Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 30 Mar 2013
19:30 But many [who are] first will be last, and many [who are] last will be first.
20:1 For the kingdom of the heavens bears resemblance to a man – a head of a household – who went out while it was morning to hire for himself workers for his vineyard.
20:2 And after he had consented with the workers to a denarius that day, he commissioned them into his vineyard.
20:3 Then, about the third hour [after sunrise], he went out and saw others who had been standing in the market unemployed,
20:4 and he said to those guys, “Y’all go on also into the vineyard, and I will give to you what ever is fair.” So they went!
20:5 Again, he went out around the sixth – and the ninth – hour, and did likewise.
20:6 Then, around the eleventh hour, he went out and found some other guys who had been standing unemployed, and he says to them, “Why have y’all been standing here the entire day unemployed?”
20:7 They say to him, “Because no one hired us!”
He says to them, “Go on – even y’all – into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is fair.”
20:8 Now once it began to get late, the owner of the vineyard says to his manager, “Start calling the workers and paying the reward to them, starting from the last ones up to the first ones.”
20:9 And so the ones who came around the eleventh hour each got a denarius.
20:10 Then the ones who came first began to assume that they would get more, yet each of them also got a denarius.
20:11 And once they had gotten [it] they started complaining against the head of the household,
20:12 saying, “These last ones did one hour, yet you did for them the same as [you did to] us who carried the burden of the day and the scorching heat.”
20:13 But in answer, he said to one of them, “Friend, I am not being unjust toward you. Wasn’t it a denarius [to which] you consented with me?
20:14 Take what is yours and go on, but I want to give to this last [group] the same as [I want to give] to you.
20:15 Or is it not lawful for me to do what I want with the [things that are] mine? Is your eye evil because I myself am good?
20:16 Thus the last ones will be first, and the first ones last, for many are called, but few are chosen.
My Dad, who has been a pastor for some fifty years, and he is well-known in the city he lives in as a model of Godly compassion for the sick and poor. I believe he will end up in heaven. I also believe my Grandma is in heaven. She lived a life of extreme selfishness, was foul-mouthed, sensual, and an alcoholic right through the end of her life, she trashed her marriages and family, wasted all her money on vanity, and even in her 60’s held up the whole floor of her apartment building with a gun! Then, one Christmas, while she was on her deathbed, she responded with sincere faith when my brother urged her to receive Christ as her Lord and Savior. How do you feel about somebody like that making it in to heaven? Is it fair that whether you squeak into heaven with a deathbed conversion or pass into glory as a martyr who was faithful to Christ all his life, you get the same eternal life?
The following parable stands as a warning to Peter against gloating over the fact that the rich young ruler was not willing to leave all his possessions to follow Christ whereas Peter did leave all his possessions to follow Christ. It also sets Peter up not to begrudge the prominent role in the Gospel story that a rich ruler plays later on when he shows up at the last minute to provide a tomb for Jesus’ body to be laid. Joseph of Arimathea will show up in heaven, even though he apparently never followed Jesus a day in his life before the crucifixion, just as surely as Peter will show up in heaven after three years of daily walking around with Jesus. How can this be? What kind of God would allow this? Jesus explains:
19:30 But many [who are] first will be last, and many [who are] last will be first.
Πολλοι δε εσονται πρωτοι εσχατοι και εσχατοι πρωτοι,
20:1 For the kingdom of the heavens bears resemblance to a man – a head of a household – who went out while it was morning to hire for himself workers for his vineyard.
‘ομοια γαρ εστιν ‘η βασιλεια των ουρανων ανθρωπῳ οικοδεσποτῃ ‘οστις εξηλθεν ‘αμα πρωι[1] μισθωσασθαι εργατας εις τον αμπελωνα αυτου
20:2 and, after he had consented with the workers to a denarius that day, he commissioned them into his vineyard.
και[3] συμφωνησας μετα των εργατων εκ δηναριου την ‘ημεραν απεστειλεν αυτους εις τον αμπελωνα αυτου
20:3 Then, about the third hour [after sunrise], he went out and saw others who had been standing in the market unemployed,
Και εξελθων περι [4] τριτην ‘ωραν ειδεν αλλους ‘εστωτας εν τῃ αγορᾳ αργους
20:4 and he said to those guys, “Y’all go on also into the vineyard, and I will give to you what ever is fair.” So they went!
