So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many are called, but few chosen.
All Commentaries on Matthew 20:16 Go To Matthew 20
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
Hom. in Ev., xix, 1: Or; The Master of the household, that is, our Maker, has avineyard, that is, the Church universal, which has borne so many stocks, as many saints as it has put forth from righteous Abel to the very last saint who shall be born in the end of the world. To instruct this His people as for the dressing of a vineyard, the Lord has never ceased to send out His labourers; first by the Patriarchs, next by the teachers of the Law, then by the Prophets, and at the last by the Apostles, He has toiled in the cultivation of His vineyard; though every man, in whatsoever measure or degree he has joined good action with right faith, has been a labourer in the vineyard.
The morning is that age of the world which was from Adam and Noah, and therefore it is said, “Who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.” The terms of their hiring He adds, “And when he had agreed with the labourers for a denarius a day.”.
The third hour is the period from Noah to Abraham; of which it is said, “And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing in the market-place idle.”.
The sixth hour is that from Abraham to Moses, the ninth that from Moses to the coming of the Lord.
The eleventh hour is that from the coming of the Lord to the end of the world. The labourer in the morning, at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, denotes the ancient Hebrew people, which in its elect from the very beginning of the world, while it zealously and with right faith served the Lord, ceased not to labourin the husbandry of the vineyard. But at the eleventh the Gentiles are called. For they who through so many ages of the world had neglected to labour for their living, were they who had stood the whole day idle.
They get alike a denarius who have wrought since the eleventh hour, (for they sought it with their whole soul,) and who have wrought since the first. They, that is, who were called from the beginning of the world have alike received the reward of eternal happiness, with those who come to the Lord in the end of the world.
Or because the old fathers down to the Lord’s coming, notwithstanding their righteous lives, were not brought to the kingdom, this murmur is theirs. But we who have come at the eleventh hour, do not murmur after our labours, forasmuch as having come into this world after the coming of the Mediator, we are brought to the kingdom as soon as ever we depart out of the body.
And because the attainment of this kingdom is of the goodness of His will, itis added, “It is not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?” For it isa foolish complaint of man to murmur against the goodness of God. For complaintis not when a man gives not what he is not bound to give, but if he gives not what he is bound to give; whence it is added, “Is thine eye evil because I am good?”.
They then who have neglected till extreme old age to live unto God, have stood idle to the eleventh hour, yet even these the master of the household calls, and oftentimes gives them their reward before other, inasmuch as they depart out of the body into the kingdom before those that seemed to be called in their childhood.
