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Matthew 20:3&4

"3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way."

We are reading from the Gospel of Matthew for the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, a lesson we must take to heart. As Jesus and His disciples head toward the cross, He tells this parable it addresses concerns about status, reward, and fairness in the kingdom of heaven.

We need this parable: it shows how heaven works. We are the workers in the vineyard. God is our employer, He pays a fair wage for a full day’s work. We are blessed to work for Him.

Today’s verses, the landowner goes out at the third hour (about 9 a.m.) and finds others standing idle in the marketplace. He tells them, “You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right.” They go to work. 

The marketplace was where day laborers waited to be hired. These workers had not been chosen earlier. The landowner’s repeated hiring shows God’s ongoing invitation to serve in His kingdom, regardless of when one is called. The promise to pay “whatever is right” reflects divine fairness and grace. This act emphasizes that God values all who respond to His call, whether early or late in life, and rewards everyone generously.