Parable of the Compassionate Employer

Jesus uses a parable about a compassionate employer who goes to extremes to insure that all day-laborers in his town find employment and are properly paid to teach the disciples about God's care for them.

Arc

editing

Matthew 19:30-20:16

nasb

a But many who are first will be last;

and the last, first.

progression

“For a the kingdom of heaven is like

1 a landowner who went out

early in the morning

temporal

to hire laborers for his b vineyard.

actionpurpose

When he had agreed with the laborers for a 1 denarius for the day,

he sent them into his vineyard.

And he went out

about the 1 third hour

and saw others standing idle in the market place;

and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard,

and whatever is right I will give you.’

series

And so they went.

inference

Again he went out

about the 1 sixth and the ninth hour,

and did 2 the same thing.

And about the 1 eleventh hour

he went out

and found others standing around;

and he * said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’

They * said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’

questionanswer

He * said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’

“When a evening came,

the 1 owner of the vineyard * said to his b foreman, ‘Call the laborers

and pay them their wages,

beginning with the last group to the first.’

actionmanner

When those hired about the eleventh hour came,

each one received a 1 denarius.

When those hired first came,

they thought that they would receive more;

1 but each of them also received a denarius.

concessive

When they received it,

they grumbled at the landowner,

saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour,

and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the a scorching heat of the day.’

ideaexplanation

But he answered and said to one of them, ‘ a Friend, I am doing you no wrong;

did you not agree with me for a denarius?

Take what is yours and go,

but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.

Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own?

Or is your a eye 1 envious because I am 2 generous?’

alternative

situationresponse

comparison

So a the last shall be first,

and the first last.”

bilateral

Rhetorical question: you agreed with me for a denarius.

Rhetorical question: It is lawful for me to do what I wish with what I own.

Rhetorical question: your eye is envious because I am generous.

Either the landowner is breaking the law or the workers are jealous of his generosity. Since the former is not true, it must be the latter.

A very interesting study of this parable can be found in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey.

discourse

Phrase

Matthew 19:30-20:16

A. First Will Be Last

But many who are first will be last;

and the last, first.

B. Agreement Made

“For the kingdom of heaven is like

a landowner who

went out early in the morning

to hire laborers for his vineyard.

When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day,

he sent them into his vineyard.

C. I Give Justice

And he went out about the third hour

and saw others standing idle in the market place;

and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard,

and whatever is right I will give you.’

And so they went.

Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour,

and did the same thing.

D. Eleventh Hour

And about the eleventh hour

he went out and found others standing around;

and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’

They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’

He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’

E. The Wage

“When evening came,

the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages,

beginning with the last group to the first.’

D'. Eleventh Hour

When those hired about the eleventh hour came,

each one received a denarius.

C'. Where is Justice?

When those hired first came,

they thought that they would receive more;

but each of them also received a denarius.

When they received it,

they grumbled at the landowner,

saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour,

and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’

B'. Agreement Kept

But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong;

did you not agree with me for a denarius?

Take what is yours and go,

but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.

Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own?

Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’

A' Last Shall be First

So the last shall be first,

and the first last.”

This follows the literary structure proposed by Bailey in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes .

phrasing

Comments

About Biblearc · Online courses · Report abuse

Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.

Biblearc app Path Courses Courses Learning Resources Login / Free Account Subscription
Glories Authors Groups Donate Gift certificates Ownership, thanks, copyrights and terms