Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
This is one of my favorite parables, as it has so much to unpack and think about. In this parable, recounted in the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 20, verses 1-16), Jesus tells of a landowner who hires workers throughout the day to work in his vineyard. Some are hired early in the morning, while others are hired later in the day, even as late as the eleventh hour (at 5pm when the workday ends at 6). When evening comes and it is time to pay the workers, the landowner surprises everyone by giving each worker the same wage, regardless of how long they worked. Naturally, those who worked the longest hours feel slighted, while those who were hired last are overjoyed at receiving more than they expected. At first glance, this parable might seem confusing or even unfair. Why should those who worked only an hour receive the same pay as those who were there all day? It makes sense that the landowner represents God, who is extravagantly generous and merciful. His actions challenge our human notion