και εκεινοις ειπεν ‘Υπαγετε και ‘υμεις εις τον αμπελωνα [5] και ‘ο εαν ῇ δικαιον δωσω ‘υμιν. ‘Οι δε απηλθον.
20:5 Again, he went out around the sixth – and the ninth – hour, and did likewise.
Παλιν [8] εξελθων περι ‘εκτην και ενατην ‘ωραν εποιησεν ‘ωσαυτως
20:6 Then, around the eleventh hour, he went out and found some other guys who had been standing unemployed, and he says to them, “Why have y’all been standing here the entire day unemployed?”
περι δε την ‘ενδεκατην [‘ωραν[9]] εξελθων εὗρεν αλλους ‘εστωτας [αργους] και λεγει αυτοις Τί ὧδε ‘εστηκατε ‘ολην την ‘ημεραν αργοι;
20:7 They say to him, “Because no one hired us!”
He says to them, “Go on – even y’all – into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is fair.”
Λεγουσιν αυτῷ ‘Οτι ουδεις ‘ημας εμισθωσατο. Λεγει αυτοις ‘Υπαγετε και ‘υμεις εις τον αμπελωνα [και ‘ο εαν ῇ δικαιον ληψεσθε[10]].
20:8 Now once it began to get late, the owner [lordKJV] of the vineyard says to his manager, “Start calling the workers and paying the reward to them, starting from the last ones up to the first ones.”
Οψιας δε γενομενης λεγει ‘ο κυριος του αμπελωνος τῷ επιτροπῳ[12] αυτου Καλεσον τους εργατας και αποδος αυτοις[13] τον μισθον αρξαμενος απο των εσχατων ‘εως των πρωτων.
20:9 And so the ones who came around the eleventh hour each got a denarius.
Και[16] ελθοντες ‘οι περι την ‘ενδεκατην ‘ωραν ελαβον ανα δηναριον.
20:10 Then the ones who came first began to assume that they would get more, yet each of them also got a denarius.
Και[17] ελθοντες ‘οι πρωτοι ενομισαν[18] ‘οτι πλειον[19] ληψονται και ελαβον [20] και αυτοι ανα δηναριον
20:11 And once they had gotten [it] they started complaining against the head of the household,
λαβοντες δε εγογγυζον κατα του οικοδεσποτου
20:12 saying, “These last ones did one hour, yet you did for them the same as [you did to] us who carried the burden of the day and the scorching heat.”
λεγοντες οτι[21] οὗτοι ‘οι εσχατοι μιαν ‘ωραν εποιησαν και ισους ‘ημιν αυτους εποιησας τοις βαστασασιν[22] το βαρος της ‘ημερας και τον καυσωνα
20:13 But in answer, he said to one of them, “Friend, I am not being unjust toward you. Wasn’t it a denarius [to which] you consented with me?
‘Ο δε αποκριθεις ‘ενι αυτων ειπεν ‘Εταιρε[24] ουκ αδικω σε ουχι δηναριου συνεφωνησας μοι;
20:14 Take what is yours and go on, but I want to give to this last [group] the same as [I want to give] to you.
Αρον το σον και ‘υπαγε. θελω δε τουτῳ τῷ εσχατῳ δουναι ‘ως και σοι
20:15 Or is it not lawful for me to do what I want with the [things that are] mine? Is your eye evil because I myself am good?
η[27] ουκ εξεστιν μοι ποιησαι ὃ θελω εν τοις εμοις; ει[28] ‘ο οφθαλμος σου πονηρος εστιν ‘οτι εγω αγαθος ειμι;
20:16 Thus the last ones will be first, and the first ones last, for many are called, but few are chosen.
‘Ουτως εσονται ‘οι εσχατοι πρωτοι και ‘οι πρωτοι εσχατοι, πολλοι γαρ εισιν κλητοι ολιγοι δε εκλεκτοι.
