At the beginning of Matthew 20 is the parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard. This parable is one of the most difficult to understand, especially as some of the details are not referred to elsewhere. Because of this, it may be advantageous to state our conclusions first, and then give our reasons why we think thus. -We suggest, therefore, that the penny represents eternal life. The labourers first engaged depict the Jew under the Law of Moses; the other labourers are those who “laboured” under the Gospel. Now for our reasons.
The rich young man who came to Jesus is an example of the best type of Jew who endeavoured to follow and keep the Law, in his case with quite a measure of success. He came to Jesus with the query, what must he do to have eternal life, and the whole of this section hinges around that query — the attainment of eternal life. He wanted to attain eternal life as the reward for what he had done. He was so excellent that Mark’s record says that Jesus loved him. When, however, Jesus put to him what, in his case, is the acid test — Go and sell all that you have, give to the poor and come and follow me — that was too much. He was very rich, and to do what Jesus said would mean sacrificing what meant so much to him. He could not do it. He turned away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Badly as he wanted eternal life, the price he was prepared to pay was a limited one — limited by the weakness of his own flesh. He wanted eternal life, but he wanted it on his conditions’. He wanted to earn it, and then he realised the price was more than he could give.
When the young man had gone, Jesus said to his disciples, “How, hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” Then he introduced the figure of the eastern gateway, which had a large entrance for traffic and, on one side, a small, quite small, entrance for the belated foot passenger. If one with a loaded camel came along, how could such enter the city if the big gate was shut? Only in one way. The camel must kneel down, all the burden be removed from its back, and then, with pushing and pulling, the animal must be dragged through to arrive on the other side on its knees, stripped of all that meant so much to the owners of it.
Jesus said, it is easier to do all that, than it is for a rich man to attain the kingdom of heaven. The disciples marveled. They thought a man’s riches constituted one of the most potent of passports, but Jesus disillusioned them. It was only with the greatest self-sacrifice a rich man could have entrance to the city of God.
The Vanishing Law
Let us now look at the Law which governed the life of the Jew. In Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the people of the uniqueness of it. No people had ever had such a Law, which had been given by God Himself to the people assembled before Sinai. The Law was holy, just, and good. All its features pointed to higher things. Its ritual told them that God was willing to forgive sins, and the Law foreshadowed the means whereby this would be accomplished. But it was a Law which required obedience, and failure to keep one portion had the same penalty as total failure.
Peter said it was a yoke “which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear”. The “righteousness of the Law” was an elusive thing, and none could attain unto it. Many were striving after it, and by their own righteousness they hoped to attain the reward. But the flesh proved too much, and all their efforts proved fruitless. “By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified.” They found a law in their members that, when they would do good, evil was present with them, with the inevitable lamentable failure.
The Jews tried to work on a bargained basis with God and thereby earn eternal life. They were represented by the first labourer in the parable. The agreed penny was to be their reward for their day’s work.
Nevertheless the Law was a wonderful thing. It was a “rich” thing. So rich that, if only they had allowed, it would have led them to Christ. Unfortunately, instead of realising that the Law and the Gospel were two halves of one plan, they regarded the Gospel as being antagonistic to the Law. They had not realised that the Law had waxed old and was ready to vanish away. They had not realised that Christ was the end of the Law, although until he “nailed it to his cross” not one jot or tittle could fail; the Law must go forward to its complete ending when it would vanish away. This is implied when the owner told the one who had worked all day for the agreed penny ” .. go thy way .. . ” which expression, in the Greek, means “You are dismissed” (like the Unjust Steward).
How different was the Gospel that Jesus offered! Here, eternal life is the gift of God, not wages paid for service rendered. It is “by grace ye are saved”; salvation is “not of works, lest any man should boast”. (How contrary to the Law.) Like all the labourers except the first, they believed that they would be given whatsoever was right. No bargained basis here, but rather service given freely and fully. Peter realised that was the position. They had, without any thought or question of reward, responded to the Master’s call. They had left all, so now he asks “What shall we have therefore?” Jesus tells them what their position would be in the regeneration when he himself would sit on the throne of his glory.
Reconciling A Difficulty
But in view of the explanations so far given, we still have to face the problem that the first ones, who agreed for a penny, which above is said to represent eternal life, got it as wages because they worked for it.
