The Parable of the Vineyard Workers Explained: Why Grace Doesn’t Always Feel Fair

Have you ever felt like you worked hard to earn something while others swooped in at the last minute for the same result? This Jesus story is for you, too. This parable is for everyone and shows us that God’s reward is not based on effort but on His love.

What Is a Parable?

A parable is a simple story that uses everyday imagery to reveal deep spiritual truths. Jesus didn’t invent parables, but He was a master parable teller, using them to teach timeless lessons about God’s kingdom.

Parables invited listeners to lean in, reflect, and wrestle with what Jesus was really saying. For those with open hearts, these simple stories revealed deep spiritual truths. But for those who resisted, the meaning remained hidden.

Where Does the Parable of the Vineyard Workers Appear in Scripture?

The parable of the vineyard workers appears in Matthew 20:1-16. 

This parable is also called the “parable of the laborers” or the “parable of the workers in the vineyard.”

A Parable of the Vineyard Workers Summary

The parable of the vineyard workers starts like a scene at a parking lot of a large home improvement store. Here, we’re introduced to day laborers who need work, and an employer looking for hired help. 

Jesus prefaces this parable as He does many of His parables: “The kingdom of God is like ...”

• Early in the morning, the master of a vineyard hires workers, agrees to a wage of one denarius (fair pay for a day’s work), and sends them to work.
• Later in the morning, he finds more workers, offers to pay them ’whatever is right’, and gives them work. 
• Around noon, and again in the afternoon, he hires more workers. 
• At the “eleventh hour,” he sees more people without work and sends them to work with no mention of pay. 
• At the end of the day, the master sends a foreman to call those he hired last. He not only pays them first, but he pays them the full wage of one denarius. 
• The workers hired first expect to receive more money because they worked more than those hired later, but they receive the agreed wage of a denarius. 
• When the first workers grumble to the master, he reminds them that they agreed to a denarius and asks if they’re upset that he’s generous with what belongs to him. 

Finally, Jesus comments on the story with the same phrase He said immediately before telling the parable: “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” 

Who’s Who in the Parable of the Vineyard Workers?

Every parable contains people, objects, or animals to which Jesus gives spiritual meaning. This parable is no different. Before we explore what this parable means, we need to discuss who and what each thing in this parable represents:

• The vineyard represents how God is at work in humanity, providing care and producing fruit. 
• The master of the vineyard—also referred to as the landowner, householder, or master of a house—is representative of God and His authority. 
• The foreman who goes out to call in the workers is often interpreted as representing Jesus.
• The first workers represent the Jewish people who descend from the ancient kingdoms of Judea and Israel, who are God’s chosen people throughout the Old Testament. They also generally represent the privilege of knowing God’s ways early on. Later in the Gospel of Matthew, we see that Jesus seemed to compare these workers to religious leaders as well.
• The workers hired later represent non-Jews and other unlikely people coming to faith in God.

The Parable of the Vineyard Workers Explained

The parable of the vineyard workers shows that God offers the same grace and eternal life to everyone, no matter when they turn to Him. It reveals God as a generous and compassionate provider who invites people into His kingdom at any stage of life. The story challenges us to celebrate His grace rather than compare it, because in God’s kingdom, the last can be first.

The Context of the Parable of the Vineyard Workers

This parable wasn’t written to us, but it was spoken to real people in a real moment. Understanding that moment helps us see what Jesus meant more clearly.

When Did Jesus Share the Parable of the Vineyard Workers?

Jesus shared this parable toward the end of the Second Temple period, sometime between 29 and 34 CE. 

Does the Parable of the Vineyard Workers Relate to Other Parts of the Bible?

Jesus regularly referenced the Hebrew scriptures, or what we now refer to as the Old Testament of the Bible. These scriptures defined the Jewish people’s identity as God’s chosen people who were awaiting long foretold salvation and restoration to come and deliver them from oppression.

Throughout the Old Testament, vineyards were an image often used by biblical authors to talk about God carrying out His plan to bring restoration to His people.

Jesus told two other parables about vineyards: The parable of the two sons and the parable of the tenants. These stories resulted in heated confrontations between Jesus and the chief priests and Pharisees of the time, who’d been called by God but were not obeying Him.

What’s Happening Right Before Jesus Shares the Parable of the Vineyard Workers? 

In the verses just before this parable, Jesus interacted with children and a rich young ruler. In Matthew 19:13-14, when little children kept coming to Jesus, His followers tried to shoo them away. Jesus responded, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Right after this, in Matthew 19:16-30, a rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked Him, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” After hearing that the man had kept the commandments, Jesus told him what comes next. 

“... go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Matthew 19:21 NIV

Sadly, this was a hurdle the man couldn’t overcome, and he left Jesus. Jesus then told His disciples a shocking truth—it’s hard for wealthy people to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Why did this shock them? Because back then (and still to this day), people made the mistake of thinking that wealth was a sign of God’s approval and blessing. Jesus’ words shocked the disciples because they thought, “If a wealthy man who’s obviously favored by God finds it hard to get into God’s kingdom, who can?”

