1Lebo nebeské kráľovstvo je podobné človeku-hospodárovi, ktorý vyšiel skoro ráno najať si robotníkov do svojej vinice. 2A zjednajúc sa s robotníkmi, že im dá po denáre na deň, poslal ich do svojej vinice. 3A keď vyšiel okolo tretej hodiny, videl iných stáť na trhu a zaháľať. 4Aj tým povedal: Iďte aj vy do vinice, a čo bude spravedlivé, dám vám. A oni odišli. 5Opät vyšiel okolo šiestej a deviatej hodiny a urobil to isté. 6Potom vyjdúc okolo jedonástej hodiny našiel iných stáť a zaháľať a povedal im: Čo tu stojíte celý deň a zaháľate? 7Povedali mu: Pretože nás nikto nenajal. A on im povedal: Iďte aj vy do vinice, a čo bude spravedlivé, dostanete. 8A keď bol večer povedal pán vinice svojmu správcovi: Zavolaj robotníkov a zaplať im počnúc od posledných až po prvých. 9A keď prišli tí okolo jedonástej hodiny najatí, dostali po denáre. 10A keď potom prišli tí prví, domnievali sa, že dostanú viacej, ale aj oni dostali po denáre. 11A keď vzali, reptali proti hospodárovi 12a hovorili: Títo poslední pracovali jednu hodinu, a učinil si ich rovných nám, ktorí sme niesli bremeno dňa a páľu slnca. 13Ale on odpovedal a riekol jednému z nich: Priateľu, nekrivdím ti; či si sa nezjednal so mnou za denár? 14Vezmi, čo je tvoje, a idi! A chcem tomuto poslednému dať ako i tebe. 15Alebo či nemám práva urobiť so svojím, čo chcem? Alebo či je tvoje oko zlé, že ja som dobrý? 16Tak budú poslední prví a prví poslední; lebo mnoho je povolaných, ale málo vyvolených. 17A keď išiel Ježiš hore do Jeruzalema, pojal tých dvanástich učeníkov osobitne na ceste a povedal im: 18Hľa, ideme hore do Jeruzalema, a Syn človeka bude vydaný najvyšším kňazom a zákonníkom, a odsúdia ho na smrť 19a vydajú ho pohanom, aby sa mu naposmievali, aby ho zbičovali a ukrižovali, ale na tretí deň vstane z mŕtvych. 20Vtedy pristúpila k nemu matka synov Zebedeových so svojimi synmi, klaňala sa mu a prosila čosi od neho. 21A on jej povedal: Čo chceš? A riekla mu: Povedz, aby títo moji dvaja synovia sedeli jeden po tvojom pravom a druhý po tvojom ľavom boku v tvojom kráľovstve. 22A Ježiš odpovedal a riekol: Neviete, čo si prosíte. Či môžete piť kalich, ktorý mám ja piť [a pokrstiť sa krstom, ktorým sa ja krstím] ? Povedali mu: Môžeme. 23A on im povedal: Môj kalich pravda piť budete, [i krstom, ktorým sa ja krstím, pokrstení budete] ale dať sedieť po mojom pravom a po mojom ľavom boku nie je mojou vecou, ale to bude dané tým, ktorým je to pripravené od môjho Otca. 24A keď to počuli tí desiati, nahnevali sa na tých dvoch bratov. 25Ale Ježiš privolajúc si povedal: Viete, že kniežatá národov panujú nad nimi, a velikí medzi nimi prevádzajú nad nimi moc. 26Nie tak bude medzi vami, ale ktokoľvek by chcel byť medzi vami velikým, bude vaším služobníkom; 27a ktokoľvek by chcel byť medzi vami prvým, bude vaším sluhom, 28ako ani Syn človeka neprišiel, aby mu slúžili, ale aby slúžil a dal svoj život ako výkupné za mnohých. 29A keď vychádzali z Jericha, išiel za ním veliký zástup. 30A hľa, sedeli tam pri ceste dvaja slepí, ktorí, keď počuli, že tade ide Ježiš, kričali a hovorili: Pane, zmiluj sa nad nami, Synu Dávidov! 31Ale zástup im dohováral a vravel, aby mlčali, no, oni ešte väčšmi kričali a hovorili: Zmiluj sa nad nami, Pane, Synu Dávidov! 32A Ježiš postál, zavolal ich a povedal: Čo chcete, aby som vám učinil? 33A oni mu povedali: Pane, že by sa otvorily naše oči. 34A Ježiš, súc pohnutý ľútosťou, dotknul sa ich očí, a hneď prezreli a išli za ním.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 PARABLE OF THE LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD. (Mat. 20:1-16)
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, &c.--The figure of a vineyard, to represent the rearing of souls for heaven, the culture required and provided for that purpose, and the care and pains which God takes in that whole matter, is familiar to every reader of the Bible. (
Ps 80:8-
Ps 80:16;
Isa 5:1-
Isa 5:7;
Jer 2:21;
Luke 20:9-
Luke 20:16;
John 15:1-
John 15:8). At vintage time, as WEBSTER and WILKINSON remark, labor was scarce, and masters were obliged to be early in the market to secure it. Perhaps the pressing nature of the work of the Gospel, and the comparative paucity of laborers, may be incidentally suggested,
