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"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Again he went out about the sixth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' 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 20:1-16
On Tuesday, we read about a man with many possessions, who asked Jesus what good thing he should do that he might have eternal life. Yesterday, we read that Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Again he went out about the sixth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' 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." Jesus' final statement in yesterday's reading is exemplified through the parable He teaches in today's. My study bible says that the vineyard is the world. A day may be a person's lifespan, and it also may refer to the whole of human history. The first laborers are called early in the morning. The additional laborers are repeatedly called at times that correspond to the Roman hours which began at dawn, and also traditional hours of prayer: the third hour was about 9:00 in the morning, the sixth hour noon. The eleventh hour is just before sunset, after which no work can be done. The laborers are all people in human history, called by Christ for this special work in His vineyard. My study bible says there are various ways of reading the parable as well: each hour could refer to an individual person's life: infancy, youth, adulthood, maturity, or old age. We could also look at the different hours as times in the span of human history: those called during the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ. My study bible says, "God's generosity provides equal reward for both early and late comers. . . . The former should not be proud of their long service nor resent those called at the eleventh hour." As for the latecomers, it remains possible even in a short time, or at the end of one's life, to recover and inherit everything. Time is in God's hands, and so is judgment. For the early Church, this message applied specifically to the early Jews as the "first-called" and the Gentiles as those called later. But in our time, we could apply it to those who were raised in the Church, and to those who find it later in life -- both receive an equal reward. We remember, the young man with many possessions asked what he must do to have eternal life. One of the most famous sermons in history, given by St. John Chrysostom and repeated each Easter in the Orthodox Church, is based on this parable. In the sermon, Chrysostom applied the call and the hours to each person coming into the very lengthy service, in preparation for the paschal Eucharist.
We remember that the most recent discussions and teachings of Jesus have taken place after the disciples asked an important question: Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? (in last Thursday's reading). This question marks a turning point in the themes of Christ's teachings because it comes in response to His second warning about what is to happen at Jerusalem: His Passion, death, and Resurrection. It seems the disciples have begun to understand something is to happen, and it's asked in expectation of the coming of the Kingdom. Jesus has been teaching about the use of power in His realm, in His church: the care of the "littlest ones," the importance of humility, detachment from possessions, and a kind of exchange that happens when one sacrifices in the context of working for the Kingdom. Peter asked, in yesterday's reading, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" Jesus' reply, regarding the time the Son of Man will sit on His throne of glory, included the statement, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first." Today's parable illustrates what He was getting at. The disciples expected an immediate manifestation of this Kingdom, but we know that is not the case. Time has passed so that twenty centuries later, as we begin the twenty-first, we understand we are all still being called. Each one of us has an opportunity to step in the shoes of the apostles, of those who came first, although we may be the last. What that means, then, is that each of the teachings given to the apostles -- all, in their entirety -- apply also to us who may be the last. If we look at this parable as stretching to the whole of human history, then we also may apply not only the context of the entire Bible, from first to last, and the teachings contained therein in all of Jewish spiritual history, but even include an understanding of the acceptance that Christ descended to Hades after His death, even "calling" those in the tombs, all the dead of all time. What we accept most importantly, it seems to me, are Jesus' teachings on service and humility, an understanding of relationship to the things we have, a comprehension that no matter where we are or what we do, we are all called in the same way. This parable makes Jesus' teachings to the disciples timeless. It is a message not just to Peter and the disciples present at the time, but to all of us who would come later to hear this text and these teachings. We each carry this call with us, and have a Kingdom to serve, His way.
