Why does the landowner repeatedly hire workers throughout the day in Matthew 20:5? Text “‘So they went. He went out again about the sixth and the ninth hours and did likewise.’ ” (Matthew 20:5) Immediate Literary Context The statement stands inside Jesus’ parable of the vineyard (Matthew 19:30 – 20:16). The landowner’s multiple trips—to the marketplace at dawn, the third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hours—form the structural spine of the story. Jesus has just promised the Twelve that they will sit on thrones (19:28) and warned that “many who are first shall be last, and the last first” (19:30, 20:16). The parable illustrates that warning. Historical and Cultural Background of Vineyard Labor 1. Day-laborers (Greek: ergatai) were common in first-century Judea. Papyrus contracts from Oxyrhynchus (P.Oxy. 42.3029) record vineyard workers hired by the day, confirming the practice Jesus describes. 2. The workday ran roughly 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (twelve daylight “hours,” cf. John 11:9). The third hour ≈ 9 a.m., sixth ≈ noon, ninth ≈ 3 p.m., eleventh ≈ 5 p.m. 3. Harvests were time-sensitive. Grapes left on the vine could rot or invite pilferage (Songs 2:15). A conscientious owner would secure extra hands if the crop threatened to be lost. 4. Mosaic Law commends prompt payment and care for hirelings (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14–15). By engaging idle men, the landowner obeys both the spirit and letter of Torah compassion. Economic and Legal Considerations Roman-era lease contracts (Gaius, Institutes 3.146) allowed owners to oversee labor personally or through stewards. The master’s repeated appearances mark him as hands-on and generous—traits praised in Wisdom literature (Proverbs 11:25). His willingness to pay a full denarius even to late arrivals exceeds standard day-wage equity and signals an allegorical intent beyond economics. Theological Motifs: Grace and Sovereign Generosity 1. God’s Initiative—The hirings are all owner-initiated; laborers never negotiate first. Likewise, salvation (Jonah 2:9; Romans 9:16) begins with divine call. 2. Common Wage, Diverse Hours—Every worker receives the same reward, underscoring that eternal life (John 10:28) is a gift of grace, not hourly merit (Ephesians 2:8-9). 3. Repeated Calls—The sixth- and ninth-hour recruitments reveal God’s persistent pursuit of sinners at every moment of history and of individual life (Isaiah 65:1-2; 55:6-7). 4. Inversion of Status—The parable rebukes prideful early entrants (representative of religious elites) and honors latecomers (Gentiles, societal outcasts). The repeated hiring narrates salvation-history’s widening embrace (Acts 10:34-35). Progressive Revelation Across Salvation History • Dawn/First Hour: Patriarchs and covenant Israel (Genesis 12). • Third & Sixth Hours: Prophets and remnant returns (Isaiah 49; Ezra 1). • Ninth Hour: Gospel era—“about the ninth hour Jesus cried… ‘It is finished’ ” (Matthew 27:46; John 19:30)—purchasing the wage for all. • Eleventh Hour: Church age’s final ingathering of Gentiles (Romans 11:25) and end-time harvest (Revelation 14:15). The sixth- and ninth-hour hirings sit in the center, picturing God’s mid-history outreach. Evangelistic Implications: The Urgency of Harvest Jesus juxtaposes urgency (“The harvest is plentiful,” Matthew 9:37-38) with compassion (“Why have you been standing here idle all day?” 20:6). The sixth and ninth hours represent moments when daylight is slipping yet work remains. Present-day evangelism mirrors that rush: “Night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). Pastoral / Life-Stage Application • Childhood (dawn), young adulthood (third hour), midlife (sixth), late adulthood (ninth), advanced age (eleventh)—the Master keeps calling. The sixth- and ninth-hour hirings comfort those saved midcourse: God’s reward is not prorated. • Ministry enlistment: believers sidelined by failure or neglect are still draftable at any “hour.” Paul, converted in adulthood, testifies, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Common Objections Answered • “The parable promotes unfairness.” The wage is a contract (v. 2) freely accepted. Justice is maintained; grace is sovereignly added (v. 14). • “Late conversions cheapen discipleship.” Early workers still enjoy a whole day in the Master’s service; relational proximity itself is reward (Philippians 1:21). • “God appears arbitrary.” Divine prerogative is anchored in covenant fidelity (Exodus 34:6-7), not whim. His generosity is consistent with His revealed character. Conclusion The repeated hirings at the sixth and ninth hours showcase the landowner’s compassion, urgency, and sovereignty. Historically credible, culturally rooted, and theologically rich, they dramatize God’s ongoing invitation to labor in His kingdom, affirm the equality of grace for all who respond, and warn that the day will close. |
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