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Verse Takeaways
1
Grace, Not a Meritocracy
Commentators stress that this verse summarizes the parable's main point: God's kingdom operates on grace, not human standards of merit or time served. The reward of salvation is a gift. God, in His sovereignty, can grant equal or greater honor to those who serve for a shorter time without being unjust to those who served longer. This challenges our tendency to feel entitled based on our efforts.
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Matthew
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Commentaries
9
Albert Barnes
On Matthew 20:16
18th Century
Theologian
So the last shall be first, etc. This is the moral or scope of the parable. To teach this, it was spoken. Many who, in t…
AT Robertson
On Matthew 20:16
The last first and the first last (ο εσχατο πρωτο κα ο πρωτο εσχατο). The adjectives change places as compared with 19:30. The poi…
Charles Spurgeon
On Matthew 20:11–16
19th Century
Preacher
And when they had received it, they murmured against the master of the house, saying, These last have worked only one hour, and you have made t…
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Expositor's Bible Commentary
On Matthew 20:16
Jesus makes a final statement that God’s grace makes some who are last first (see also comment on 19:30).
John Calvin
On Matthew 20:16
16th Century
Theologian
So the first shall be last. He does not now compare the Jews to the Gentiles (as in another passage), nor the reprobate, who swerve from t…
John Gill
On Matthew 20:16
17th Century
Pastor
So the last shall be first, and the first last As he had asserted in (Matthew 19:30) and which is clearly ill…
Matthew Henry
On Matthew 20:1–16
17th Century
Minister
This parable's primary purpose seems to show that although the Jews were first called into the vineyard, the gospel would eventually be preached to…
Thomas Aquinas
On Matthew 20:1–16
13th Century
Philosopher
Above, the Lord spoke about the attainment of the kingdom of heaven by the common way of salvation and by the way of perfection. Because certain pe…