· CHRYSOSTOM: “[T]he parable is spoken with reference to them who from earliest youth, and those who in old age and more tardily, lay hold on virtue; to the former, that they may not be proud, neither reproach those called at the eleventh hour; to the latter, that they may learn that it is possible even in a short time to recover all… he shows that the whole is of His love to man, and because of this they shall not fail, but shall themselves enjoy the unspeakable blessings… For here indeed the first did not become last, but all received the same contrary to hope and expectation. But as this result took place contrary to hope and contrary to expectation, and they that came before were equalled by them that followed, so shall that also come to pass which is more than this, and more strange, I mean, that the last should come to be even before the first, and that the first should be after these…. darkly hinting at the Jews, and amongst the believers at those who at first shone forth, but afterwards neglected virtue, and fell back; and those others again that have risen from vice, and have shot beyond many. For we see such changes taking place both with respect to faith and practice. Wherefore I entreat you let us use much diligence both to stand in the right faith, and to show forth an excellent life. For unless we add also a life suitable to our faith, we shall suffer the extremest punishment.”
· CALVIN: “His one aim was continually to incite His people to keep going. We know that slackness is nearly always the fruit of overconfidence, and this is why many sit down in the middle of race as if they had got to the end…. Christ’s meaning simply was that anyone who is called before others should run the more swiftly. He is also exhorting everyone to be modest and not put themselves before others but willingly let them share the common prize.”
· HENDRIKSEN: “The ‘point’ or main lesson of the parable is therefore this: Do not be among the first who become last… a) Avoid falling prey to the work-for-wages spirit with respect to matters spiritual… b) Do not fail to recognize God’s sovereignty, His right to distribute favors as He pleases… c) Be far removed from envy.”
[1] Hama prwi is translated “early in the morning” in all the English versions. The only other places in the Bible where these two Greek words occur in the same verse is Judges 9:33 and 19:25, both of which have additional words to make explicit that it was the crack of dawn. The context of Jesus’ story certainly implies that the employer went out first thing in the morning, but the word hama has to do with “accompaniment” or “simultaneousness,” not “earliness.”
[2] I would guess it’s not harvest time, for if it were, the owner would have had a feast afterward and would have paid at least part of the wages in jugs of new wine.
[3] This is the majority reading and the Patristic edition. Textus Receptus and Critical Editions read “de/but” instead of “kai/and.” The difference in meaning is negligible. Nestle-Aland offers no explanation for this variation.
[4] Textus Receptus adds a την “the” here, but it’s only in a small minority of more recent manuscripts, so it is not considered original.
[5] A few of the most ancient manuscripts (א, C, Θ, f13) add “mou/of me” here, but it is not considered original by the editors of the Patristic, Textus Receptus, or Critical editions. That didn’t stop the NIV team from working it into their translation. V.1 already tells us it is “his vineyard,” so the addition of “my” here doesn’t change the story. Curiously, the Textus Receptus runs together the first two words of this verse, eliding the last letter of the first word with the first letter of the second word because they are both vowels. The reading of the T.R. is not considered original because it is only based on a small minority of manuscripts with relatively-recent dates.
[6] “The soul of man stands ready to be hired into some service or other; it was (as all creatures were) created to work, and is either a servant to iniquity or a servant to righteousness (Rom. 6:19)… A man may go idle to hell; bur he that will go to heaven must be busy.” ~Matthew Henry
[7] argous has a wide range of use in the Bible, from the “rough-hewn stones” in Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 6:7, Benton), to “idle words” (Matt. 12:36), “busybodies” (1 Tim. 5:13), “faith without works” (James 2:20), Cretans (Titus 1:12), and the opposite of “diligent” Christians (2 Pet. 1:8).
[8] Four old manuscripts (א, C, D, & L) add the word “de/but” here, so newer Critical editions add it into the text (as does the Vulgate), but this is not adequate support for adding it to the text, and none of the English versions I’m aware of include it.
[9] א, B, D, L, Θ, and the Vulgate do not have this word, thus it is not in the Critical editions. The meaning is not changed; it is merely a more terse way to say the same thing. The exact same is true of the word argoi in the middle of this verse.
[10] א, B, L, Θ, f1, and the Vulgate do not include this phrase (which is essentially a repeat of the end of v.4). I don’t know if it should be considered to be in the original or not. Either way, it does not change the story because the conversation of the landowner has already been revealed by the same phrase in v.4, and the sameness of the treatment of these workers is already revealed in v. 14.
[11] I am not convinced by William Hendricksen’s commentary which explains this behavior in terms of the vineyard being “large and in need of constant attention.”
[12] All other instances of this word in the LXX: Luke 8:3; Acts 26:12; Gal. 4:2
[13] א, C, L, and Z omit this word, but it is not omitted in the Patristic, T.R. or newer Critical editions. It is merely a matter of space-saving terseness with no change in meaning.
