Parables Archives

Jesus tells many parables throughout His ministry on earth, many pertaining to the numerous analogies of the Kingdom of Heaven. A notable analogy is that of the Laborers in the Vineyard. This parable compares the Kingdom of Heaven to that of a man that owned a vineyard. The owner of the vineyard goes out five times a day to bring in workers. Then, at the end of the day, the owner pays each of the workers the same amount of money no matter what time of day they began working—this confused and upset the first of the workers. Today, we’re still confused by this parable. Who is the master of the vineyard? What is the vineyard? Who are the laborers in the vineyard? And why is each laborer in the vineyard paid the same amount? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the purpose of this analogy of the Kingdom of Heaven in his video, The Laborers in the Vineyard Parable.

Matthew 20:1-16
Ephesians 2:8–9
Matthew 10:40-42
Hebrews 13:2
John 9:4–5
Matthew 24:12
Luke 18:7–8
Mark 6:1–6
2 Corinthians 12:10
Matthew 19:26
Matthew 17:20
Mark 9:20-23
1 Corinthians 4:20 (NIV)
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV)

The Laborers in the Vineyard Parable

Dissecting The Parable

¹ For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ²After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ ⁵So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. ⁶And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ ⁷They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’

⁸And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ ⁹And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. ¹⁰Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, ¹²saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ ¹³But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. ¹⁵Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ ¹⁶So the last will be first, and the first last.

Matthew 20:1-16

Who is the Owner of the Vineyard?

God (Jesus) is the owner of the vineyard in the parable.

What is the Vineyard?

The vineyard in the parable represents the world.

Who are the Laborers?

The laborers in the vineyard in the parable are those who harken to the clarion call of Jesus to work in the harvest fields. In other words, those who save souls through the faithful teaching of the word, and the witnessing of those who believe, as well as those who support or help another worker.

What is the Work the laborers did in the vineyard?

¹ He went away from there and came to His hometown, and His disciples followed Him. ²And on the Sabbath He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to Him? How are such mighty works done by His hands? ³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. ⁴And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” ⁵And He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶And He marveled because of their unbelief.

Mark 6:1–6

¹³You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

¹⁴You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

The work the laborers do in the vineyard in the parable is doing the work of God:

Ministering
Sharing your testimony
Sharing the Gospel
Using your Spiritual Gifts

How are they all paid the same?

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Look, The Fields Are White Unto Harvest

Where Do We Find This Verse?

³⁵Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. ³⁶Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. ³⁷For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ ³⁸I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

John 4:35–38

What is the White Harvest, and Who are the Laborers?

The harvest is the souls of the world, and the laborers are the Church. This is the call of John 4:35-38. We are to be the laborers in His field so that souls might be harvested. Paul uses this same analogy when explaining that it doesn’t matter who planted the seed or who watered the seed; it only matters that the seed is nourished so that it might grow and be harvested.

⁸He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. ⁹For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:8–9

Why is This White Harvest Important?

We are all called to do the will of God the Father. In fact, Jesus said that it was so important, that unless you do the will of the Father, then you have no salvation, even if you believe.

²¹Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Matthew 7:21-23

What is the Will of the Father?

There’s a reason that Jesus said to look because the fields are white unto harvest. He didn’t just bring our attention to the fields being white unto harvest; no, He was bringing our attention to the desire of the Father. The fields are white unto harvest; you don’t even have to sow the field or even work it, because He (Jesus) did that. He paid the price, and in doing so, He did all the heavy labor. All we have to do is harvest the field of souls by telling them of the good news of Christ Jesus. Why? Because God doesn’t want any of His creation to be destroyed, but He wants them all to have eternal life. This is why He has called us all to be laborers in His field.

⁸But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

2 Peter 3:8-10

¹¹For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹²Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. ¹³You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

¹⁶For God so loved the world^, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 3:16-18

So, once more, I will repeat. Look, the fields are white unto harvest. The souls are ready to hear the good news of Christ Jesus. We don’t have much longer on this earth to win souls for Christ. We don’t have much longer to harvest the white fields before us. It’s time to be the laborers that Christ has called us to be. It’s time to win souls for Christ.

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