Matt 9:37-
Matt 9:38. The "laborers," as in
Matt 9:38, are first, the official servants of the Church, but after them and along with them all the servants of Christ, whom He has laid under the weightiest obligation to work in His service.
2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny--a usual day's hire.
he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour--about nine o'clock, or after a fourth of the working day had expired: the day of twelve hours was reckoned from six to six.
and saw others standing idle in the market place--unemployed.
4 And said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right--just, equitable, in proportion to their time.
I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour--about noon, and about three o'clock in the afternoon.
and did likewise--hiring and sending into his vineyard fresh laborers each time.
6 And about the eleventh hour--but one hour before the close of the working day; a most unusual hour both for offering and engaging
and found others standing idle, and saith, Why stand ye here all the day idle?--Of course they had not been there, or not been disposed to offer themselves at the proper time; but as they were now willing, and the day was not over, and "yet there was room," they also are engaged, and on similar terms with all the rest.
8 So when even was come--that is, the reckoning time between masters and laborers (see
Deut 24:15); pointing to the day of final account.
the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward--answering to Christ Himself, represented "as a Son over His own house" (
Heb 3:6; see
Matt 11:27;
John 3:35;
John 5:27).
Call the labourers and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first--Remarkable direction this--last hired, first paid.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny--a full day's wages.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more--This is that calculating, mercenary spirit which had peeped out--though perhaps very slightly--in Peter's question (
Matt 19:27), and which this parable was designed once for all to put down among the servants of Christ.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house--rather, "the householder," the word being the same as in
Matt 20:1.
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat--the burning heat.
of the day--who have wrought not only longer but during a more trying period of the day.
13 But he answered one of them--doubtless the spokesman of the complaining party.
and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? &c.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?--that is, "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."
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last--that is, "Take heed lest by indulging the spirit of these murmurers at the penny given to the last hired, ye miss your own penny, though first in the vineyard; while the consciousness of having come in so late may inspire these last with such a humble frame, and such admiration of the grace that has hired and rewarded them at all, as will put them into the foremost place in the end."
for many be called, but few chosen--This is another of our Lord's terse and pregnant sayings, more than once uttered in different connections. (See
Matt 19:30;
Matt 22:14). The "calling" of which the New Testament almost invariably speaks is what divines call effectual calling, carrying with it a supernatural operation on the will to secure its consent. But that cannot be the meaning of it here; the "called" being emphatically distinguished from the "chosen." It can only mean here the "invited." And so the sense is, Many receive the invitations of the Gospel whom God has never "chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (
2Thess 2:13). But what, it may be asked, has this to do with the subject of our parable? Probably this--to teach us that men who have wrought in Christ's service all their days may, by the spirit which they manifest at the last, make it too evident that, as between God and their own souls, they never were chosen workmen at all.