We must realise that some of those who lived before Christ and lived under the Law will be approved by the Lord when he comes. Consider the Apostle Paul, who, until converted, was Saul the Pharisee. He was an ardent, almost fanatical, keeper of the Law, and an excellent illustration of the first ones in the parable. He was bitterly opposed to the later ones, i.e. the followers of Christ who laboured knowing that what was right would be given to them. He could not believe that it was right that the later ones should receive the same reward as those like himself who upheld the Law. He thought they were enemies who should be persecuted even to the death, and if necessary, in far-away cities like Damascus.
For all such earnest seekers after righteousness who endeavour to do God’s will, is there to be no reward? Most certainly there is, despite any mistaken zeal they might have. They, too, will receive eternal life from the Lord, being approved for their endeavours to please the God whom they served so earnestly. Such were represented among the first labourers engaged. There must have been many “of whom the world was not worthy” and who will be raised at that “better resurrection” of which Paul speaks. From this angle we can see that the penny paid to the first ones could be eternal life, which undoubtedly many who lived and served under the Law will attain in the mercy of God. It has been well said that we cannot be saved by our own righteousness, but we cannot be saved without it! And again, “If, when we stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus, we have no righteousness of our own, the Lord will refuse to be righteousness for us”. Whatever righteousness the Jew attained under the Law could not save him. His salvation, like that of the Gentile, is wholly dependent upon the grace of God — it is God’s gracious gift.
Why the varying length of service of the later ones? It could have reference to the age at which a person entered Christ’s service, some in early youth and others later, perhaps much later in life. On the other hand, it could refer to the time which elapsed since the Lord first called, some in the first century and others in the twentieth century, with others in between all the way along.
Unrevealed Judgment Details
A surprising feature is that the last ones are called to their reward before the first ones. We cannot recall that this is referred to anywhere else in Scripture. The “steward” who called could refer to the angels sent out by the Lord to “gather together his elect from the four winds”. Actually, it is surprising how little we know about the gathering of those responsible to the Lord’s judgment seat, or where it will be held, how long it will take, and where the rewards will actually be given. Some passages suggest that the giving of the’ reward will be subsequent to judgment.
Jew And Gentile
“Many are called but few chosen.” This is a very sobering thought. The Jew was satisfied as to the calling part. They were the nation specially called of God, pre-eminent among-the nations, downtrodden maybe for the time being, but ultimately the Kingdom, even the first dominion, will come to the daughter of Jerusalem. But out of that nation how many will be chosen? Beyond Christ’s summary of “few”, we are unable to say. They considered themselves the “first ones” in God’s sight. Were they not the custodians of the Law? Had not the oracles of God been committed unto them? Alas, they did not realise that the end of the Law was in sight, with the opportunity that they could be married to the Gospel, when their marriage with the Law was nullified when the Law died.
Even after the Law had been nailed to the cross of Christ, many would insist on teaching “Except ye be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses ye cannot be saved”. Paul had once been a leader of such, but then Christ revealed himself and Paul realised he was utterly wrong, and he commenced to preach the Gospel, whose adherents he had persecuted so bitterly.
In the parable, the real complaint of the first ones is that the later ones received the same reward. In actual fact, the Jew could not comprehend that the Gentiles who accepted the Gospel should be fellow heirs with them, and that the middle wall of partition should be broken down.
The Lord will do the choosing. The “riches” of the Jew had to be discarded like the load on the camel’s back. How hardly shall they that have riches attain the Kingdom! The Judaisers fought long and bitterly to retain their Law as the basis of salvation. Paul’s letter to the Galatians was to refute this retention of the Law with all its implications.
In these days we are among the “last ones”. Therefore giving the parable, Jesus had told Peter what should be their reward, and included all who have made sacrifices for him. The benefits include the present as well as the future, with the final inheritance of that eternal life which we all desire.
There is nothing wrong in working for a reward. Jesus “for the joy set before him, endured the cross and despised the shame”. At the same time, do not let the prospect of the reward be either the sole or even the major motive, for our working. Let us do it out of full appreciation of what the Lord has done for us, and do it in the full knowledge that, as he said, “whatsoever is right I will give you”. In that assurance we rest well content, and labour willingly and long if necessary, trusting that in the finality we shall be among not only the called, but also among the chosen.
Reflections on the Potter and the Clay