Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 20

For the kingdom — The chapter division here is singularly unfortunate, as it separates the parable from both the events that prompted it and the teaching it illustrates. It is not too much to say that we can hardly understand it at all unless we connect it with the story of the young ruler who had great possessions, and the claims the disciples had made for themselves when they contrasted their own readiness with his reluctance.

To hire labourers into his vineyard — The parable's framework presents a form of labor that is, in some respects, lower than that of "servants" or "slaves" who were part of the household, having been bought or born into their position. The laborers here are the "hired servants" of Luke 15:17, engaged for a limited time and paid by the day. In interpreting the parable, we can see the householder as our Lord Himself. This was a title He seems to have delighted in, applying it directly to Himself in Matthew 10:25, Matthew 13:27, and Matthew 13:52. The "vineyard" is primarily, as in Isaiah 5:1, the house of Israel, which the Anointed of the Lord had come to claim as His kingdom.

The "early morning" therefore corresponds to the beginning of our Lord's ministry. The "labourers" He called at that time were the disciples whom He had summoned to follow Him at the outset of His work. He had promised them a reward. Although they were, at best, unprofitable servants, He still offered them wages. These wages were the kingdom of heaven itself (Matthew 5:3, 10), which is to say, "righteousness, and peace, and joy," and ultimately, "eternal life, seeing and knowing God" (Matthew 5:8; John 17:3).

I believe we can trace a subtle and distinctive fitness in our Lord's choice of this form of labor, which is distinct from both free, willing service on the one hand, and the task-work of slaves on the other. It was not, in itself, the best or most adequate symbol of the disciples' relationship to their Lord. However, as their question, What shall we have, therefore? implies, it was precisely what was on their minds. Therefore, He chose this illustration, adapting to their weakness in order to teach them the lesson they needed.

A penny a day — Measured by its weight, the "penny"—i.e., the Roman denarius, which was then the common standard of value in Palestine—was equivalent to about sevenpence-halfpenny in our coinage. Its real value, however, is found in its purchasing power. As the average wage for an unskilled agricultural laborer, it may be fairly considered equal to about half-a-crown in our present currency. In other words, it was an adequate and just payment in itself.

About the third hour—Reckoning the day in the Jewish manner, as beginning at 6 a.m., this would bring us to 8 a.m. The town's "marketplace" was the natural place where those seeking casual labor could be found waiting for employment. In the parable's underlying meaning, we may see a reference to those who, like St. Matthew (Matthew 9:9) and the disciples called in Matthew 8:19-22, were summoned after the sons of Jonas and of Zebedee.

Whatsoever is right — The absence of a definite contract in hiring the laborers who did less than the day’s work obviously involved an implicit trust in the equity of the householder. They did not stipulate for wages or ask, as the disciples had asked, What shall we have therefore? The implied lesson suggested here is that a little work done in a spirit of trust when God calls us is better than much done in the spirit of a hireling.

About the eleventh hour — The working day, which did not commonly extend beyond twelve hours (John 11:9), was all but over, and yet there was still work to be done in the vineyard, all the more urgent because of the lateness of the hour. The laborers who had been first hired were not enough. Is there not an implied suggestion that they were not laboring as zealously as they might have done? They were working on their contract for the day’s wages.

Those who were called last of all had the joy of feeling that their day was not lost. That joy, and their faith in the justice of their employer, gave a fresh energy to their toil.