Matthew 20:1-6: a reflection

1“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. 4He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way. 5Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’

In the parable of the vineyard, the master goes out to hire laborers, not once, but again and again through the day: early in the morning, at the third hour, the sixth, the ninth, and even at the eleventh hour, near the end of the day, he goes out and finds others standing idle and calls them in too. The master keeps going out, keeps calling, right up to the eleventh hour; no one is too late to be called into his vineyard. Even those who had stood idle all day were called in at the last hour, welcomed into the work.

Notice that the master called laborers even at the eleventh hour. He did not stop hiring after the morning; he went out again and again, and even near the end of the day he called those still standing idle into his vineyard. No hour was too late for his call; he sought out even the ones who had waited all day, and brought them in. The eleventh-hour laborers were not turned away as too late; they were called and welcomed into the work, given a place in the vineyard even at the last. The master's call kept coming, right to the end of the day.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's call into his work can come even at a late hour, and it is never too late to answer. We can think ourselves too late for God's call, that we have wasted too much of the day standing idle, that our chance to serve him has passed; but the master called laborers even at the eleventh hour, and no one who came was turned away as too late. It is never too late to be called into God's vineyard, to answer his call and take up his work. Do not think yourself too late for God's call, as though the day were too far gone; he calls laborers even at the eleventh hour, and welcomes those who come. Answer God's call into his work even if it comes at a late hour, not thinking yourself too late, as the master called the idle even at the eleventh hour and welcomed them into the vineyard; for it is never too late to answer God's call, and he welcomes even those who come at the last hour of the day.

Lord, in the parable of the vineyard, the master goes out to hire laborers, not once, but again and again through the day: early in the morning, at the third hour, the sixth, the ninth, and even at the eleventh hour, near the end of the day, he goes out and finds others standing idle and calls them in too. The master keeps going out, keeps calling, right up to the eleventh hour; no one is too late to be called into his vineyard. Show me that the master called laborers even at the eleventh hour. He did not stop hiring after the morning; he went out again and again, and even near the end of the day he called those still standing idle. No hour was too late for his call; he sought out even the ones who had waited all day. The eleventh-hour laborers were not turned away as too late; they were called and welcomed into the work. Take that to my heart, for your call into your work can come even at a late hour, and it is never too late to answer. I can think myself too late for your call, that I have wasted too much of the day standing idle, that my chance to serve you has passed; but the master called laborers even at the eleventh hour, and no one who came was turned away. It is never too late to be called into your vineyard. Keep me from thinking myself too late for your call, as though the day were too far gone; you call laborers even at the eleventh hour, Lord. Help me answer your call into your work even if it comes at a late hour, not thinking myself too late, as the master called the idle even at the eleventh hour and welcomed them.