“1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”
(Matthew 20:1-19 KJV)
Some are using ONLY verse 16 and not using proper context and teaching others that those poor today will be first in Heaven and the rich today will be last in Heaven, or will not even make it to Heaven and lose Salvation. Others teach that this means those who do more good works will be first and those with little good works will be last in Heaven. Is that truth though? Not according to the context of all of Matthew 20.
Looking at just verse 14 alone we see the truth of this parable.
” 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. ” (Matthew 20:14 KJV)
In the previous chapter of Matthew 19 we see the rich ruler and the disciples in wonder at who then could be saved? The disciples then asked Jesus, what about us? We have been with you all this time. Jesus tells THEM they will be twelve leaders in the future Kingdom Age.
In Matthew 20, Jesus tells a parable to further clarify about Salvation and who will make it to Heaven. The Jews and disciple were taught it is their works and Law of Moses (Ten Commandments and 613 other Laws) following that matter. That those who do more good works, who worked longer and harder than others, would be greater in Heaven. This parable is about Salvation. Jesus is explaining to them about the Jews verses the Gentiles in regards to Salvation. This is not just about personal lives and good works.
Jesus told this parable just before verses 17-19 where we read,
“17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, 18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.” (Matthew 20: 17-19 KJV)
He is telling them, right after the Parable that the Jews are going to reject Him and crucify Him to death! So this is a big part of the context too.
This parable is about the Jewish People who rejected Christ and the Church Age believers after the resurrection of Jesus, The Christ. The Jews rejected Christ so Jesus sent Apostle Paul to the gentiles. The gentiles are THE LAST and the Jews are THE FIRST in the parable.
The Last will be the first and the first will be the last and if we look at the dispensations, this is what it will be. We currently live in the ‘times present’ of Ephesians, called the church age, an age of God’s Grace under the New Covenant. This age was a mystery to the Jews at the time of Jesus’ ministry. They lived in what Paul says in Ephesians ‘times past’. They looked for the coming Messiah to setup the Earthly kingdom but instead, they had misinterpreted the Old Testament/Torah prophecies and when Jesus did not immediately take over and save them from the oppressing Romans, they rejected Christ. Of course, not all rejected Him but the majority did. Jesus died on the cross, rose again and ascended. Jesus foretold them that Israel would be invaded and dispersed and that happen in 70AD.
After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension on the road to Damascus, Saul (a well known top persecutor of believers in Christ and an expert of the Law of Moses, who was present at the stoning to death of Stephen) had an encounter with the RISEN Christ. And God sent HIM to preach to the Gentiles the Gospel that saves us today in this dispensation, the Church age (times present).
Once believers are raptured in the future, the church age will END and God will again turn to Israel to save them during and after the Tribulation Period called the time of Jacob’s trouble, as the prophet Daniel foretold in his 70 weeks prophecy. The time of this is ‘future times’.
So, the first will be last; that is, the Jews will be last saved as a people. The Last will be first; that is, the church age believers will be resurrected first at the Rapture before the new dispensation starts and God turns to save the nation Israel and the Jewish peoples.
Also, as with many of Jesus’ parable, we see a double meaning. Believers come to believe in Christ at different stages of our lives. Some when young, others while old, others in the very last few minutes of their life even! Salvation is ONLY by belief in Christ’s finished work on the cross and NOTHING else is REQUIRED for our justification before God (Ephesians 2:8-9, John 3:14-18, Ephesians 1:13-14, Colossians 2, Romans 5 and 6, John 6:37-40, 1 Cor. 15:1-4 etc etc etc). Just like the thief who came to believe on Christ and asked Him to remember in when He enters His kingdom . That man was saved right hen and there just before he died. No change of life in good works required. No water baptism required. Just BELIEF ON CHRIST.
Those coming to belief in Christ who are young are the first. Those coming to believe in Christ when older, having more sins committed are the last. Yet ALL are SAVED COMPLETELY with ALL sins forgiven by Jesus’ payment.
As believers, we are ALL COMPLETE IN CHRIST (Colossians 2:10). It is not that those with more sins than others will be less forgiven. Jesus paid for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD; all sins (1 John 2:2). And that as Jesus stated in John 3,
“…whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) from the very moment of belief on Christ and His finished work on the cross (Ephesians 1:13-14, Colossians 2 and 3), sealed forever by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
That is the true context of Matthew 20. See how taking just one verse and coming up with opinions does not matter against the true Gospel of our Salvation? The Gospel of God’s Grace Through Christ Crucified, died and risen.
