Why does the landowner go out at different times in Matthew 20:3? Immediate Literary Context (Matthew 20:1-16) Jesus likens “the kingdom of heaven” to “a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard” (v. 1). He then “went out about the third hour and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing” (v. 3). Again “about the sixth and the ninth hour he did likewise” (v. 5), and finally “about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around” (v. 6). At day’s end every laborer receives the same denarius (v. 9-10). Christ caps the parable with the maxim: “So the last will be first, and the first will be last” (v. 16). Agricultural and Economic Realities Vineyards required swift manual harvesting; clusters left too long could rot or be stolen (cf. Song of Songs 2:15). Day-laborers (μισθωτοί) congregated in agora spaces hoping for work (cf. Leviticus 19:13). A landowner facing an unexpectedly large or rapidly ripening crop would sensibly add crews throughout the day to secure the yield before sundown, when Mosaic Law mandated same-day payment (Deuteronomy 24:15). Symbolic Representation of God’s Saving Initiative 1. God Himself is the “landowner” (cf. Isaiah 5:1-7; John 15:1). 2. The repeated “going out” accentuates divine pursuit. Humanity is not seeking God; the landowner seeks them (Romans 3:11). 3. The different hours depict successive waves of redemptive history: • Early morning—patriarchs/early Israel (Genesis 12; Exodus 19) • Third-to-Ninth hours—prophets, faithful remnant (Isaiah 55:6) • Eleventh hour—Gentile inclusion and latecomers near history’s close (Acts 13:46) Grace Superseding Human Merit Each worker, regardless of hours logged, receives a denarius—symbol of full salvation. Wage equality underscores grace over works (Ephesians 2:8-9). The landowner’s rhetorical question, “Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?” (Matthew 20:15), exposes envy and legalism. Evangelistic and Pastoral Implications • Conversion can occur at any life stage—childhood, mid-life, or on a deathbed (cf. Luke 23:42-43). • The Church must emulate the landowner, continually “going out” (Matthew 28:19) to invite new laborers, not presuming the harvest is fully staffed. Old Testament Echoes of Multiphasic Calling • Psalm 95:7—“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Each “hour” is a fresh “today.” • Isaiah 65:1—“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me.” Early Church and Patristic Commentary • Clement of Alexandria (Stromata 6.6) saw the hours as successive covenants culminating in the Gospel. • Chrysostom (Homily 64 on Matthew) highlighted the landowner’s repeated trips as proof that “God ceases not to provide for our salvation until the last breath.” Answer Summarized The landowner’s multiple departures (Matthew 20:3, et al.) serve a dual purpose: pragmatically, to secure a timely harvest; theologically, to dramatize God’s sovereign, gracious, and persistent call to salvation across all epochs and life stages. His initiative nullifies human boasting, reveals the wideness of mercy, and commands His people to continual evangelistic outreach until the final hour. |
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