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
John Chrysostom
AD 407
The Master of the household is Christ, whose house are the heavens and the earth; and the creatures of the heavens, and the earth, and beneath the earth, His family. His vineyard is righteousness, in which are set divers sorts of righteousness as vines, as meekness, chastity, patience, and the other virtues; all of which are called by one common name righteousness.
For in this world men live by buying and selling, and gain their support by defrauding each other.
Or; The “idle” are not sinners, for they are called dead. But he is idle who works not the work of God. Do you desire to be not idle? Take not that which is another's; and give of that which is your own, and you have laboured in the Lord's vineyard, cultivating the vine of mercy. It follows, “And he said unto them, Go ye also into my vineyard.” Observe that it is with the first alone that He agrees upon the sum to be given, a denarius; the others are hired on no express stipulation, but “What is right I will give you.” For the Lord knowing that Adam would fall, and that all should hereafter perish in the deluge, made conditions for him, that he should never say that he therefore neglected righteousness, because he knew not what reward he should have. But with therest He made no contract, seeing He was prepared to give more than the labourers could hope.
These two hours are coupled together, because in the sixth and ninth it was that He called the generation of the Jews, and multiplied to publish His testaments among men, whereas the appointed time of salvation now drew nigh.
For what is our hiring, and the wages of that hiring? The promise of eternal life; for the Gentiles knew neither God, nor God’s promises.
Consider, He gives the reward not the next morning, but in the evening. Thus the judgment shall take place while this world is still standing, and each man shall receive that which is due to him. This is on two accounts. First, because the happiness of the world to come is to be itself the reward of righteousness; so the award is made before, and not in that world. Secondly, that sinners may not behold the blessedness of that day, “The Lord saith unto his steward,” that is, the Son to the Holy Spirit.
And this not with injustice. For he who was born in the first period of the world, lived no longer than the determined time of his life, and what harm wasit to him, though the world continued after his leaving it? And they that shall be born towards its close will not live less than the days that are numbered to the m. And how does it cut their labour shorter, that the world is speedily ended, when they have accomplished their thread of life before? Moreover it is not of man to be born sooner or later, but of the power of God. Therefore he that is born first cannot claim to himself a higher place, nor ought he to be held in contempt that was born later. “And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying.” But if this we have said be true, that both first and last have lived their own time, and neither more nor less; and that each man’s death is his consummation, what means this that they say, “We have borne the burden and heat of the day?” Because to know that the end of the world is at hand is of great force to make us do righteousness. Wherefore Christ in His love to ussaid, “The kingdom of heaven shall draw nigh.” .
But we ought not to pursue through every particular the circumstances of aparable; but enter into its general scope, and seek nothing further. This thenis not introduced in order to represent some as moved with envy, but to exhibit the honour that shall be given us as so great as that it might stir the jealousy of others.
Their complaint was not that they were defrauded of their rightful recompense, but that the others had received more than they deserved. For the envious haveas much pain at others’ success as at their own loss. From which it is clear, that envy flows from vain glory. A man is grieved to be second, because he wishes to be first. He removes this feeling of envy by saying, “Didst thou not agree with me for adenarius?”.
Or; He says the first shall be last, and the last first, not that the last are to be exalted before the first, but that they should be put on an equality, so that the difference of time should make no difference in their station. That He says, “For many are called, but few chosen,” is not to be taken of the elder saints, but of the Gentiles; for of the Gentiles who were called being many, but few were chosen. Secondly, that none should despair of his neighbour, even though he see him lying in vices; because he knows not the riches of the Divine mercy. Or otherwise. The morning is our childhood; the third hour may be understood as our youth, the sun as it were mounting tohis height is the advance of the heat of age; the sixth hour is manhood, when the sun is steady in his meridian height, representing as it were the maturity of strength; by the ninth is understood old age, in which the sun descends from his vertical height, as our age falls away from the fervour of youth; the eleventh hour is that age which is called decrepit, and doting.
That He called not all of them at once, but some in the morning, some at the third hour, and so forth, proceeded from the difference of their minds . He then called them when they would obey; as He also called the thief when he would obey. Whereas they say, “Because no man hath hired us,” we ought not to force a sense out of every particular in a parable. Further, it is the labourers and not the Lord who speak thus; for that He, as far as it pertains to Him, calls all men from their earliest years, is shown in this, “He went out early in the morning to hire labourers.”