Jesus explained that God’s reward is based on His grace and love, not our own work ethic. A child finds this truth natural and easy to receive, but a wealthy, hard-working person finds it difficult to understand.

What Did the Parable Mean to the Disciples?

But the disciples needed more help to understand, because Peter asked this question:

… “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Matthew 19:27 NIV

Peter’s question is fair, right? If there’s anyone who deserves elite-level rewards, it’s the disciples, who sacrificed everything for Jesus.

Jesus answered Peter’s question and summarized His interactions with the children and the rich man in the parable of the vineyard workers.

What the Parable of the Vineyard Workers Means Now

In this parable, Jesus teaches that God’s grace is not based on how long or how hard we work, but on His kindness and compassion. Whether someone follows Jesus early in life or comes to faith later, God offers the same reward: eternal life and a place in His kingdom. 

The meaning of the parable of the vineyard workers hits different, depending on where you’re at in your spiritual journey.

The Meaning of the Parable for Long-Time Believers

Maybe you said yes to Jesus a long time ago. If so, you’re like one of the workers hired early, during the first hour. You’ve been following Jesus for much of your life, while others rejected His teachings for fast pleasure and quick wins.

But what happens when those people begin following Jesus later in life? You look at them and they have all the same benefits of God’s grace that you have. Most of the time, you’re probably happy for them—but on some days, you might question the generosity of the Master.

You might even find yourself asking, “Why do they get the same reward and blessings as me?”

If those kinds of thoughts ever cross your mind, this parable is a reminder to celebrate God’s generosity and compassion rather than question it.

The Meaning of the Parable for Newer Believers

Or maybe you’re new to following Jesus, and you sometimes wonder if God’s spiritual kingdom is like a workplace, where effort and tenure lead to status and greater rewards. If that’s you, here’s the good news: Jesus’ message and way of life put the last and lowest first.

This means you don’t have to play a game of spiritual catch-up to be accepted and loved by God. There’s no executive-class spirituality waiting for lifelong Jesus followers. That’s why this parable would’ve caught Jesus’ listeners (the disciples) off guard, because the last group of workers received the same wages as the first.

We All Get the Same Reward

Whether you’ve been following Jesus for a long time or you just heard the good news of salvation through Jesus last week, you still get the same reward: God Himself. His mercy. His invitation to a new way of life. In God’s kingdom, the reward is the same because grace is the same.

This parable of the vineyard workers tells us:

• God, the Master, longs to give all of us the same gift: eternal life and life to the full in the kingdom of God.
• We should celebrate God’s generosity and compassion rather than question it.
• God’s offer is not a wage for the length, effort, or quality of our work, but a gift of God’s unreasonable, uncountable grace. 

In his commentary on this parable in the Gospel of Matthew, theologian N.T. Wright encourages us to consider who we may be trying to withhold from this grace. 

“In reality, God is out in the marketplace, looking for the people everybody else tried to ignore, welcoming them on the same terms, surprising them (and everybody else) with his generous grace. The earliest church clearly needed to learn that lesson. Is there anywhere in today’s church that doesn’t need to be reminded of it as well?”

3 Truths From the Parable of the Vineyard Workers

1. God’s grace is available to everyone. Just as the Master gave equally to the early, middle, and late workers, God makes the same offer of grace to all people. As long as you’ll say yes, you can’t be too late or too far gone to receive God’s grace. 

2. God not only waits patiently—He goes looking for anyone who’ll say yes to His grace. Just as the Master went looking for people to hire at all times of day, God is looking for anyone who will say yes to living the way of Jesus in the kingdom of God. 

3. Grace is God’s to generously give, not ours to selfishly question. Just as the Master reminded his workers that generosity is his to give, we are reminded to celebrate (rather than critique) God’s choice to offer grace to everyone. And as Jesus repeatedly taught and modeled, in God’s economy, the last will be first, and the first will be last. 

Next Steps

Jesus didn’t tell parables to entertain or add information to be stored in our brains. Jesus told stories that explained God’s kingdom and how it was coming to earth. If you read through the Gospel of Matthew, you can see that Jesus’ parables were matched by the way He lived His life.

So, what will you do now that you’ve read and come to understand the parable of the vineyard workers?

Reflect: Am I harboring any jealousy, frustration, or pride, and feeling like God hasn’t fairly rewarded me? 

Pray: God, You are the Master, and Jesus, You are the Leader of my life. I’m thankful to be invited to work in Your vineyard. I’m not earning Your love and grace but simply learning how to receive it. I pray You’ll grow my heart to celebrate any kind of success, grace, or favor offered to people around me, especially those who others might consider late, last, or least. Again, I thank You for Your unreasonable grace toward me. You are a good, good God. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Action: Who’s someone that may not deserve your forgiveness, kindness, or generosity? Who could never repay you for an act of service or care? Make a plan this week to extend opportunity, generosity, or forgiveness. Consider starting with the last person you’d want to approach. 

Read the Parable for Yourself

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

“‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20:1-16 NIV

For more on the parables of Jesus, check out the Finds ultimate guide.