was promised—but because others, who had done less, were given equal reward. Yet the landowner’s generosity did not diminish his justice. He was perfectly fair to the first group and gracious to the last.
So it is with God. He chooses to lavish grace on whom He will, and His blessings do not operate according to human systems of merit. The Jewish people needed to understand that their long history under the Law did not entitle them to greater status in the Kingdom than those who would come later. God’s Kingdom is not earned—it is given.
Cultural Context That Illuminates the Parable
To Jesus’ listeners, the imagery was vivid and familiar. Day laborers lived a precarious existence, dependent each day on finding work to feed their families. A denarius was a fair and just wage for a day’s work. To give that amount to those who worked only an hour was astonishing generosity, almost unthinkable in their society. And yet, Jesus used that generosity to picture the boundless grace of God.
The urgency of the grape harvest, where timing was critical and delay could mean ruin, added realism to the landowner’s repeated trips to hire more workers. The practice of paying wages at day’s end was commanded in the Law, reflecting God’s concern for the poor.
Theological Reflection and Application
Although this parable speaks directly to Kingdom principles in Israel’s program, the New Testament reinforces its themes in the context of salvation and grace. Paul taught that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, so that no one can boast. Whether Jew or Gentile, whether one responds early or late, all are saved by God’s mercy alone. The parable anticipates the unity of those who will inherit the Kingdom, regardless of when or how they came to faith.
In the end, the parable calls us to humility, gratitude, and trust. God’s grace is His to dispense. Our task is not to compare ourselves with others, but to rejoice in His goodness and serve Him faithfully, knowing that His rewards will reflect His perfect wisdom and generosity.
Want to Go Deeper?
This post is adapted from my book, The Parables of Jesus: Covert Communication from the King (Grace and Knowledge Series, Book 7). In it, I explore every parable of Jesus in depth, unveiling their dispensational significance and prophetic meaning.
Read the full book on Amazon →
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Related