[14] William Hendriksen sees in this a scenario of the final judgment and mentions that some commentators have said the landowner symbolizes God the Father and the steward symbolizes Jesus as per John 5:22, where the Father commits all judgment to the Son.
[15] I translated this word “reward” all other 9 times it occurred in Matthew, and I do so here for consistency.
[16] Although the Patristic, T.R. and modern Critical editions are agreed on “Kai,” there is some variation in the older manuscripts with conjunctions which mean the same thing (B=de, and D, Θ, and f13 read oun – thus the reading of some older critical editions.)
[17] B, C, D, Θ, and f13 read “de” instead of “kai,” a synonym that doesn’t make a difference in meaning.
[18] Enomisan is derived from the Greek word for “law,” and only found in the N.T., but in 13 out of the 15 times it occurs, it denotes a false expectation, as it does here. I have translated the Aorist tense of this verb as Inceptive, emphasizing the beginning of a thought (Inceptiveness can also be applied to Imperfect verbs – viz. εγογγυζον in v.11).
[19] This is the reading of the Critical text. The Patristic and T.R. follow the Majority reading πλειονα (also attested by the Sinaiticus). The latter is plural as in “more [denarii],” which is reasonable and not essentially different.
[20] א, L, C, Z, and Θ insert the word το “the” here, so newer Critical editions insert it, and it is reflected in the English translations based on that edition with the addition of the word “each.” I don’t think it is original, but again, it doesn’t change the story.
[21] In the majority of Greek manuscripts, but omitted by the Critical editions. Nestle-Aland offers no explanation. It can be omitted without changing the meaning, though.
[22] Cf. “carry sandals” in 3:11 and “carry (lift) sickness” 8:17.
[23] Cf. Isa. 49:10; Jer. 18:17; 51:1; Eze. 17:10; 19:12; Hos. 12:1; 13:15; Jon. 4:8; Luke 12:55; Jas. 1:11.
[24] Kenneth Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, p.361. Most of the English translations I looked at rendered the Greek word hetaire as “friend.” Matthew is the only author in the New Testament who uses the word. Kenneth Bailey cites Bauer’s Greek-English Lexicon, saying that this word is a “form of address generally used of someone whose name one does not know… a polite title for a stranger.” However, it is used throughout the Old Testament to mean someone who is both a friend and a companion, whose name is well-known (Jdg. 14:11,20; 2Sam. 13:3; 15:32-37; 16:16-17; 1Ki. 2:22; 4:5; Job 30:29; Prov. 22:24; 27:17; Ecc. 4:4; Son. 1:7; 8:13), so I am skeptical of Bailey’s interpretation, even though his interpretation matches the relational distance in the context of all three instances in Matthew (Mat. 20:13; 22:12; 26:50). He adds that early Arabic versions translate this word, ya sah, which can be roughly translated, “you who are doing the shouting!”
[25] The Greek grammar here expects the answer “Yes.”
[26] “You appeal to justice, and by that your mouth is shut; for the sum you agreed for is paid you. Your case being disposed of, with the terms I make with other laborers you have nothing to do; and to grudge the benevolence shown to others, when by your own admission you have been honorably dealt with, is both unworthy envy of your neighbor, and discontent with the goodness that engaged and rewarded you in his service at all.” ~JFB
[27] B, L, D, Z, and Θ omit this word, so some older Critical editions omit it. It’s not in any of the modern English versions. It doesn’t change the meaning, although without it, the tone of the speaker is not quite as sharp.
[28] The Critical editions have a different word here (η), which is pronounced the same as the word in the majority of Greek manuscripts. My Nestle-Aland and UBS GNTs offer no explanation in their critical apparatai for this switch. The conditional “ei” together with the indicative verb in the protasis indicates that the speaker thinks his statement is true.
[29] Matt. 8:11-12 “I tell you that many from East and West will come and will be pulled up to the table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness…”
[30] Ibn al-Tayyib, 11th century Arabic Bible commentator, wrote, “In the Gospel, salvation through Christ is open to both Simeon who held the baby Jesus in the temple at the beginning of his life, and to the thief who believed at its end. He [Jesus] opens it to the believer who dies today [even] as he opened it to Abraham the friend of God.” (As quoted by Kenneth Bailey in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, p.362)
[31] John Calvin also omitted it from his translation on the grounds that it was “out of place.”