In brief
The workers of the eleventh hour are the characters of a parable of Jesus told in Matthew 20:1-16. They are teaching figures, not historical persons. A master of a household hires laborers for his vineyard at different hours of the day, then gives them all the same wage, a denarius. Those hired first murmur. The master answers that he does them no wrong and that he is free to be good. The parable reveals the sovereign generosity of God.
What does the name The Workers of the Eleventh Hour mean?
The expression comes from Matthew 20:6 and 20:9: the master goes out one last time about the eleventh hour. Hours were counted from sunrise, so the eleventh hour falls in the late afternoon, about an hour before evening, which the complaint of the first workers confirms (Matthew 20:12).
The story of The Workers of the Eleventh Hour
Peter's question
Matthew 19:27-30After the rich young man leaves, Peter reminds Jesus that the disciples have left everything to follow him and asks what it will mean for them. Jesus promises a real reward, then adds: “But many will be last who are first; and first who are last.” The parable that follows sheds light on this saying.
The morning hiring
Matthew 20:1-2The Kingdom of Heaven is like a master of a household who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. He agreed with them on a denarius a day, then sent them to work. Everything is clear and fair: an agreement was made, and each one knows what he will receive in the evening.
Calls throughout the day
Matthew 20:3-7The master goes out again about the third, the sixth and the ninth hour, and sends other laborers, promising whatever is right. About the eleventh hour he still finds men standing in the marketplace and asks why they stand there all day idle. They answer that no one has hired them. He sends them into his vineyard too.
A denarius for all
Matthew 20:8-10When evening comes, the master tells his manager to pay the laborers, beginning from the last to the first. Those hired at the eleventh hour each receive a denarius. The first come, supposing they will receive more, but they too each receive a denarius, exactly what had been agreed.
The murmuring of the first
Matthew 20:11-12When they receive their wages, the first murmur against the master. They protest that these last have spent only one hour, yet are made equal to those who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. They do not dispute that they received what was due, but the goodness shown to others.
The master is free to be good
Matthew 20:13-16The master answers one of them that he does him no wrong, since they agreed on a denarius. He adds: “Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?” Jesus concludes: the last will be first, and the first last.
Test your knowledge
What The Workers of the Eleventh Hour teaches us
- Salvation is a gift of God's grace, not a wage earned by our efforts.
- It is never too late to answer God's call as long as he is still calling.
- Comparing our reward with that of others leads to murmuring and jealousy.
- God wrongs no one: he is just to all and free to be generous.
- Serving God for a long time is a privilege, not a title to hold against others.
Key verses
The master's question reveals the heart of the first workers: they look with an evil eye on the goodness shown to others. God is free to give according to his generosity.
The conclusion of the parable echoes the saying of Matthew 19:30: in the kingdom, the last will be first, and the first last.
Paul expresses the same truth without a parable: by grace we have been saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about The Workers of the Eleventh Hour
- Workers of the Eleventh Hour: My Grace Is Sufficient for YouThe preacher shows that the workers of the eleventh hour receive the wage of a whole day without having made up for the work of the others: the master's generosity depends neither on their quality nor on the time spent.
- The Sovereignty of GraceThe sermon stresses that the master pays those of the eleventh hour first to reveal the heart of the first workers, and that it is not the workers who seek the master, but the master who comes to them.
- Jonah 3: It's Not Too Late, Arise and GoIn a sermon on Jonah 3, the pastor cites the workers of the eleventh hour, who receive the same wage as those who worked all day, to show that God can restore lost time.
- 1 Thessalonians 4: Mind Your Own BusinessThe sermon links the parable to the call to mind one's own business: the one who worked only an hour receives the same wage, and each must let the Lord decide.
Frequently asked questions
What does the parable of the workers of the eleventh hour mean?
It shows that the kingdom of heaven does not run on the logic of merit. All the workers receive a denarius, because the master has decided to be good. God wrongs no one, but he gives his grace freely. The parable also warns against the jealousy of those who compare themselves with others (Matthew 20:15).
What does the expression eleventh hour mean?
The hours of the day were counted from sunrise. The eleventh hour therefore corresponds to late afternoon, about an hour before evening: the first workers say that these last ones spent only one hour (Matthew 20:12). Today the expression describes someone who arrives very late, but not too late.
Where is the parable of the workers in the vineyard found in the Bible?
It is found only in Matthew 20:1-16. To understand it, first read the end of chapter 19, with the meeting with the rich young man and Peter's question about the disciples' reward (Matthew 19:16-30). The same saying about the first and the last frames the parable.