Passage Viewer

This story sheds light on the kingdom of heaven: A landowner went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

He agreed to pay each worker the standard daily wage and sent them to his vineyard.

He went out again around nine in the morning, and seeing others idling in the town square,

he said to them, ‘You also go to my vineyard, and I will pay you what is right.’

So they went. The owner went out at midday and again at three in the afternoon, making the same offer both times.

Again, he went out at the last working hour—the eleventh—and saw others standing around. So he asked them, ‘Why do you stand idle all day?’

They replied, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ The master said, ‘Go and work in my vineyard.’

When evening arrived, the vineyard owner told his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last and ending with the first.’

Those who had arrived to work at the eleventh hour came forward and each received a silver coin.

When it was the first person’s turn, they thought they would get more.

But they also received one silver coin. Upon receiving it, they began complaining about the landowner.

They said, ‘These last ones hardly worked an hour; yet you have treated them the same as us who have endured the heavy work of the day and the heat.’

The owner said to one of them, ‘Friend, I have not been unjust to you. Did we not agree on one silver coin per day?

So, take what is yours and leave. I want to give the last the same as I give to you.

Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what’s mine? Why are you jealous when I am kind?

So it will be: the last will be first, the first will be last.”